filled, and rugs rather than carpets. Rounded edges and corners of
baseboards desirable, also simple baseboards. One flight of stairs is
sufficient if located out of sight of living room. This saves labor of
cleaning two flights. Two cleaning closets, one on ground floor and one
on second floor, are labor savers. Have space for vacuum cleaner and
for hanging all brushes, brooms and dusters, and a shelf above or at
side for the cleaning compounds. Zinc or other fireproof lining to
cupboard and ventilator desirable.
_Storage Space_--Attic with rows of shelves for storing boxes and small
objects is desirable. Wooden chests, trunks, and a cedar lined chest or
cupboard useful. Built-in closets or rows of inexpensive chests of
drawers with space to pass between are good.
_Storage Closets_
Every bedroom should have clothes closet with hooks and a rod for
hangers, a shelf for hats and a bottom shelf for shoes. A tall closet
may have near ceiling an additional rod for hangers for less often used
clothes, and long rod lifter to reach hangers. A cupboard for bed linen
should be in upstairs hall or in a centrally located room. On ground
floor coat closet is desirable; also tool cupboard or chest, large
china cupboard, low enough for all china to be within reach. Cold
closet with open wire screen cabinets in basement.
_Pantry_
If kitchen is well ventilated and stove has hood, pass pantry not
necessary. It makes extra steps. If pass pantry is in house, only its
narrowest dimension should divide kitchen from dining room. Partitions
under sink for trays to stand; a narrow space for table leaves; a china
cupboard with reachable shelves, and a sink and drainboards like those
described for kitchen are desirable. Drawer on small shelf for cleaning
compounds and brushes for cleaning silver, steel, brass and copper.
FINANCING A HOME
PREPARED BY THE DIVISION OF BUILDING AND HOUSING, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
_1.--What You Buy and How to Buy It_
In purchasing a home a misstep may be unfortunate, so get the best
advice you can, and watch every step. First of all, what you buy is the
site and the improvements on it. If a building and loan association, or
bank, loans you money on the property, it has a direct financial
interest in helping you guard yourself on certain points, such as
making sure that there are no old mortgages, no unpaid back taxes, or
bills for building materials, or other claims against the property.
Be certain your title is clear, or have it insured or guaranteed. Learn
of any easements, such as the right of a telephone company to place its
poles upon your lot.
If you make a purchase offer with a cash deposit, include a statement
as to whether window shades, stoves, and other movable property are
included. Risk from loss by fire or elements should be assumed by the
owner until the title passes to you.
Your offer should be dependent on your obtaining a satisfactory loan to
finance the proposition, and the ability of the owners to furnish
papers to show a good marketable title, free from liens or
encumbrances. In other words, do not bind yourself to the purchase
until you are sure of what you are paying for, and that you can finance
it.
You must be prepared to pay taxes on your property, and special
assessments for installation of water, sewerage, electric light, gas or
other public utilities, or street paving and sidewalks. Note what
improvements are already made, and what additional ones you may have to
pay for.
_2.--How to Pay for Your Home_
In buying a house and lot you must borrow what you cannot pay in cash.
Remember that the more risks you assume, the fewer the lender will have
to charge you for. Your promise to pay back what you borrow will be
secured by a mortgage or trust on the property. A first mortgage loan
on not over one-half or two-thirds of the value of a piece of property
is a very safe investment, and the rates of interest should be low. The
lender on a second mortgage takes more risk, and rates of interest and
discounts are higher. If you agree to buy a home without the title
passing to you at once, the seller takes less risk, and you may save
money.
_3.--Where to Get Loans_
There are building and loan associations throughout the country,
usually organized to serve the needs of people like yourself, who wish
to finance a home. Their plan of weekly or monthly payments, both on
principal and for interest, has proved sound from the experience of
millions of people as an aid to systematic saving. Loans may often be
obtained from savings banks, trust companies, state banks, individuals,
and trustees for estates.
Obtaining money on a second mortgage is usually not so easy. Remember
that when the owner of a house takes a second mortgage in payment he
may plan to sell it for four-fifths or less of its face value, and that
he probably charges you accordingly.
Above all, when you start to save for a home do not throw your money
into glittering schemes that promise big dividends and the chance to
borrow money at 3 per cent or less. The concerns behind such schemes
cannot be trusted.
_4.--How Much Can You Afford?_
It is said that a man may own a home worth one and one-half to two and
one-half times his annual income but the payments you make during the
first few years after purchasing are what you should pay most attention
to. Rent ordinarily requires from ten per cent, to twenty-five, or even
more, of a family's annual income. In addition to what you ordinarily
pay for rent, you can devote your customary savings, or more, to paying
off the principal of loans on your home.
Following is an example: A man who earns $2,000 a year buys a house and
lot costing $4,000. He has $1,000 cash to pay down on it, and obtains a
loan of $3,000, or 75 per cent, of the value of the property, from a
building and loan association.
Cost per year for a $4,000 house (not including depreciation)
Payments on $3,000 B. & L. Shares at
1/2% a month or 6% a year (savings) $180.00 a year
Interest on $3,000 loan at 6% 180.00 " "
Interest on $1,000 cash at $% 50.00 " "
Taxes (vary locally) 75.00 " "
Insurance 5.00 " "
Upkeep at 1-1/2% 60.00 " "
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$550.00
Of the total income of $2,000, the $550 represents 27-1/2% divided as
follows: 18-1/2% for rent; 9% for savings. In about twelve years the
loan is paid off, and the home owned free and clear.
Zoning and What it Means to the Home
By DR. JOHN M. GRIES
CHIEF DIVISION OF BUILDING AND HOUSING, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Zoning helps home owners by establishing residential districts from
which garages, and business and factory buildings are excluded.
Apartments or houses covering more than 30 or 40 per cent. of the area
of a lot may be prohibited in some sections. This all means a better
and fairer chance for each family to have a home with enough light and
air, and healthful, decent surroundings, near to schools, playgrounds
and transportation facilities.
It may be added that zoning, when wisely carried out, provides for
grouping of neighborhood stores at convenient points, and for guided
growth of business and industrial districts, in the directions best
suited for them.
In the words of the Advisory Committee on Zoning appointed by Secretary
Hoover:
"Zoning is the application of common sense and fairness to the public
regulations governing the use of private real estate. It is a
painstaking, honest effort to provide each district or neighborhood, as
nearly as practicable, with just such protection and just such liberty
as are sensible in that particular district. It avoids the error of
trying to apply exactly the same building regulations to every part of
a city or town regardless of whether it is a suburban residence section
or a factory district, or a business and financial center.
"Zoning gives everyone who lives or does business in a community a
chance for the reasonable enjoyment of his rights. At the same time it
protects him from unreasonable injury by neighbors who would seek
private gain at his expense.
"Zoning regulations differ in different districts according to the
determined uses of the land for residence, business, or manufacturing,
and according to the advisable heights and ground areas.
"But these differing regulations are the same for all districts of the
same type. They treat all men alike."
But the benefits of zoning are not confined to safeguarding the home
and its surroundings. It can reduce losses due to topsy-turvy growth of
cities, and cut the cost of living. Every year millions of dollars are
wasted in American cities from the scrapping of buildings in "blighted"
districts. For instance, fine residential districts may be threatened
by sporadic factories or junk yards, and owners may become panicky and
sell at a sacrifice millions of dollars worth of valuable dwellings
which will be left to stand practically idle. The public must pay for
this loss in one way or another. Frequently money for street, sewers
and other utilities need never be spent if it is known in advance that
large factories are to occupy new developments. Industry and homes are
both more efficient if kept generally separate, though separation need
not mean great distances for workers to travel.
"How has zoning worked?" "What has it accomplished?" About 70 cities
and towns have adopted zoning ordinances since 1916, and the idea has
worked well. Reliable authorities declare that "the New York zoning
regulations have prevented vast depreciation in many districts and
effected savings in values amounting to millions of dollars in
established sections." The highest class residential districts in New
York, in which only 30 per cent of the lot area may be used for
dwellings, have developed with much greater confidence, due to the
knowledge that houses built would be safe from invasion by apartments
or industry.
In St. Louis "it was found that residences tended to follow the
residence districts, and did not even attempt to seek locations in
industrial or unrestricted areas. Except commercial buildings which
were built partly in commercial and partly in industrial districts, the
development of St. Louis is said to be fitting itself very closely to
the zoning plan.
"In New Jersey it has been found that the unzoned suburban town is at a
distinct disadvantage as compared with the community protected by a
zoning ordinance."
It is sometimes said that zoning is arbitrary and restricts the liberty
of the individual to do as he wishes; but when zoning laws have been
sensibly and comprehensively drawn, the courts have approved them as a
reasonable exercise of the police power "for the public health, safety
and general welfare."
Zoning should always be undertaken in close relation to a city plan. It
is essentially a neighborly proposition, and there should be
neighborhood meetings to explain it and gather suggestions.
The purpose of a zoning ordinance is to insure that growth, instead of
taking place sporadically and wastefully, should go on in an orderly
way in response to generally recognized needs, and with due notice to
all concerned.
Zoning today is giving security and the sense of security to hundreds
of thousands of families in America, in the enjoyment of happy homes
amid the right kind of surroundings.
_Is your city zoned_?
End of Project Gutenberg's Better Homes in America, by Mrs. W. B. Meloney