The past and the present.

Concern over the ever rising cost of housing should be tempered with a comparison of what changes have occurred over the past half century.
Fifty years ago land was cheap - but so was the typical house of that day. The average cottage sat in the middle of a quarter acre block and at best the facilities comprised twin concrete strips by way of a driveway. There was no attempt to landscape or install a lawn pre-sale.
The house itself was probably fibro clad with a tile roof and the inside could be described as " spartan ". The floors were cypress pine - and carpet was way too dear for the first time home buyer. It was usual to hire a floor sander and then treat the sanded boards with a coat or two of Estapol.
The typical house had a single bathroom and toilet, a stove and cupboards in the kitchen and a wash tub in the laundry - and that was it !
The buyer moved in and often used sheets for curtains and second hand furniture while struggling to pay the mortgage. Items like washing machines were eventually acquired on " the never-never " as hire purchase was known in those days.
Compare that with today ? Buyers would turn their noses up at new housing that wasn't landscaped and with a patterned driveway. Inside they would expect to find an en-suite off the master bedroom plus at least one other bathroom - and usually more than one toilet.
The kitchen would be unacceptable without a cooktop, wall oven,dishwasher - and heaps of well designed cupboards, marble benches and a mosaic floor. There would also be garaging for more than one car - and usually the doors would be remote controlled.
The other differing factor is size. The new home of fifty years ago would be a doll's house in comparison. The house of today is huge and covers most on the land on which it sits, leaving little room for leisure and for kid's to play.
The big difference that people seem to forget is that buyers faced big bills fifty years ago to turn that modest cottage into a home. It was usually at least a decade before there was carpet on the floor, decent curtains and furniture - and the acquisition of a free standing garage for the newly acquired family car.
Today - all of that is part of the initial home package. At least the owner is not faced with additional expense when everything his or her parents strived for over half a lifetime is part of the deal !
We could save a lot of money if we chose to live in smaller homes with less equipment provided by the builder - but that would be a huge step backwards.
The cost of a home today may be huge, but not if we do a truthful comparison of what we are getting for the money !