Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-09

The floor plans accompanying this article
show two different Arrangements for a
duplex house with practically the same ex-
terror, the principal difference being that
the plans are for different locations, one
being for an east or south front and the
other designed for a west or north front.
The duplex house is one OF the most popu-
lar and practical investments in the build
ing line today. They cost but little more
to build than the average two-story house
and yield twice in return. Each floor Is
commonly known as a duplex flat, although
the arrangement is almost identically that
of a bungalow. In fact, the same plan
could be used for planning a bungalow II
one should so desire. One can easily see
that to build two five or six-room bunga-
lows on separate lots would cost consld-
cradle more than to plan one flat over the
other in the same house, requiring but one
lot, one foundation, one roof and one sewer
and water connection into the street. The
duplex flat overcomes the serious objec-
ton to the average flat building, which is
the fact that the rooms are necessarily
arranged in a long row. most of the rooms
having windows on but one side from which
they must depend entirely for light and
air. The arrangement OF a duplex flat
makes 1t possible 10 have every conven-
ience and advantage of a private home VITA
windows on all sides giving light and air
and an outlook from all directions. The
building Of a duplex house, because of the
fact that 1t is in nearly every case strictly
a business investment. is often neg ,ected
in many OF its most important details, the
first being that the owner or real estate
firm, as the occasion may be, sometimes
considers II unnecessary to obtain the serv-
ices Of a competent architect, and it is
a noticeable fact that the homes so con-
structed do not rent near as we'll as those
which have been carefully planned and as
carefully built at no greater expense.
Many people look upon a duplex house as
the opportunity Of building a home for their
own use, occupying one OF the flats them
selves and letting the rent from the other
pay the interest, taxes and monthly pay
ments on the money borrowed to build Z
II properly built they are always ready
sellers and, unfortunately for the building.
many real estate firms put up duplex
houses to sell instead Of to rent them
selves. The writer knows Of two square
blocks of duplex houses which were put
up with this end in view that are possibly
not worth but little more than half of the
price asked for them. The only reason that
poorer material was not put into them is
the fact that they could get nothing poorer.
Even the paint and varnish used TO tenn
porarily cover up the poor material Is OF
poor quality. and on some OF the buildings
has commenced to come off in less than a
year. Why some real estate men persist
in putting up the poorest building possible
is incomprehensible. One would think that
they could easily realize that this way OF
doing business does not pay in the Ions
run and note the fact that their most sue
cessful competitors are the men who bu!ld
the best homes and buildings, for there are
a few with business foresight enough tc
see the policy OF building up a poor repu.
tation by building and selling Improperly
constructed homes and buildings.
Experience has proven that a five or six
room flat OF any kind will bring as mucf
rent as one Of seven or eight rooms. PEG
ple who live in flats seldom have larg'
families, since the real estate regulation.
require that they all be adults OF nearly
grown children. In the basement a laundry
should be provided. one laundry will d,