Evening star., 1936-11-21
SURVEY REVEALS
CHOICES IN HOMES
Women Demand Even More
>Conveniences-BasiC Plan
Still Has Support.

The results of an unprecedented
survey to discover the needs and pref
erences of the average prospective
home-builder in the coming boom in
residential construction are reported
in the November issue of the Archi-
tectural Forum, just published, and
reveal two facts: THE Woman, who
has been emancipated from the back
breaking drudgery of housework, now
Sserves notice that she will insist on
even greater conveniences and COM
forts than in the past; and advocates
of new ideas in planning still have
long way to go to convince the public
Of the superiority of basic changes
from long accustomed room arrange
nents."
Prepared by the editors of the
Forum, the survey was conducted by
the Niagara Hudson Power Corp. and
ments, preferences and pet peeves" of
11,207 families, most of whom Signi-
fed that they might expect to pay
between $1,000 and $500 for a house
and lot and were prepared to pay be-
tween $1,000 and $4,000 down, in the
expectation Of complete amortization
in from 10 to Is years.
Has National Significance.
while some of the data undoubt-
edly reflect purely local New York;
preferences" observes the Forum.
''for the most part the findings are of
national significance and offer much
room for speculation and study. 1t
will probably take a decade of evolu-
~tion to break down some of the fixed
ideas" Of room arrangement, so deeply
rooted in the past, but this is a chal-
lenge which should be met, not by
words but by building houses whose
planning is as advanced as the stand
ard Of home equipment today"
Ninety-f1ve per cent of those answer
Ing the Forums QUESTIONABLE, said
they wanted to live either in an out
lying residence section or beyond city
limits" Less than per cent chose
to live near the main business section.
Their pet peeves'-"the five worst, "
according to the Forum-were mot
enough closet space" mot enough
electrical outlets" cant heat rooms
evenly" poor kitchen arrangements
and house drafty." A marked trend
toward more and larger windows re-
veals desire for more sunlight, and
evidence is also given of a strong
feeling that domestic lighting arrange
ments must be improved.
Unsolicited Comments
More than 1000 unsolicited COM
ments received were. according to the
Forum. especially significant in view
Of the fact that they evidently repre-
sent features particularly dear to the
heart of the home-buying public +"
Foremost among these, in number, was
the demand for fireplace in the hv-
ing room. Next in order were an open
porch, laundry chute, cedar closet and
sun porch. The strangest request was
for an ayiary.
About As per cent of those answer
Ing the Forums QUESTIONABLE desig-
mated ian architect" as the man they
would see first if they were planning
- TO build house. while the next larger
group chose "a builder" the third "a
realtor."
The fact that most prospective home
builders expressed a desire to have
the house set in the middle of the
lot, the Forum deplored as "a most
wasteful use of property" showing
''how little the potentialities of out
door living space are realized and
indicating general tendency to fol-
low a widespread precedent that has
little to commend it."
while the cellar versus no cellar