My husband and I recently left the city after a lifetime on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Following in the footsteps of Chip and Joanna Gaines, or better yet, Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
(that sublime precursor to the inferior
The Money Pit
), we had dreams and visions along with considerable trepidation. We were more than aware of the potential pitfalls of old homes, and friends warned us of both financial and marital ruin. Indeed, we could recite every line of dialogue from the scenes where the Blandings reel from structural mishaps.