Tonight Jim and Muriel Blandings are going to have an anniversary dinner for it is exactly one year ago this very evening that the Blanding's first moved in to their dream house in Lansdale, Connecticut. Mrs Blandings is telling their maid how important this night is and how one year ago they closed the door on their apartment and with the kids and their friend Mr Cole they piled in to the car and set off for their new home. The whole story is retold in a flashback of how they couldn't find their new house?