San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07
E0RETH0UGHT
REQU|RED IN
BUYING LOT
Price, Locati on. Etc,
Should Be Given Con-
sideration.
MANY OTHER FACTORS
Distinction Is Desirable in
Plans for the
House.
MANY OTHER FACTORS

before making rabbit pie may well be
duplicated in any advice concerning
the construction of a house. First
get your lot, one generous enough for
your needs and in as desirable Local
ton as possible.
Building house, except for the
very wealthy, is certain to be COM
promise. lou would rather build it IN
the more expensive manner i'll a more
dccsrable location; but very natural
~ the limitations of your pOcketbook
must be considered.
Assuming that you have not yet
purchased your building lot you are
then Unrestricted in your choice. Keep,
in mind the transportation to and
from your work, look to the schools,
churches and parks and consider, if
you can, the future of the neighbour
hood.
A lot may best be chosen If you
already have in mind the type of house
you intend to build. Building lots
are wide or narrow, sometimes upon
corner, and others are in the center
of the block. Remember that the site
will inevitably affect the design and
perhaps the size and shape of your
house. If your lot is narrow, by all
means do not contemplate the con-
struction of house that is wide. The
effect will be cramped.
If you own an automobile or con-
template the purchase of one at some
future time, do not overlook the gar
nge facilities at the time you build.
Many. houses have been designed with
combined garages and other plans
are laid out to call for garage with
an adequate roadway to it, to be con-
structed with the home or even at
some future time.
Deciding the Size.
The size of the house nearly always
puzzles the prospective builder. The
best guide to tie size--by which is
primarily meant the number of roolns
lis the decision upon the number of
bedrooms. Two, three or four bed
rooms; you can scarcely contemplate
building a house with less than two,
and for the ordinary family, four
chambers should be entirely adequate.
OF the making of house plans, like
the making of books. there seems to be
no end. One would think that all
possible plots for books had been ex-
bausted long ago-and there are those
who say they have. Likewise, every,
kind of house has had itself construc-
ed until a person who desires to, erect
a home entirely distinctive and indi-
vidual must call to his aid a most .un-
usual architect. =
Distinction in other things, how
ever, is generally held to be of more
svalue than being individual in the
matter of house styles. A reason
able conformity to the neighboring
houses-provided. of course, that they
have been constructed in good taste
lis more to be desired than utter diff
ferentness. -,
Each house will then contribute
something OF, value to the others.
Nothing is more discouraging to the
advocates of the "city beautiful" than
a long row of houses. built after fac
tory methods, as alike as peas in
pod. There is no necessity for the
lack of diversity, for there are scores
of plans which admit of different
treatment of precisely similar building
lots. Be different, but not too diff.
ferent. Fl,
Consider Your Neighbors.
Consider your neighbors, then. both
IN design and type of house and the
manner IN which it stands on the
building lot. Often you must COM
promise, for even though. you might
prefer to have the house jutting right
on the sidewalk with your yard in
the back latter the European fashion,
perhaps your neighbor who preceded
you in constructing his home has set
his house far back or in the center
of the lot.
Various types Of houses have been
found TO be more suitable for differ
ent sections of the country. and de-
signers Of houses have classified the
plans TO meet the needs of the builder
in his locality.
II you are building in the South.
you must look to the ventilation of the
house. and the heating n'ant is of
very minor interest. The ceilings
should be high. and the windows tall,
that maximum of air will be admit
ted to the rooms. An overhanging
roof. which will effectuallv shade the
walls from the RAYS Of the sun. will
aid IN keeping the home cool. A large
porch will also be considered among
the essential things. l
A cellar will not he necessarv. for
all the snace that will be needed for
storing Of fuel will he one room, ex.
cavated underneath the house,
The builder Of home in the north.
on the other. hand, will have other
problems. including the one of heat
ing. The house will necessarily be
more CONTACT. preferably with two
stories and a basement. for the fur
mace and fuel. For small homo.
the most noprlsr type Of hnatir1 plant
j. probably the warm air furnace.
pipeless or piped. Steam heat. hot
water heat and oil-burning plants all
have their advantages. although some
are much more expensive then 9th
ers. The selection Of the heating
plant Is one point TO which 1t Is well
to dive very careful Consideration.