10 Basic tips to note when building your first home
Building a home is an important investment and requires basic skill and tips that can help one to minimize cost during the construction processes.
Many individuals have fallen victims of jumping into building their homes without proper planning simply because they thought they could do it without the support of any other professional.
The building project comprises different professionals coming together to achieve a common goal.
Before building your first home, it is advisable to put into consideration the following tips.
The land you are about to build on
Based on experience, many individuals have fallen victims of acquiring land that is not legitimate, only for them to discover that the land they want to build on is in dispute. This is a common mistake in Nigeria and most times it discourages people from acquiring land for building purposes.
Before you make payment for your land, always ensure that the land in question is not in dispute. You can do this by involving a third person outside the agent and the landowner to investigate the legitimacy of the land.
If you are still not satisfied, you can offer to pay part of the money and commence work at the site, then make the remaining payment after a month if no one interferes with the work process. Avoid the mistake of preparing your floor plan when you are not really sure of the land.
The surveyor plan
The next thing you need to do is to engage your surveyor to carry out a site survey on the land. It is always better to use your own surveyor instead of using the landowner’s own.
Avoid using roadside surveyors because there is a tendency that your land might not be registered with the appropriate authority. Take time to protect your site to avoid someone encroaching or reselling the land.
If you are not ready yet to develop, you can carry out perimeter fencing or protect the four corners with a clearly visible sign. Be sure to always check your site once every two months.
The floor plan
The floor plan is the number three consideration when planning your first home.
Most people find it to be a waste of resources contacting an architect to design an ideal floor plan for them. They prefer to give it to an unprofessional person; sometimes they do the draft themselves. Remember, the cost of correcting a mistake on the floor plan after the erection of the building is always higher than the initial cost of the plan.
Make sure you check and understand the position of your windows, doors, electrical installations, rooms, kitchen, and other relevant features in the floor plan before the site work. Your architect will be of great help in achieving the best result.
Check out the workability of the plan. Try to find out if the movement from one position to another will obstruct the position of another feature in the apartment.
Avoid a bogus floor plan for a start. Always go for a floor plan that is moderate and of commercial value. Since this is your first plan, there is always the opportunity of building another.
Understanding the cost estimate of the building
In Africa today, most people carry out a building project without actually knowing the estimated cost of the project. This is a very common practice, but the problem with it is that you might end up not completing the project.
It will be a wise decision if you can pay for the services of a quantity surveyor to give you an estimate of the building. Alternatively, you can ask your builder or engineer to provide you with information about the number of blocks, sand, chippings, and other materials that will be required for the project.
The building process
The site work is the practical aspect of the building project, and it involves a lot of technicalities. Be sure to employ the services of an engineer or a builder depending on the complexity of the floor plan.
Avoid the use of unqualified masons because most masons do not really follow the specified details of the floor plan. Remember to provide provision for a storage area and other working materials like a water tank, generator, wheelbarrow, shovels, and head pans.
Avoid the idea of buying materials without following the engineer's advice. You might end up buying substandard materials or even placing them in the wrong location, which may affect the actual position of the building and lead to extra costs.
Other areas to consider when building your first house are:
Use low-maintenance or maintenance-free building components and materials, but not substandard materials.
Make provision for extra conduits behind walls for future electrical installations.
The height of your ceiling from ground level should be at least 9 feet.
Be flexible with your builder and take time to build it right.
Let your D.P.C. level be at least two blocks high from ground level.
