"Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"

While we are on the subject of building houses, I would like to tell you about a book called Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodges.

Mr. Hodges had a never-used degree in engineering from M.I.T. Instead he worked with the Atlantic Monthly group of publications. He later became Fortune's publisher  and vice-president of Time, inc.

"Mr. Blandings is a story of everything that happened between the time Mr. and Mrs. Blandings decided to buy an old farmhouse and its acreage for $11,000 and the time they shelled out the last of the $56,263 their dream home eventually cost."

The initial cost of the land and the farmhouse was actually $11,550. The restoration of the house was estimated to be for around $11,000. 

The biological laboratory warned Mr. Blandings that the waters were unpotable.
"He had better drill a well."

All the bids were in. "The hideous figure was somewhat in excess of $45,000."
The cost-cutting job begins.
"You could cut the cost of a $31,000 house somewhat - at the sacrifice of everything you wanted most . . . "

Then, some day no one was on the job.
"Where is everybody today?"

 And so on . . .

You will find that you are reading about yourself.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is an universal experience. 

I had read this book before I built my house.

Believe me, it helped me keep my cool during our construction period.

It is a good read!