Mrs. Tolstoy and her husband, Serge, are planning their dream house. The land for the house sits high on a hill with a beautiful view of the nearby mountains. The plans for the house show the size of the house to be 270 square metres. The average price for a lot and house similar to this one has been $1250 per square metre. Fortunately, Serge is a retired plumber and feels he can save money by installing the plumbing himself. Mrs. Tolstoy feels she can take care of the interior decorating.
The following average cost information is available from a local bank that makes loans to local contractors and disperses progress payments to contractors when specific tasks are verified as complete.
24% Excavation and framing complete
8% Roof and fireplace complete
3% Wiring roughed in
6% Plumbing roughed in
5% Siding on
17% Windows, insulation, walks, plaster and garage complete
9% Fireplace/heating and hot water installed
4% Plumbing fixtures installed
10% Exterior paint, light fixtures installed, finish hardware installed
6% Carpet and trim installed
4% Interior decorating
4% Floors laid and finished
a. What is the estimated cost for the Tolstoy’s house if they use contractors to complete all of the house?
b. Estimate what the cost of the house would be if the Tolstoys use their talents to do some of the work themselves.