THE COST OF BUILDING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 165, 7 April 1919, Page 8

THE COST OF BUILDING

.\0 MATERIAL REDUCTION. A well-known builder was approached by a Dominion' reporter with the question as to whether the cost of building had decreased on war prices. There has been a good deal of speculation on the point ot late among certain propertyowners, whose houses have couie under the notice of the City Council, either by way of condemnation or as to property which stands in urgent need of repair. Now that prices are up, the matter of rebuilding or repairing extensively is a very ■serious matter to spall owners. The builder consulted stated that though four months had elapsed since hostilities ceased he was inclined to think that the price of building lind increased rather than decreased since 1918. Certain imported lines used, in building were begin- ■ uing to come forward a little more freely, but the prices were still eky-high, and he-could not see them coming down for sorno months. Corrugated-iron was quoted at ,£2B per ton f.o'b. in Londc'i , six weeks ago, but such was the position that the quote was r.ot much use to builders with a job on their hands, as there was no guarantee as to the date of delivery. Indeed, English manufacturers were, according to the latest advices, having the greatest difficulty in shipping anything owing to the labour unrest at Home, which factor was allowing the American exporters almost a free run in this market, of which they had not been slow to take advantage. Only last week he was compelled .to buy, cor-rugated-iron, and had to pay per ton for it—though it was quoted j!2B f.o.b. in London. Asbestos slates were coming into vogue, to a great extent through the shortage of iron, but the prices in that regard were far from encouraging. In 1914, before the war, these slates were procurable in Wellington for £3 10s. per lOft. square. The prico to-day was • £b ss. per square. Plumbers' material was still "up in the air," and the. prices frr plumbing work had never been higher in the history of the place. Timber and bricks more than maintained 1918 prices, and wages all round were increasing as the cost of living rose. "Considering the cost," said our informant, "the amount of building done in Wellington during Ihe war period hae been simply wonderful. In some Now Zealand towns there lias been stagnation, but Wellington has kept going steadily as far as residential construction was concomed. Most of Hie architects have a lot of work in hand, waiting for prices to go down, but it strikes me that it will l»i next year, or even theitar r.fter, before they will be able to t,ot prices to suit tlie' purses of their clients."