The "Pittsburgh Potty" and Other Common Pittsburgh Home Features

If you're planning to buy an older home in Pittsburgh, you'll find that there are numerous unique features that Pittsburgh homes can have. You may find some of these features to be odd and certainly some will be more useful than others, but here is a description of some common Pittsburgh home features which you may not find in other places.

"Pittsburgh Potty": The term "Pittsburgh Potty" refers to a basement bathroom which has a working toilet and may sometimes feature a shower as well. The term "bathroom" is used loosely here as often the "Pittsburgh Potty" is not closed off from the rest of the basement (i.e. the toilet/shower is not private and has no door). Some Pittsburgh home owners have renovated their "Pittsburgh Potty" so that it is up to modern standards, but you will still see toilets and showers that are open to their surroundings in some Pittsburgh homes (especially older homes in the city).

Second Basement: Most Pittsburgh homes have a basement, although many are unfinished. Older Pittsburgh homes may feature a second basement for additional storage. This basement is often only entered through the outside of the home, most likely through the backyard, and may or may not be suitable for remodeling.

Unusable Garage: Western Pennsylvania is known for being hilly, so it is no surprise that many Pittsburgh homes are built on hills. While this can mean great views of the city in some cases, in others this can mean that on top of having many steps to climb to get into your home, your driveway may be too steep to actually use. If you're looking for a home in Pittsburgh and your potential driveway looks steep, you may want to do a test drive into the garage to make sure that it is actually usable.

Fireplaces: Many older Pittsburgh homes feature beautiful fireplaces. You'll find fireplaces located throughout the home, in rooms that you would expect such as the living room, as well as unexpected rooms such as the dining room and bedroom. Often, the fireplaces have decorative mantles and ornate tile detail. Although these are not always functioning, they certainly do add charm and value to your home (and will help with those high winter heating bills if they are functioning).

Hardwood Floors: Numerous Pittsburgh homes do have hardwood floors, but you may not be able to see them at first glance as sometimes these are actually covered by carpeting. It may take some work to remove the carpeting and refinish the floors, but this could be worth it if you're looking to bring your home closer to its original look.

Stained Glass Windows: A great feature that can be found in some older Pittsburgh homes is stained glass windows. You can find stained glass windows throughout homes in all price ranges. Since stained glass windows are not as common as fireplaces and hardwood floors, you may have to ask your real estate agent to do some extra legwork to find a home that has them.