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Show i Big Fund Outlay is Noted Locally for Home Improvement Special to the T-I Homeowners in Grand County are spending a record amount these days on the maintenance and improvement improve-ment of their properties. Because economic conditions condi-tions have put new homes out of the reach of most families, the trend has been to do the next best thing---put more money into sprucing up their present dwellings. In the past year alone, their outlay for alterations, additions, addi-tions, repairs and replacements replace-ments came to an estimated S632.000, the figures indicate. The estimate is based on a sampling survey of dwellings in all sections of the country, conducted by the Department of Commerce, and upon data from other sources. The figures show that the average expenditure for residential resi-dential improvements in Grand County's regional area came to about S383 per housing unit, as against S336 the year before. Elsewhere in the United States it was S403 per unit. Those were the averages. In individual cases, the outlay ranged considerably above and below that amount. The reason is that most homeown- ers go in for major improve- ments and repairs in one year I and then may do little or I nothing along that line for a year or two after. Nationally, the Commerce Department reports, a record S21.1 billion went for home improvements in 1974. That was 14 per cent more than in the previous year. Over S12.6 billion of it was spent for construction improvements, im-provements, such as alterations, altera-tions, replacements and additions addi-tions fl-e other S8.5 billion was f"r maintenance and general repairs, with nearly half of it going for painting and decorating. The rest went for plumbing, roofing, heating and air conditioning equipment equip-ment and miscellaneous. Of the S632.000 that was spent in Grand County in the year, about S372.0OO was for alterations and additions and approximately S253.000 for repairs and maintenance, it is estimated, based upon the overall breakdown. Many of these jobs are being tackled by the homeowners home-owners themselves. They are aided by the current availability availabil-ity of ready-to-instal! units and equipment. |