Evening star., 1948-10-10
Mass-PrOduced
Homes Selling
Builder Says Assembly
Line Methods Give
More for Money
Ry 7. (. AppIeaate

ManndSSeC, Long iSland, oeneVeS
that If builders would organize like
big manufacturing businesses. new
homes could be bigger and better
at no greater cost.
Obviously you can't move houses
down . conveyor.
But you can move specialized
workers along = line Of houses. And
you can arrange delivery Of mate
rials and components, just like the
flow of automobile parts to IN as
sembly line.
Mr.. Levitt has used such methods
in building some 5000 houses since
the war. Most of these have been
in the low-price class. but he has
just tapped . new field.
Ignoring reports that demand for
$50, 1000 homes was drying up. Mr..
Levitt has just sold 100 of them
$4,000 900 worth-in two days.
Where such houses are idle and
unsold, he said. It's q case Of too
little house for too much money"
Much of the fault, he believes,
lies with rugged individualists who
use the same building methods their
grandfathers did"
Submits His Own Record
AS proof that Misrepresentation
techniques will produce good home
values, Mr.. Levitt submits the rec.
ord Of Levitt d Sons the's president
and one Of the sons.
This company has mechanized
its work wherever possible, has
specialized crews working on an
assembly-hne basis from house to
house. 1t produces its own lumber,
nails and cement blocks, has its
own warehouse.
Set up Is An industry, Levitt &
Sons has complete engineering,
landscaping and legal departments.
1t even has . plan for workers re-
tirement at IS, for which 1t bears
the expense.
The company does not recognize
or deal with any union. Mr.. Levitts
position is that no able, experienced
worker needs q union card to work
ON his houses. But he estimates
that about half Of his crews do
carry such cards.
Mr.. Levitt says most unionized
workers in the building trades are
employed on short jobs with un-
certain future.
But he believes his employees pro-
duce more, and earn more, because
in his large-scale operations they
are assured of at least nine months
Of steady work each year.
With this organization, Mr.. Lev
lit has nearly completed . new
community Of 5000 four-room
homes for rental and eventual sale
to veterans. Families are moving
into 'Levittown" houses q fast as
they are finished, at the rate OF
$50 Z week.
Miracle House Sells Fast, =
A surprise even TO Mr.. Levitt was
his amazing success, late last
month, in tapping the 90, 900
market.
He has no undue modesty about
what he calls the miracle house
for ls4s." 1t was designed by his
brother, Alfred Levitt, whom he de-
scribes as the best small house
architect in the Nation"
Standing in hts quiet, dark
paneled ofiice in the company's ivy
covered headquarters at Manhas-
set, Mr.. Levitt said simply, I'VE
knew the house was good"
But he thought it would take 90
days to sell the first hundred. In
stead. 1t took two days, without
advance advertising, with only .
roadside arrow" pointing to the
one completed pilot model.
For $4,000 up depending on lot
size, from Z minimum 100x120 feet
up to an acre. the purchaser gets
. three-bedroom, two-bath home,
all on one floor: large unfinished
attic, q garage 20x25 and two ter
races. The houses have double
pane glass throughout, and infra-
red, and sun lamps are built into
the bathrooms. All are equipped
with automatic washers, electric
ranges and refrigerators. without
the attic, the house, with only stor-
age space overhead, starts at $lS,5OO
on the minimum plot.
Encouraged by the demand un-
covered for the house, Mr.. Levitt
plans to build 800 Of them, start
ing the first group OF 22o on No
vember Is.
He believes his Long Island ac-
complishments could be duplicated
by other Isuilders-if they organize
. manufacturing, industry-in any.
metropolitan areG
Mr.. Levitt's sharpest barbs are
reserved for producers who ship
their products direct to him but
bill him through . distributor who
takes a markup even though he
never sees the shipments.
You can't blame builders entirely
for present high costs, Mr.. Levitt
said, when large basic manufac-
turers haven't got the leadership
needed to hold the price line. You
have to hold the line ut it, source.
Everybody Just passes . cost tn
crease along"
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