>Please don't think I am speaking out against quality workmanship, because I'm not. I like solid walls and architectural grace notes as much as the next person. But isn't it a trade-off, like so many other things in life? My house may be a good illustration. It's in a 10 year old subdivision that was put up by a big builder. I have no doubt this house went up in about two weeks, assembly line fashion, with the cheapest materials and the fewest frills possible. I could put my fist through any of the internal walls and could probably build another, smaller house with the 2x4s in the place. OTOH, it's presentable enough and even more importantly is affordable to me. If it had been built old world style, with proud craftsmanship, it would probably cost at least double what I paid and I wouldn't be able to afford it. And do I really need that level of quality? Illinois may not be the most scenic state but we are generally unafflicted by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Barring a truly unusual event this house will be standing for a very long time. Is there a need to fortify it against events it is highly unlikely to encounter?
It's probably the influence of the market, and the fact that Americans are moving about 2-3 times more often than Europeans. So the expected duration of stay in any particular home isn't so long. I've moved only three times since coming here, and I've noticed a lot of spit-and-polish, duck-tape-and-screwdriver and similar technologies applied in rental homes. The outside is maintained to near perfection, inside too for display apartment only - the rest is done in quite a sloppy manner. Yes, we did have a fridge replaced, bathroom ceiling too (but only after months of complaints on upper floor's bathroom leaking), but things like missing tub stopper (*), overflowing gutters, tears in the wallpaper, porch door that can't be locked - never get fixed.
That's because of the market situation. It's in the lessor's interest that the apartments are leased as close to 100% of the time as possible. You almost never get to see the one you'll rent, you see a sample, and you see the place. So these will be invested in, kept ship-shape and shown to customers. Once in, they're locked in a heavy contract which is very costly to get out of; your only recourse is to stay to the end. And then the word-of-mouth doesn't get too far; once you leave the place, you don't pass the word to the future tenants.
>Yeah, I know. It isn't all about money and there is a difference in pleasure between something of quality and something designed to "satisfice" -- to get by. Can I afford to pay for that difference? Along with many folks, no, I can't.
Well, me too - it's all about the perceived and real cost. Our house back home is built solid, but then we built it by ourselves, and it took ten years to build. We stayed at my parents' place meanwhile (four, then five of us crammed in 330 sqft). It took so long because we couldn't afford the contractors, so we built it as we had time and money. We only paid one mason (not the whole team), a carpenter, electrician, a plumber (only to put things together we already prepared), the mortar and the ceramic tiles guy. All the concrete we mixed and poured by ourselves; windows and doors - DIY installation. Roof tiling - bucket brigade. Basement, garage - yours truly. Walls above the ceiling, same. In each case it made economic sense to buy materials and tools and learn a bit of technique, then to waste the same time hunting a contractor, checking upon him, supplying him with materials as he demands, hunting him again to come finish the job etc.
Pretty much the same here, in a completely different economy. We bought a HUD fixer-upper and again each time it was easier and made more economic sense to DIY (buy tools, materials) than to deal with contractors. Took only two years this time and I have an almost complete toolshed :). Still missing a good vise, workbench and welding gear :).
Let's not forget the pricing of materials, which is drastically different: here, wood is too cheap. Using bricks is a luxury. Over there, in most of the land you only need to remove a foot of top soil (in some places not even that) and you hit a layer of perfect clay. Almost every village has a brick bakery. The usual cycle is dig clay for a few decades, hit underground water eventually, move the plant elsewhere. The remaining pit becomes a garbage and debris dump, then gets covered with topsoil, build something on it, move on. Wood? Yes, roofs, windows and doors. Terracotta tiles on them, no plywood sheating nor shingles.
>Here is a question I honestly don't know the answer to. What is the quality of new home construction in other developed countries? Are they going through the same thing or is current American construction indefensibly shoddy? Facts please, thanks.
I'd also like to know.
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"tub stopper" is another funny expression... what do you do when someone yells "stop that tub" in a comedy movie, when a bathtub slides downhill? Use the tub stopper?
