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House building industry wants regulations streamlined The construction industry is the country‘s largest employer. During boom times, the automotive industry employs 100,000 workâ€" ers, including component services and supâ€" ‘pliers. At the same time, construction would employ over 550,000. The voice of the industry thus becomes an important one. There‘s a saying that the cure can be worse than the disease. The patient complained of a nagging cough, but the patent remedy sent him into cardiac arrest. Is there a parallel in "corrective" government measures â€" legislation which has become the bane of 20th century business? By SHERRY SLEIGHTHOLM Special to the Beaver un SqUal $ h 281,500 *Prices and information correct at press time 0 E _ OFFICE Upper Middle Road «5 A T _AJd RUS RUSTED NAM ) NAME IN ME IN HOM | HOME c iE _ \@ bUILDING FOUh OUVER 40 YEBAIiS \ HUR %LY BUILDER Mon. â€" Thurs. 1â€" 6 p.m. Sat. â€" Sun. 12 â€" 6 p.m. Fri. CLOSED Sales Office 335 Look at the housing industry. In the postâ€"war days, a builder could buy a corner lot for a pocketful of cash, back in his pickâ€"up truck, dig a basement, pour concrete, hammer the («Milicroft ) O _ Starting from $281,500 frame, tile the roof, plaster the ceiling, paint the walls, lay the carpet and sell the product to an eager home buyer at a reasonable profâ€" it. Unfortunately, a few proverbial bad apples spoiled the bushel. These shysters would sell inferior goods and skip town, like our patent medicine hucksters. Fast forward 50 years. Now an entrepreneur purchases a parcel of land with millions of dollars in loans. He waits, sometimes for several years, lobbying and hoping the development will clear municipal regulaâ€" tions. By the time his tradespeople stick a backhoe in the ground, each lot has already cost $55,000 in inspection, permits, services, development charges, engineering fees and *Don‘t be rushed into a purchase. Yoi will have to live in that house for many years. Be sure you are completely com fortable before signing on the dotted line *Retirees or emptyâ€"nesters may wana to live among children or they may preq fer to live in a community more oriented, to seniors. If you prefer the latter, check, ‘ carefully to ensure that the developmeni is geared to your needs. It will be too lat after you‘ve moved in to decide yo don‘t want tricycles whizzing by on th sidewalk. The construction industry, both groups msxst o wants to work with government to streamâ€" line the process so that builders will benefvt by not having funds tied up in developments! and buyers will benefit since they won‘t have to bear the extra costs of duplication, complexity in the approval process and1 chronic delays. "Can you name one industry where you have to put all your money up front and hope that in three or four years consumersâ€" will want what you plan to build? That‘s what our guys have to do," says Condon. Both Homebuilders‘ Associations concede® that regulations are important, but both fear., the industry is being dosed with arsenic when an aspirin would suffice. And the next* time you pay your mortgage, think of the politicians who administered the lethal dose. 1 *If you are moving into a step-down house, (that is, your children are all gone and you need less space), remember tha? your furnishings which once fit into 4 larger home, may not be appropriate t the cute little condo you are buying! I you must keep those special antiques, check measurements carefully befolii buying or you may find they overwhe your new home. 4 Research pays off â€" when buying house GST. And you wondered why housing is expensive. According to Murral Koebel, President o% the Greater Toronto Homebuilders‘ Association, "In a globally competitive enviâ€" ronment, our planning system has become one of the most restrictive in North America, resulting in some of the highest housing prices and office, retail and industrial rents in North America." ‘"We agree that there are services requireg: due to growth," says Dan Condon, executive director of the Hamiltonâ€"Halton Home Builders Association. ‘"We need the roads ts get people into the subdivision. We need sewers and water. But it lS the level of ser# vices that are astronomi So, in order to pay the frcxght more houses are squeezed into smaller lots. The planning process, according to Condon is "an incredible bureaucratic mghtmare a Plans go to the municipality, region and the, provmmal ministries, each time sitting on someone‘s desk for six months. The Greater Toronto Homebuilders® Association has echoed many of these same sentiments. In a speech on September 9, Koebel, stated, "Vague rules, changing rules. and guidelines, constantly changing staff,: onâ€"going demands for more information and a complete lack of accountability, particularâ€"" ly on the part of provincial agencies, has creâ€" ated a situation where the process has become an end in itself rather than a means to an end." *If there is some feature you particuâ€" larly want, don‘t be discouraged. Ask the builder if it is possible to incorporate it. If the home is not completely construct= ed, it may be possible to make adjustâ€" ments. Most builders are as helpful as they can be. 3 € (Continued from page 28) *Make sure you have explored such options as whether or not to register the home in both your names or just one* There are advantages to both and you should understand which is the best route" for you to choose. Consult a lawyer or accountant if you are unsure. It could make a difference. «