Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
The Natural Philosopher writes:
Its an interesting point. One hopes a houses struictire will do 120-250

Yes -- until about 1970, houses in the UK were built with a
life expectancy of about 200 years.

I don't think you can say that at all.

Many rural houses were built with no life expectancy..they were just
built. I suspect the same for most timber stuff.


From that point, a wide
diversity of construction changes has appeared,

No. there have always been a wide diversity, depending on local
materials you might see brick, stone or timber, clunch, horsehair and
dung, you name it, they have built houses out of it..even turf rooves.

which is
likely to lead to a number of shorter lived houses. As a
surveyor pointed out to me, this isn't something the public
have taken on board yet when considering the value of a
property, which means many houses are built using cheaper
shorter life materials in the knowledge they will still
sell for the full price.

I think therehave always been good houyses and crap houses.

\Today teh cots of refurb is way below land costs, so who cares?

Interestingly, offices are usually built with a 30 year
life expectancy.


What? not the new ones I have been in they aren't.

Concrete and glass..good for at least 50..the interiors last about 5
years mind you..