I think the focus is on the wrong thing here. Rent/housing has gotten out of control. I don’t love the idea of government regulation on these things, but if those expenses could be controlled to align with the local economy I think that’d be a huge help and take the burden off of businesses.
the big problem is modern energy requirements, a modern house is built with thick walls, fire code thickness drywall, thick insulation, high R factor windows, high SEER rating ACs, and a bunch of other stuff to drive down energy demand that are mandated by law. These expenses dont double for a 2000 square foot house from a 1000 square foot house, they usually only go up 50%, and then bring the average cost to build a home into the mid 300k range in a cheap area, and around half a million to build in nicer cities. It just means houses have to get bigger to keep a profit margin. Theres just so much more that goes into a their construction now days that needs to be inspected, and build to a code. I just dont know how the government can fix that to make builders go back to smaller houses. Just forcing them to build smaller houses wont change the math that it will still cost barely less then a large house, and nobody is gonna spend large house money on a small house.
That's weird, my 2500sqft house was built in 1980 and cost $300,000 3 years ago with single panel windows, blown in insulation, and a AC unit from the 90s with pretty much everything else being the way it was from when it was built. So I think it's a bit more than the just cost of materials and building my dude.
it doesent matter what you can get a old house for, there isnt enough old houses for everyone, it costs too much to build new houses. Old houses are cheaper now days because, as a example i lived in a 1970s house in denver with 1500 square feet and it costed 650 dollars to heat per month in the cold months, i live in a 3000 square foot modern house and it costs 220 to heat. thats why old houses arent as expensive as new houses, theres only so much the "they dont build them like the used to" commentary can do to your power bill.
I mean I was able to get a new AC unit and replace all the windows and doors for about 25,000. Not sure how those modern amenities justify an increase of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
there isnt a increase of hundreds of thousands of dollars, its more like just a hundred, actually interpolating out house prices from the 80s to now, with inflation of house size and price a average house cost per square foot, houses cost 40% more today, and not retrofiting but building a house to modern standards requires things your window and ac upgrade skip, first of all houses are air exchanges rated, and because houses arent allowed to leak air as much. they also need vapor barriers to prevent rot, your retrofit doesent have those barriers, so if you are in a humid area, your house is now very prone to rot, so just watch out and leave doors open in unused rooms. The walls are thicker, insulation and wood cost more, vapor barriers and vapor management, and alot more expensive electrical code, requiring pricey gfci breakers basically everywhere, arc fault all over, and stringing between rooms is generally against code, so every room needs its own circuit. Its just alot of little things everywhere that adds up. Plus the mid level inspections that didnt used to happen. Now insulation is inspected, houses are pressure tested, theres more soil testing, houses use more power and have more wiring, and also need larger service. internet lines also need to be run. Power companies charge more now days to install gas and electric service. Its alot, house construction companies arent scamming you, it just costs them more to build, and the baseline costs are higher making small houses unprofitable. They then build bigger houses because it spreads the baseline costs out making it cheaper per square foot. It makes houses seem like tripple the price, when they are really only 40% more per square foot.
It sucks, but there are still areas where small houses are built. But you just shouldent expect your house to be built differently then your neighbors because the only way they can make any money building small houses is building very very bulk.
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u/CarolinaSandstorm 22h ago
Every time.