Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common house costs

[Lynn Nadeau (welcome]

RoseWind's CH was a projected cost included in the buy-in prices of our 
lots, so mainly we have all contributed equally. 

Within the CH project, as it is now going up, there are ways in which 
some people are making additional contributions, allowing us to either 
reduce the needed expenditures, or have something nicer for the same 
money. 

Donations of money: A private donation got us a beaufiful Yamaha studio 
piano, and other donations are paying for the propane heating stove, and 
landscaping once the building is finished. I wouldn't be surprised if 
some more such donations occur as we progress, especially if the budget 
gets tighter than we planned. 

Donations of time and energy: We are constructing the CH with partly 
volunteer labor. On a total project of $292,000 we are anticipating 
saving $15,000 of that through an estimated 2000 hours of volunteer 
labor. We have also done nearly all the planning and design work 
ourselves, and continue to do the work of tracking down necessary 
information, and making necessary decisions, relative to the ongoing 
choices like plumbing, electrical, ADA compliance, "commercial" building 
compliance. We are contracting the job ourselves, also. Who is doing this 
volunteer work is not related to income or other contributions--- it is 
simply volunteering to accomplish something we all want. I know 
Sharingwood, for example, also did a lot of their CH building themselves. 

Donations of goods: Doubtless some of our furnishings, kitchen gear, etc 
will be donated. I myself have probably a couple thousand dollars worth 
of stuff that will go in the kid room (professional tumbling mats, plus 
books, tapes, Legos, toys etc.) Others have exercise equipment, a 
pingpong table, etc. We'll need a gatekeeper of some sort to keep the CH 
from becoming a dumping ground for unwanted stuff, but I'm confident that 
can be managed. 

Lynn Nadeau
Port Townsend WA