Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 269, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1916 — Home Town Helps [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Home Town Helps

PLAN YOUR HOUSE WISELY Your Own Interests and the Interest* of the City Alike Demand Care in Building. One factor often overlooked in fixing the value of a house is the mistakes in Judgment that often occur in planning and locating It. “You have often heard the remark, "There stands a $5,000 house on a $3,000 street.” Meaning that while the house pointed out cost $5,000 to build, the other houses on the street average only $3,000. Such mistakes in Judgment in buil<V _ing would be less frequent "if two Ideas were kept in mind by more people when building. Real estate men have found that, as a general rule, a ratio of about three to one should exist between the value of a single family dwelling and the value of the land it occupies. Also, houses should be made to harmonize with other buildings in the block. Keep these two facts in mind when buying. Then—fine houses are sometimes built near undesirable surroundings, such as noisy factories, livery stables and the like —which are sure to lessen the value of the house. Under mistakes in planning comes the “freak” house, built to suit some man's personal whim. Such a house may be very costly and yet not at all salable. The cost of unusual or unduly ornate fixtures and decorations is generally disregarded in fixing the value of a building. These things must all be considered in fixing the value of a house —in con-*, nection with the cost to replace, depreciation and obsolescence, if any.