Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Sweat equity

[David L. Mandel (75407.2361]

Bill Paiss asked about sweat equity experiences:

We did a small amount toward the end of construction, and it worked out quite 
well:

1) We mobilized most members for about 5-6 weekends in the late summer of '93 
to put in all our irrigation and initial landscaping. Folks unable to do much 
physical labor made lunch or did child care. It was a sweaty but satisfying 
bonding experience.

2) Most of our households were originally designed to have 8 x 12 redwood 
decks facing the common area or back yards. These were cut out of the budget 
to keep costs down, but late in the process, we realized that the small stoops
then slated to go instead would still cost quite a bit and would be a paid to 
remove later on by those who would want to replace them with the original 
design. Also, we strongly preferred to do as much as possible initially so 
that not only those with the cash to pay for them would be able to later on. 
So with the contractor's agreement, we purchased lumber through him (thus 
making it possible to finance the purchase as part of the mortgages) and 
helped each other build the decks, mostly the same weekends the landscaping 
was going on.

3. About half the members wanted to have hardwood floors. From early on, these
were a custom option, but to save money we went together to a supplier, bought
the materials at a good discount (again through our general contractor, so the
cost could be added to the home prices and financed) and in most cases, did 
the work ourselves, again helping each other out. A couple people hired 
outsiders to do it, and one older member had most of it done by a crew of four
of her future neighbors, in return for which she vowed to donate $1,000 of the
return on her (large) investment in the project -- if she ever got it -- to 
the group's capital fund, with the four floor-layers empowered to decide what 
to buy. Now, finally, she got her money and the four are salivating.

4. Two households who didn't like the consensus color of kitchen and bathroom 
cabinets paid a little extra (!) to get theirs bare and stained them 
themselves.

        All of the above was pre-move-in. Since then, of course, their have 
been hundreds of projects to enhance the bare bones structures we got, both 
individual homes and common house: Shelves, bulletin boards, decorations, 
cubbyholes, ceiling fans, attic doors, etc.

        No one's pretending that we built these houses ourselves or cut 
expenses in a significant way overall by doing a few things on our own. But it
shows that you can do sweat equity in pieces; other groups may want to do more
or bigger pieces while still not taking on the entire construction job.

David Mandel, Southside Park Cohousing