Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/985

 The Ideal Home for $5,000

��By Geo. M. Petersen

��THE ideal home which we will de- scribe this month, is a building in which everything was studied out in advance; in which every dollar was reckoned before the job was started and one which, through attention to details of small things, was kept down to a very reasonable figure. The house is modern in every respect, has an at- tractive exterior and pleasant interior and altogether a very desira home for the person of average means.

Many per- sons who are now living in rent are per- fectly able to build a home of their own but dread to begin opera- tions because they are afraid

���The completed five-thousand-dollar home. Note the spacious closed veranda and the broad cornice

��that the ultimate cost will far exceed the appropriation. This item of "extras" is, in the great majority of cases, one which causes a great deal of trouble between the owner and the contractor, but if the proper attention is paid to the little things before the contract is awarded there will be no chance for the extra expense.

The cost of the house under discussion was as follows:

Lumber, Millwork and Glazing. $1541.00

Carpenter Labor 705.75

Mason Work, complete 1425.00

Plumbing 425.00

Heating, Hot Water System. . . 400.00

Painting 275.00

Electrical Work 7500

Decorations and Fixtures 150.25

��Total Cost $4997.00

In the first place the plan was drawn and then studied until each room was reduced to the minimum size which could be used and still have it desirable;

��in this way three feet were saved in the length and two feet in the width of the house. The next step was to figure the framing of the house so as to reduce everything to stock lengths and sizes in order to avoid waste of material and the cost of labor for cutting. Following this the interior finish was gone over very carefully and everything which would not actually add to the value of the premises was elim- inated, the finish of the various rooms was gone over thorough- ly and another floor plan made for future addi- t i o n s and equipment. The electrical work was then taken up and only such out- lets as were actually necessary were provided; the plumbing and heating were also gone over very thoroughly as was the paint- ing. The exterior also received its share of thoughtful attention with the result that not only was a nice sum saved on this item but the appearance of the house was actually improved.

We will now investigate the house floor by floor and see what was finally accomplished.

A Baseynent Complete in Every Detail

In the basement we have a billiard room eleven feet wide and twenty-two feet long, which has a nook fourteen feet wide and seven feet deep, in which may be placed a card table and some easy chairs for the onlookers. The floor of these rooms is of No. 2 common yellow pine, seven-eighths of an inch thick laid over 2 by 4 No. 2 hemlock sleepers which are laid on top of the concrete cellar floor. The tongues of the boards in this floor were painted with white lead and oil before they were

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