Buying a home is part of many people's idea of the American dream, and for those who do it's likely the biggest purchase they'll ever make.
Your home is the biggest statement of who you are to the outside world so, how do you go about choosing which home reflects who you are? And when you're selling a home, how much of the "you" that's part of it stays behind?
As a student of material culture, contributor Gianofer Fields looks at objects for clues that she uses to build a narrative about its owner. But when it comes to selling something like a house, she finds there's a delicate balance between what it meant to its old owners and what it will mean to its new ones.
For insight, Fields turns to Wisconsin realtor Tina Ferlindes of Company Equity Executives:
Gianofer Fields studies material culture at UW-Madison and is the curator of "It's a Material World" - a project funded by the Chipstone Foundation, a decorative arts foundation whose mission is preserving and interpreting their collection, as well as stimulating research and education in the decorative arts.
Original air date: 09/21/13