Evening star., 1934-06-09
NEARLY $250,0DO
IN MAY BUILDING
DISTRICT RECORD
Contrast of Figure With
$145,OOO in Same Month
Last Year Significant.
BETTER HOMES CONTEST
BEGINNING OF UPTURN
Building Trades Already Feeling
Benefit of Increased Activity.
Business Sense in Move.
by VINCENT TUTCHING,


indicative of the extent to which
the property improvement urge is
sweeping Washington are figures just
released by the District building in
spector for May, which show that
nearly quarter of a million dollars
worth of this work was authorized for
that month alone.
The figure, which includes repairs
and modernization of homes. is con-
siderably ahead of the corresponding
month of a year ago, when only $l45,-
900 odd was spent on repairs In the
Capital. The figures, of course,> do
not extend to nearby Maryland and
Virginia, where vast amount of this
work also is going on.
The rise in volume of property i'm
provements last month Is continua-
ton of the Jump taken during April,
when The Stars 81 900 Better Homes
Contest was launched. During that
work was authorized. comparing with
$1l3,990 for the corresponding period
Of 1888.
Many Projects Entered.
Many Of the projects undertaken
during the last two months have been
entered in The Stars contest, in which
IA capital prizes will be awarded home
owners In the metropolitan area for
outstanding home improvements.
The building trades in Washington
already have felt the benefit of this
increased activity in the field of home
improvement, according to those In
close contact with the construction
industry.
Home modernization and improve
ment no longer are looked upon as
extravagant. 1t is, rather. regarded
as good, sound business. The home
owner who improves his holdings en-
hances the value of his property on
the real estate market; he creates en-
ployment in the neglected building in
dustries and he helps better the stand
ards Of community beauty.
Every one wants a prettier, more
attractive and more up-to-date home,
and it is not very difficult to create
one. Effort that is put into the home
to make it more charming. more ex-
pressive of the owners personality
and tastes, will pay big dividends in
satisfaction and happiness TO the en-
tire family.
Reasons For Renovizing.
Many reasons can be advanced why
the home should be ''renovized." Per-
haps it is so run down that it would
be advisable to rebuild rather than
face the necessity of extensive re-
pairs. Perhaps the location Is on
beautifully shaded residential street
which the owner would dislike to
leave.
One authority on home moderniza-
ton has this to say on the subject:
'"The remodeling of house Is not
o standardized process. Each house
presents an individual problem, SO
none but general rules can be laid
down. The best thing to do is to
study what other people have done.
what we all want In remodeling
Is the conversion that will be adapted
to our present manner of living.
Housekeeping today means a mini
mum of home working. Various rooms
are not merely to have, but to be used
to their utmost, for rest, for relaxa-
ton, for hospitable entertainment
There should be no unused waste
space in our homes today, when it is
so easy to convert attics and base
ments into attractive, usable rooms at
small expense. And our modernizing
plans should include the garden, for
the garden is intimately a part of the
home and supplies much that makes
up home life.
Every architect tells us that houses
should be rebuilt with a view to pre-
serving as much of them as possible.
Unless we are willing to adapt our
plans to At in with what already ex-
lists, 1t often costs less to build a
whole new home. However. it Is
amazing what can be done to bring
out the real beauty of line which lies
hidden in many an old home. A new,
modern entrance; an ugly porch trans
formed into a broad, inviting outdoor
lounge, or into a cozy sun room; or a
new exterior finish may modernize the
whole exterior of your home.
ION the inside, you may combine
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