[patton]

Consider the US rules to renovate a home built in 1970 -

Lead abatement

Asbestos Abatement

Total reframing

Earthquake reinforcement

Fire supression

Reinsulation

Rewiring, top to bottom

Replumbing

etc.

In the long run, it is much cheaper, in many cases, to knock it down and start over, even if the structure is perfectly sound.

[lucysmom]

Right now I live in a house constructed around 1910. Over the years, its been rewired, gotten a new furnace, and the plumbing, pipes - not fixtures, has been updated. But where do you get the idea that it would have to be re-framed or reinforced for earthquakes? It has been through one major quake and numerous smaller quakes without suffering one bit of damage. The inspector I had look it over after the major quake was very impressed with the quality of construction and materials used.

The point I was trying to make was that there would be a continuous demand for new refrigerators even if the old ones were built to last because the number of new households is constantly increasing as are the number of new office buildings; and eventually the old ones would ware out.

Perhaps if appliances were built to last, the average American consumer would have a couple of bucks in the bank.