Setting the Stage
So let's start at the beginning. What is a house? According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, a house is "A structure serving as a dwelling for one or more persons, especially for a family." You probably have a very specific mental image of the "typical house." It is a structure on its own piece of land, generally with a lawn and plants outside. It has a pitched roof, walls covered in brick or siding, windows and doors. Inside there are rooms like the kitchen, the living room, bedrooms and bathrooms.
I can show you a hundred pictures of houses and they may all be completely different in their specifics, but they will all share those basic characteristics.