THE COST OF BUILDING IN WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 156, 20 March 1923, Page 8

THE COST OF BUILDING IN WELLINGTON

Sir, —In confirmation of Mr. A. E. Ingold’s astonishment, as a Queensland master builder at the cost of building in Wellington, permit me to quote the following example of the cost of a house in a Sydney suburb : — Brick house, 5 rooms ; size of rooms, dining-room, 18ft. by 12ft.; bedroom, 15ft. by 12ft.; bedroom, lift, by lift.; bedroom or drawing-room, 13 ft. by 12ft.; glassed-in porch or sleepingout porch, tiled floor, lift, by Hit.; kitchen and laundry, 18ft. by 9ft.; hall, 12fk. bv 4ft. 6in. ; plastered internal walls; red tile roof; stone foundations, poreclain enamel bath and wash bas'n, gas cooker and kitchen range, patent w.0.; situation, Concord, nine

miles from Sydney station,, fares Is. 6d. return second class, ordinary fare; 3s. per week worker’s ticket, £l2 per annum season. Time of journey by through train (stop at Strathfield junction) from Sydney, 20 minutes. House is situated opposite railway station on section 33ft. by 130 ft. Let at 325. 6d. per week. The price of this house, six months built, was £IOOO. The builder assured me that if he sold it at £IOOO, section a<l all, of course he would make a very fair profit. I did not ask him. what he considered to bo “a very fair profit.” Those particulars were gleaned from him by myself, a travelling companion on the Sydney-Newcastle line last year. They were the outcome of a conversation on the cost of building in which the Sydney builder referred to said at first he did not'believe me when I told him the prices asked for building a “wooden” house in AA’ellington or buying one already built. He was franklyl incredulous-, and said so. do not kpow now whether he really believes me.' Last month I was in the vicinity of Concord, Clyde, Ash-* field, and Parramatta, and found that prices were probably 10 per cent, lower to-day than those of last year; but I am content to let that £IOOO property stand. Tlie builder gave me his name and address, and he added: “You can refer anybody yog like to me.” It was J. T. Gettens, builder, Queen Street, Concord, New South Wales. —I am, etc., O.G.