What The Money Is Spent On

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28529, 7 March 1958, Page 12

What The Money Is Spent On

The costs of building vary a good deal but the following up-to-date lists show how the cost of a small house is disposed among the major items. The materials and labour, involved are based on estimates for a house of 1000 square feet, of modest design and good quality, similar in most ways to an average house in the Parade of Homes. Builders’ prices are quoted for the materials. Over the last year increased competition has lowered the cost of sub-contracts slightly. Timber The cost of timber will be up to 17 per cent, of the total cost of the average house. Approximate quantities and item costs are:— Sub-floor, 900 super feet .. £36 Framing, 3400 super feet .. £ll5 Weatherboard, 1350 sup. ft. £B7 Flooring, 1270 super feet .. £9O Lining, 400 super feet .... £l7 Mouldings, skirtings, etc. .. £45 Shelving £25

Carpenters’ labour in a house would be up to 20 per cent, of the cost of the whole house. This does not include the varying expense of linings. [lf it is a brick veneer house, between 4000 and 6000 bricks, at £l4 5s a 1000, would be needed. Cartage will probably cost £2 10s a thousand.] Lining Lining costs for 100 sq. ft. are as follows: fibrous plaster, 85s; Gibraltar board, 655; hardboard (l-Bin), 625; plywood (3-16 in 82s; fancy finished plywoods, 150 s to 200 s; softboard, 51s. The total costs of lining in a house cannot usefully be quoted because of the great variations. Plumbing The plumbing in a 100 square feet house will cost, according to the extent and quality of the fittings, between £2OO and £3OO. A standard white bath costs about £2O, a white pedestal washhand basin costs £8 and a white lavatory pan about £4; bench tops, 6ft long with sinks cost: lino, £l5; terrazzo, from £l4; plastic tops with stainless steel sinks, from £18; stainless steel, from £26. . A 30-gallon electric hot water cylinder costs from £l7. Joinery Joinery, including doors, costs some £350 to £550. A plain tile surround for a fireplace of good design will, cost irom £25. Slow combustion stoves will cost from £35, and from £44 with a boiler. Electrical wiring, without fittings, costs £6O to £75, and hardware from £3O. Outside Work Outside work will cost:— Storm water and sewerage drains, about £80; fencing (wife mesh and gates), about £5O, (batten fence with posts and gate from 7s a foot); revolving clothes line from £9; paths about £4O. Concrete work for foundations, steps, and paths costs v about £2OO. A brick chimney costs about £3O. Roofing Roofing costs, with the laid price a 100 square feet, and a total for a roof of fairly simple plan are as follows: — Cement tiles, £lO 10s with battens and labour and 3s 6d a foot for ridging. Total: £l5O to £l7O. Glazed tiles cost an extra 10 per cent. Slates, £25 and 7s a foot for ridging. Total, for plain gable with labour and Oregon battens, £5OO. Corrugated asbestos, £7 12s 6d and 6s a foot for ridging, and Is 9d a foot for bird proofing. An iron roof costs about the same to build as a tile roof. The tcost of sarking and painring with an iron roof is roughly equal the cost of tiles and extra timber in a tile roof. The complete painting and wallpapering of the house will cost about £l5O.