""/•£* 



A Modest Home at a Modest Price 



General plans for the construction of an 

 all-the-year-around residence or a camp 



By Charles A. King 



IN comparison with the past the present 

 does not seem a propitious time to enter 

 upon a building proposition, but there 

 is slight assurance that future conditions 

 will be much better. 



Just how much of a house may be built 

 for a given amount of money is a problem 

 upon which many who contemplate build- 

 ing will welcome light. By applying the 

 cubage method of estimating we can ap- 

 proximate the size of house within which 

 reasonable liberties may be taken with the 

 plan, but it is not recommended as the 

 basis of a contract. 



In the suburbs of the more important 

 cities an expensive wooden building will 

 cost about 17 cents per cubic foot at the 

 present time. Concrete, stucco, and hollow 

 tile will cost about 20 cents, while a brick 

 dwelling of the better type will cost about 

 10 per cent more. In ordinary times a well 

 built house of the type shown in the sketch 

 may be put up for from 8 to 12 cents per 

 cubic foot, depending upon the cost of 

 labor and materials in different localities, 

 but at present the cost would range from 

 10 to 15 cents. Probably 14 cents per cubic 

 foot would pay all the bills connected with 

 the erection of such a dwelling in the 

 vicinity of most cities, while present 

 building conditions prevail. 



We will say that $2500.00 is the maximum 

 amount which can be expended in the 



erection of such a house with the essential 

 conveniences and some luxuries, finished, 

 ready for occupancy. If we divide $2500.00 

 by the price per cubic foot, say 14 cents, we 

 will find the cubic contents of a house 

 which can be built for that sum; in this 

 case, 17,857 cu. ft. 



The basis of an estimate of this sort is 

 the area enclosed by the average outside 

 dimensions, exclusive of the porches. By 

 dividing this area by the distance from the 

 cellar. floor to a point which will include 

 one half the average height of the roof 

 from the plate line to the ridge, say 23 ft., 

 we find 776 sq. ft. as the possible area of the 

 ground floor, the size in this case, 24 ft. by 

 32 ft. 4 in., exclusive of all projections 

 beyond the rectangle, as shown in the ac- 

 companying floor plans. Allowing 120 

 sq. ft. for the area of the pantry, bathroom, 

 stairway and chimney, we have 656 sq. ft. 

 the area available for rooms. This may be 

 divided into four rooms containing upon an 

 average 164 sq. ft. each, including parti- 

 tions, closet and back entrance. A kitchen 

 with an area of 120 sq. ft., a dining-room of 

 144 sq. ft., and a bedroom of 140 sq. ft., 

 would permit a living-room of about 12 ft. 

 by 21 ft., or containing 252 sq. ft. There 

 would also be a bedroom and trunkroom 

 in the attic, a front piazza and back 

 entrance and porch. With this data the 

 planning of the house is reduced to a matter 



785 



