Vacation Home Market Probed

What do people who buy plans for a vacation home actually do about turning .ttreir dream into reality? What kinds of second homes do they build and how many of them do it at all?

Factual clues to these and other unknowns about the second homes market , were gleaned from a recent survey made by the Western Wood Products Associa. tion, who quizzed, I,000 families who bought plans offered in its "Vacation Land Homes" booklet.

Building materials dealers can use the rfindings as clues toward a better understanding of their customers' needs.

More than one-third of those who bought WWPA plans had completed their vacation retreats, and another 40 percent had started work, or indicated they were ready.

Ttaore Space Wanted

A strong desire for bigger, roomier vacation homes than the plans would provide ran through the replies. Nearly half those who built or were building found ways to enlarge the total size of their structures. One-fourth added more storage, and 17 percent added decks to those already in the plans.

Two-thirds of those who reported they actually built, did the work themselves. Only 28 percent had a contractor do all or part of the job. So one of the most frequent suggestions was for simpler plans.

But they alsb want as many of the comforts of home as they can manage. Onethird put in continuous foundations, and many urged that plumbing layouts be provided with plans.

Largely because it has become a dra. matic symbol of rustic, relaxed living, the A-frame desigrr accounted for more than half of the plans purchased, including simple, modified and double structures. Desigas calling for unusual-shaped roofs, multiple structures, or large wall areas of glass were much less popular, especially with the do-it-yourself trade.

Two-thirds are considering using their vacation homes for retirement also. This may be a primary reason why few of the sites chosen are remote. Three-fourths are less than 200 miles from permanent homes, and all but four percent are within a town, or less than 20 miles from one.

The WWPA study of its plans purchasers showed that two,thirds of their vacation homes were financed out of savings. This is one reason why more than half of the units built cost leqs than $5,000, and only 14 percent'cost more than $10,000. Only 27 percent involved institutional loans.

Not surprisingly, incomes of most of these second-home owners are considerably above average. Well over half said they made more than $10,000 a year; 40 percent earned between $5,000 and $10,00O and only three percent made less than $5,000, which doubtless included manv retireril persons.

Dow Service Center in L.A.

The Dow Chemical Company has established a service center in the Los Angeles area for its buildine and construction in. dustry products, Paul Jensen of the com., pany said. -

The center is situated in the federal service center in Bell.

John Bodinger who has been handling construction materials sales assignments for Dow at the company's corporate headquarters in Midland, Michigan, has transferred' to [.os Angeles to be in charge of the new facilitv.

The Center provides special service on construction materials in less than car load quantities as well as a broader range of specialty construction materials than those normally handled by Dow distributors.