Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: pre-built or owner- built

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 23 Jun 2011, at 9:07 PM, Muriel Kranowski wrote:

> Chris ScottHansen telling us two things. Totally standardize the houses both 
> outside 
> and inside to keep costs as low as possible. The second thing was, he knew we 
> wouldn't do it.
> 
> He said he told every cohousing group to standardize to the max but people 
> invariably want to customize, even though they've been warned not to.

If there is ever a bronze plaque of cohousing, this should be on it:

"No customization. Your penny now is my $1,000 dollars at closing. Change it 
later."

Or perhaps:

"Each customization order costs $10,000 plus time and materials. Go for it."

People think they are paying for customization — they aren't. They will be 
charged for the materials required and the cost of new drawings if required, 
but that is not the true cost.

Each customization slows down the whole project because the workers on the 
ground with the hammers in their hands, have to stop and think. And walk down 
across the whole project to the construction shack to ask questions and then go 
find the unique materials. Time is money.

In all likelihood, by the time they realize they are missing something, they 
will have already installed the wrong faucet or countertop or floor somewhere, 
and will have to locate it and tear it out. Half a day wasted on one change in 
one unit. Multiply by say 45 units and 60 unique designs of one sort or 
another. And add a month's interest on the construction loan because all the 
closings are delayed. A month's interest on a $3,000,000 construction loan? Do 
the math.

One of our residents got a free hard wood floor because it was installed in the 
wrong unit. Cheaper to leave it than tear it out. But everyone paid for that 
floor — materials plus the time the workers sat around waiting to see if it had 
to come out or not, and then to install the second floor.

Workers cannot always just go do another job while waiting. The hard floor 
installers are scheduled precisely for the moment the wood arrives and whatever 
has to be completed first is done. Mess up that schedule and whole bunch of 
other crews will be standing around waiting -- or they will leave to go to the 
job they scheduled next and good luck getting them back.

Interest accruing. Plus penalties. $3,000,000 at commercial interest rates.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org