Imperial Valley press., 1930-09-22
so WAYS YOU
CAN SAVE IN
HOME BUILDING

BY the Architects Small House
Service Bureau of the United States.
Inc.
There are only two ways to erect
your home at less expense. The hrSt
Is to get a contractor who VIII agree
to build your home as you want II,
without reducing qualities, at a lower
price. The second is to reduce your
requirements, to take less tnan you
want, both as to quality ard quantity.
These are the only ways to reouce
costs. Your home will cost more or
less. depending upon what sort or a
bargain you can drive with the man
who builds it, the qualities OF ma
terials you use, and to what extent
your home is completed.
Compare Like Things
Probably the Oldest way 10 get
lower prices for what you want Is to
bargain for them. In building, this
cone by taking bids. Contractors
Eo,npcic with each other for the privi-
eye and profit OF building your home.
good contractors are selected for
his purpose, everyone of whom Is
Competent to build good house, then
mis- method is wise and fair one to
rolloW. Then The comparison OF
priccs is drawn between like things
and il is safe to rely on the low pld.
But competition between high grace
contractors aad cheap contractors
often puts the former in u position
OF Gi.advantage. 'rhoy cannot COM
pete with the low prices quoted by
the Door builders because they will
not do the grade OF work that salts
h,s the poor contractor. Since you
hot L "a
estimates should not be taken from
poo? contractors. We do not propose
that you lower costs OF building by
substituting poor workmanship or
poor materials. Tor that would be
poor economy.
All this is ON the presumption that
you will have one general contractor
In charge OF the building OF your
house. We believe this is the most
satisfactory method for small home
builders You make your contractor
responsible for turning over to YOU
completed building In acceptable con.
dition. Often he not only provides
for completing the actual building,
but becomes responsible also for the
heating, plumbing, electric wiring
and electric fixtures, though some
money can be saved by sEb-letting
contracts for these last items. II
some OF the work is let to separate
contractors, choose them with The
same care that you exercise i'll select
ing the general contractor.
Management Important
Some home builders have tried the
axpedient of building BY a process OF
letting all the various parts OF the
work to sub-contractors. They elm
mate the general contractor alto
uether. By this method the owner
becomes his own general contractor
He makes the Sub-contractors &C
countaDle to him. He must syncro
nize the different parts of the work
get the different Sub-contractors or
the job at the proper time, adjuS
differences. buy materials, pay TO
mistakes he makes, spend an amaz
ing lot of time on the job. This Il
generally not a good method unles
The home builder is unusually famil
ar with the buying Of materials ant
he direction of labor, and is able t.
solve the many problems that ariS
in building. This scheme of building
eliminates with the general contra1
tor all of his skill, judgment and eX
pcrience, which are worth a Srea
deal. When the owner assumes thes
responsibilities he also assumes tn
liabilities that go with them.-CopJ
right lce'. The Architects Sna
House Service Bureau of the Unite
States, Inc.-Home Builders Clinic
The First of Il Number of Articles