Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-06
The Practical Side of Home Building
Arthur Caussn, Architect.

Many dreams must vanish when one
comes face to face with the practical side
of home building. For a year or more
before building the mind has been allowed
to picture the home which would meet our
every desire, regardless of expense or To-
cation. But now that the time has come
to arrange our Ideas in some tangible form
for the builder to follow, We find that many
things have to be taken into consideration
that will greatly modify our dreams Of
an ideal home. In the first place, our
pocket-book seldom allow us to purchase
the double lot or quarter block which we
have been picturing, with its flower-beds
and border hedges, and we find we must
content ourselves with a single lot on a
quiet side street. This lot, of course, is
too small for the great colonial house,
with its tall columns and side terrace
which we have pictured. But then that
is of little consequence, for we find that
we have not the means to either build or
keep up such a mansion,
To some this may seem like an exag-
gerated picture of the aspirations of the
average home builder, but it is not every
architect who can we'll testify as to the
difficulty he has with most clients in keep
ing their ideas within their means. Many
people have the mistaken idea that it is
simply necessary to tell their architect or
builder the amount OF funds they desire
to invest and that they can, as a matter
of course, with their superior knowledge
of building, build for them just the house
which their fancy pictures, regardless of its
size and how many bays, porches or towers
are desired.
When an architect tells you frankly that
you are attempting to build a home beyond
your means, do not blame him afterward
for having wasted his time and yours II
you insisted upon having your way. Also
remember that your architect is not a
contractor and cannot tell you exactly.
in advance. just what your house will cost.
The architect and contractor bear the same
relation as doctor and druggist, the one
preseribes and the other fills the prescrip-
ton. Your doctor can seldom tel you the
exact cost of the drugs he prescribes, yet
the architect is often expected to estimate
accurately, in advance, the cost Of a house
without knowing what builders will be in
vited to bid upon 1t. or how anxious they
may be for the job, For example;
A home builder goes to an architect and
has him plan a home which is 10 cost
1850. Five contractors are invited to give
estimates and their bids run from $500 tic
$500, with only one contractor giving an
estimate within the required amount Had
this one contractor. through some chance
not been invited to bid on the work. it car
easily been seen that the architect would
have been blamed for having run up the
cost OF the house, For this reason. It may
be taken for granted that any architect
who claims that a certain house can be
built for a certain specified amount, re-
gRrdless Of locality, is not dealing with his
prospective clients honestly.
Experience has proven that It is best
to at least double, and sometimes treble
the cost estimate placed on designs which
are published by catalogue architects
These so-called architects have been quick
I'm recognizing the weakness OF the average
home builder for wanting to put UP a large
house at small expense and have ARRANGED
the cost estimates in their catalogue &C,
cordingly. It's a dishonest practice which
should be roundly condemned. one OF th'
easiest ways in which Ia run up the cos.