HOME BUILDING ACTIVITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19979, 3 July 1939, Page 4

HOME BUILDING ACTIVITY

INCREASE IN COST AVERAGE £905 PER HOUSE FIGURES FOR GISBORNE Activity on the part of private individuals in the construction of dwellings in Gisborne continues with increasing force, despite the large building programme undertaken by the State Housing Department. During the first six months of the year, 21 permits for the construction of dwellings were issued by the Gisborne Borough Council, the estimated cost of the work (being £19,008, while for the first six months of last year the permits totalled 19 and the cost £13,525. The principal feature this year is the big increase in the average cost of the homes sanctioned. The average for the first half of the present year reached £905, the highest figure since 1925, when the average was £960. The average estimated cost for the first six months of last year was only £712, a figure, however, which was lower than the average for the full year, which was £904. Increase in Permits

Less money is being spent on other building work sanctioned so far this year. A substantial increase is noted in the number of permits issued, but the total estimated cost is lower, file figures for the first six months being 106 permits and £29,959 as the estimated chst, compared with 86 permits and £33,153 in cost for tiie corresponding period of last year.

The following table gives the monthly figures up to June for the present and past years:— ALL BUILDINGS

No. 1938 Value. 1939 No. Value. January . ... 11 £ 0,868 13 £ 3,583 February .. 17 4,081 18 3,131 March .. 14 7,071 19 3,008 April ... . . 11 5,290 20 8,082 May . . 8 0,071 21 5,058 J Line .... . . 15 1,972 25 0,437 Totals 8(1 33,153 100 29,959 DWELLINGS 1938 No. Value. 1939 No. Value. January . .. 4 £ 2,720 4 £ 3,095 February 3 3,548 3 2,345 March ... 1 885 2 1,840 April ... . . 3 3,222 4 4,183 May .. 4 1,070 4 3,080 June .... .. 4 2,080 4 4,405 Totals 19 13,525 21 19,009