Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-27
REALTORS OFFER
TIPS ON BUILDING
Tell What to Look For in
Buying or Construct
ing Home.

family planning a home should have
in mind to insure successful project
Is given by men who have developed
some of the most notable home areas
In the country, writing in response to
o recent request of the National Asso-
citation of Real Estate Boards.
The association released that por-
ton of its home builders sympo-
SUM relating to the planning and
building of the house itself. This IN
cludes planning for genuine INABILITY,
safeguarding of the plan for the event
of a possible resale, selecting what is
essential for sound but not over-eX-
pensive construction. 1t covers the
question of whether or not to include
porch, fireplace, game room and the
like, whether or not cellar is essen
tial.
The particular needs of the family
buying or building its home are the
most important considerations gov
erning it's planning, the contributors
generally agree, but they counsel also
that in most cases one should plan
the home investment with some con-
sideration of resale value.
j. c. Taylor, Kansas City, vice pres
ident, j. c. Nichols Investment Co.,
new chairman of the land develop
ers' and home builders division. says:
Whether buying completed house
or building one, buyer should con-
slider first house that suits his own
particular family needs, but he should
avoid extremes in plan, unless he can
afford to take loss on resale. He
should constantly keep in mind the
type of house that would be not only
satisfactory to himself as builder, but
that would also be suitable for an
average family of size, and means
similar to his own" Mr. Taylor gives
great encouragement to the exercise
of real individual ingenuity. 1.-THE
more things that can be added to
home in the way of intimate details
which add to the convenience and
Inability and show intelligence Of
thought in planning, the greater is
the desirability and the greater the
value when offered for resale" he
says. There are many things in the
purchasing or building of a house
that must be determined by the local
ity in which they are built
Judson Broadway, Detroit, advises
Economic for space. Build the
dining room-generally used so little
barely large enough to accommo-
date the family, and serve the dinner
parties, etc. in the living room. You
may desire a playroom in the base
ment, but don't waste money on fixing
it up unless the basement is very dry
OF %vryr
large windows at least four feet high
opening upon open window wells pro-
viding plenty of light and fresh air,
and unless, in addition, the room has
handy access from the living quar-
Gers above"
Harold JanSs, Los Angeles, vice
president, Janss Investment Corp,
warns: Such conveniences as fire
places, cellars, porches, libraries, ETC.,
should be put in at the time the home
Is constructed, as an attempt to add
these features later is more costly
and often does not fit in with the
plan"
Justin Matthews, Little Rock, Ark,
holds: Every home, of course. should
be planned with view of making the
most out of its resale value, but to
plan homes so that additions can be
made to them is the height of folly.
1t is well to have closets large enough
for in-a-door beds in the living room
and dining room, so that this could
be added later for emergency. There
should be a fireplace in the living
room of every home"
"One hundred dollars properly
spent on the average brick residence
to give it the essentials for enduring
the ravages of time will double the
value of the house because it will
practically eliminate repair bills, "
Matthews declared.
He gives the family about to build
home this practical check list of
what he considers the essential
things are:
Il. Materials for window-sills,
brick mouldings and screen stock
should be heart cypress, genuine Mich
igan white pine, red wood or heart
yellow fir.
20. The valley should be made
only of 40-pound dipped tin on char
coal base, or copper. Copper is not
good for long runs because it expands
and breaks at the joints, but it is
better on short valleys.
"3. No roof nail should be used
except genuine wrought iron nails
tthe old square type naiD, or copper
nails. Steel nails used on roofs in
this country are costing millions of
dollars year to the home owner.
4. Proper lighting and ventilating
below ground floor of houses that do
not have Easements is another item
that would save millions of dollars a
year to the home owners.
IS. All piping in concrete floors,
bath rooms, etc, should be of brass
All other water mains should be gen.
uine wrought iron pipe. Traps should
be cast brass instead of pressed brass.
Is. Ninety-rline and nine-tenthS
per cent of all plaster cracks are due
10 three causes. Fifty per cent Of
the cracks are chargeable to allow
ing plaster to dry out too fast, which
Is caused in warm weather by plaster
ing when doors and windows have
not been set in houses. Twenty five
per cent of the cracking is due to
green interior framing lumber used,
and the remaining 25 per cent of the
cracks is due to improper heading
over oneningS"