House Construction-When you should start?

I keep getting several mails from people who plan to build house in their native place in Kerala.Mostly they want to know how much it will cost to construct a house.If I tell a figure which they think is comfortable for them,they will start construction activities immediately.If I tell a higher cost figure,they will drop construction activities at least for the time being

To tell  possible cost of construction ,my knowledge in architecture,engineering and Vasthu will not be enough.I also will have to study Astrology.

To tell you frankly,one should start construction of house the moment you feel the need for a house in Kerala without waiting for some one to tell a lie about how much it will cost simply to make you happy.Without any data,no one can tell possible cost simply hearing possible plinth area of house you may simply guess.

I decided to construct a house for me in Cochin about seventeen years back.My Father wanted me to live in house which he built partially for me at native place,Cherthala.While working in Cochin,I was forced to move from one rented house to another after specific period of time ,packing and moving after a tiring search for house to meet my requirements and budget.

Finally when I decided to build a house,i was not an expert as I have never built another house.Just by being an Engineer you cannot build a house.Any Engineer friends of me will agree to it and that is why we have built maximum number of  houses for engineers.They at least know that an experienced Engineer in house construction is essential for building a house while many even now believe or are  forced to believe that a usual contractor is enough.

At that time even though I left comforts of my job and started our marketing company,I have not yet started construction company.

I kept searching for land by reading real estate ads in news papers and responding.In most cases I could not manage the amount of money required for buying the land even though some of the many plots seen were good enough ,if not bad.

One day I found an Ad in news paper for land in a good locality.I went and saw land just before 8 am on the day the advertisement came.I liked land at first sight itself.Price was reasonable.So no negotiation.I have given verbal commitment to the land owner who did not insist on an advance then and there.I only offered to buy  front portion of 15 cents of  land measuring about 6 cents.Later land owner told me that another person met him 15 minutes after me and offered to buy entire 15 cents and given a token advance of Rs.10,000/-Land owner being  a decent chap agreed to sell only balance portion keeping his word to me.

Now how will I manage money for buying land as I did not have that much money ? Next day I simply paid token advance of Rs.10,000/- without really knowing how I will arrange balance money.

Even though I never had the courage to ask my father for money,since I liked the land I took him to see the land.He also liked it.Then through my mother I made him agree to give a portion of money as loan.That was the best negotiating win of my life-making my Father agree to give me money even as loan.

Then I got a temporary Over draft from my banker using good performance figures of our marketing company and finally I managed to purchase that land even though the other portion was really sold  only after many months.

Again when I started construction,there was no money.My Father advised me to do construction later after saving enough money(Possibly to avoid me asking for more loan).But I was not willing to wait.I know very well that every passing day will push up cost of construction thereby pushing away from me my house construction.

For foundation work,I simply borrowed money from a private banker at high interest rates.After that money was over,I again went to another private money lender and got money at high interest rate.By that time I also managed to get housing loan from a housing loan company at lower interest rate.

As construction went on some what fast,I tried to minimise cost wherever possible without compromising on basic facilities needed and quality of work.

When the house construction was nearing finishing stage,there was no way to arrange money required.So I simply requested a supplier to our marketing company to extend credit period telling him frankly my need for money.As I had very good repaying records with the supplier he agreed with a condition that I should continue making payments even though amount of payment in each installment can be reduced.So his credit favour has helped me in bringing the house construction to finishing stage.

Finally when the house warming was going on I simply told to myself-“If only instead of presents these relatives and friends can pay in cash?”I was so badly in need of cash but no one was willing to help.

After building this house I realised the need for a professional agency to build houses as this field is full of cheats and crooks.That is how I entered into house construction and after building more than 200 houses I have lots and lots of people who value my services a lot and treat me like a family member for the rest of their life.

So my advise to you is simple.Do not wait for money to come to start building your house.Tomorrow will be too late as cost  can only go up to take away from you your dream house,possibly for ever

Free consultation on Kerala Architecture,Vasthu and House Construction

You can now have free consultation  with me on Kerala Architecture,Vasthu aspects and anything related to house construction.
Having built more than 200 houses directly and designed much  more houses,my knowledge and experience can be used for you to get a better house by design and work.
Write to me to
vhthomas@viruvelil.com
You will get reply within 48 hours


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Stair cases turning into show piece in houses

Gone are the days when stair cases used to be U shaped kept in a corner of the house with almost dark space with little head room below steps.Sometimes a small toilet or store to dump old  discarded materials used to be kept under the stair steps.Stair cases were simply meant to go up stairs without anyone noticing it.

But the trend has changed and stair cases are now taking centre stage in the house.It is now something to be displayed proudly by the owner of the house.No more unattractive U shape with space below which cannot be utilised.

Look at  pictures below on stair cases in houses designed and built by me.Not even a bit of space under stair case is left unutilisable.In addition stair case add to appearance of house inside.In Irinjalakuda house and Kadavanthra house I have made it centre part of the house and major attraction of interior of the house.

I have also avoided the usual method of placing stair posts on the stair steps thus reducing space available for stair steps.Instead I keep steps by the side of stair steps giving better appearance and better space utilisation.

Vasthu instructs to have rising stair steps going up in North South direction or West East direction and not the other way.It is also recommended to have stair steps going up in clockwise direction.But these may not be always possible to implement due to other considerations and limitations of the building design.

Spiral stair case though looking good will need more space and more money.I normally use Kerala plantation teak for stair posts and handrails with carving of stair posts.Mahogany wood is also a good and cheaper alternative.Using glass between stair posts have become a recent trend and entire stair can also be done in glass with etched glass painting between posts.

 

 

 

 

Less costly stair case can be used for going up to roof top.I normally use precast stair steps of 75cm length with rise of 20cm.This will be economical,good for appearance  and much more comfortable and useful compared to fabricated steel ladder to go to roof top.See picture of these outside stair at my Vyttila house  project and Irinjalakuda house(during structure work)

How to select contractor to build your house

I keep getting mails asking me to tell square feet cost for house to be built without even a plan.If I say a low square feet cost of construction without even seeing the site,without even drawing a plan,I will get the contract straight away.Potential client will say-“Your rate is low as I made enquiries with many contractors who build houses.In addition,you are an Engineer also”

But I never do this and many people get angry with me for not telling a square feet cost for house to be built.Some people will simply say that he/she want house to be built within so many lakhs of rupees but at the same time demanding all sorts of facilities and rooms for the house.Contractor should build house with all these facilities and the cost should not exceed a pre fixed amount!

Again I do not say yes to such people.But the real fact is that almost all the non professional contractors simply quote low square feet cost or agree to build house within  any amount fixed by the client knowing very well that after commencement of work he can manage the house owner and make him pay more than the initial cost indication or rate fixed.

Once a Mumbai based lady wrote to me  asking me whether I can build a four bed room two story house with large rooms and other facilities with Rs.18 lakhs.She said she is a senior financial consultant of a reputed firm.I said it is impossible to meet her demands with Rs.18 lakhs.She angrily replied to me-“You talk as if Rs.18 lakhs is nothing.Do you know who I am.I am a finance expert”Then she asked me to tell square feet cost for house to be built by her somewhere near Kottayam or exact amount for building house as explained by her.I said cost can be calculated only after a site visit for understanding site conditions and after preparing a plan.Even cost thus calculated cannot anticipate or take into account possible changes in input cost of materials and labour which again in Kerala conditions can only go up.So without any data and plan of the house to be built only an astrologer can predict cost of house to be built by her which may get completed after one  year or more .She naturally got real angry and wrote me a stinker.

In the case of house construction in Kerala it will be good if you can start house construction activities as early as possible if you have any intention to build your house as tomorrow  will be too late as you may not be able to afford to build the house at increased cost.

Contractors may simply quote what you want-a low square feet cost just to make you start work with him knowing very well that after commencement you do not  have much option other than holding on to him even if it means  paying even double the rate he originally agreed for.So my advice to you is never to go to some one who quote low square feet cost.Try to understand more about his method of working,how reliable he is.Try to see some of the houses he has built.Talk to his earlier clients.Check how good he is technically and how good he is in giving quality work and then allow him to have reasonable profit if he does a good work ,technically sound and quality conscious.

Always have a qualified Architect or Structural consultant even though contractor will persuade you not to have such”unnecessary people who will simply eat your money”Your contractor if not technically qualified may not know anything about architecture or structural engineering.Do not listen to his words and always get professional design and guidance thus being pound wise and penny foolish instead of the other way around.

Your dream house in Kerala-Complete service package

If you are a non resident Indian dreaming to build your dream house in Kerala,major constraint you will be facing is ,”Who will do it for me in my absence?”
This is where a professional agency like ours come.If you are looking for land purchase in and around Cochin,we can start from locating land for you to build your dream house.After finalising or rather choosing plot to be purchased,you need to go through following essential steps
1.Technical and Vasthu evaluation of land to be purchased
2.Legal verification of title of land and related documents to ensure that you buy land without any legal hurdles and problems.
3.Land measurement prior to purchase
4.Documentation for land purchase and related legal activities at Registrar office,Taluk Office and Village office.
Once the land is purchased,you need to get boundaries safe guarded.For that boundary wall will have to be made.
Then a Plan of the house to be prepared followed by an Engineering Estimate to check whether you can build your dream house with funds available with you.If you require additional funds for purchase of land and construction of house,we can arrange it without any hassles as we are authorised service agents for HDFC Housing Finance Ltd.
Then you will have to obtain building permit and plan approval from local authority.Obtain electrical connection for construction work and then proceed with work with complete transparent accounting available through email and monitoring of work in progress through pictures of work progress posted in specific blog created for your work site.
In case,you plan to construct house away from Cochin except locating suitable plot for you,we can do everything else indicated above for you.
See how easy it is to build your dream house living and working in any part of the world.We have built many houses like this for many NRIs without even a relative or friend to monitor matters in Kerala.
Why don't you start thinking of making your dream of a house in Kerala a reality,using our professional services, guidance and assistance?
We are here to make your dream turn into reality without any head ache as we take care of all troublesome matters for you.

Low cost house construction

Every person trying to build a house would like to build the house at lower cost.But most of them are not willing to do something for cost reduction by following advice of an Architect/Engineer to reduce cost of construction.They want the builder to reduce cost as if the builder is operating with huge profits.Probably a builder of villas and apartments building for sale may be operating at high margin.But small time builders who construct individual houses at practically actual cost basis with very little margins to operate can bring down cost of construction only by compromising on quality of construction.
If you really want your house construction to cost less due to lack of funds,let us see how you can get these cost reductions.
1.A professional plan of the house with maximum utilisation of space and no wastage of space with considerations of structural engineering to reduce structural cost-This is where your major cost reduction come from.Probably you may have to pay more for a professional design of the house.But you save much more in cost of construction.
2.Foundation rubble work-You can go for dry pack rubble foundation to be specifically designed by a Structural Engineer to suit soil conditions rather than simply following costly methods generally adopted by others in your locality.
In stable soil conditions you do not require  plain concrete below rubble foundation.Also you will not require a foundation beam(usually called as belt) above rubble foundation,if you do rubble foundation well packed with forced filling of cavities inside dry packed foundation.
3.Brick work-using usual brick can be costly as each brick may cost about Rs.4-6 depending upon locality.Laterite stone can create problems due to pests in later years.You can go for solid block brick work which will be less costly.
4.Door and window frames-If you use wood,cost can go up.Try to use good quality concrete door and window frames.Cost will come down.
5.Filler slab concrete-Your structural consultant will tell you how to use large clay tiles inside concrete to reduce cost of steel and concrete.Concrete roof  cost will come down.
6.Use manufactured sand instead of river sand for all work except plastering.
7.Use clay tiles for flooring at least for bed rooms where more than 50% area is covered with furniture.At about Rs.15/- per sft it can bring down cost of your building.
8.Electrical and Plumbing work cost can come down if you simply let your Architect guide your Electrician/Plumber.
If I tell all tricks of cost reduction here itself,people may not come for consultation to me.More ways and methods can be told against specific cases as each house construction may require different methods for cost reduction.
You can reduce the cost of construction if you tell your Architect in advance about your financial constraints .All that people ask for is lower square feet  cost of construction without any compromise on controlling cost of inputs as if contractor is simply going to build your house at a loss.
When the contractor get to know that he may incur losses doing your work,he will find one or other excuse to get out of your work as he need profit to survive.

House construction-How to start and proceed

I am sure you might have noticed a spider making a net to catch it’s preys to eat it.After spinning the net spider watches for any movement and wait in a corner.Once a fly or other insect get caught in the net,spider rushes close to it’s prey and tie it with net finally to kill it and eat it.

This is exactly how non professional contractors who construct most of the houses in Kerala talk of a square feet cost of a house simply to mislead possible clients into their spider like net. Once caught in the net, you cannot escape and by the time you finish construction of the house ,the last thing you worry about is the original promised square feet cost of construction. You somehow try to complete the house whatever may be the final cost.

Construction cost in Kerala is rapidly rising and any house construction will take not less than one year. During this period cost of input materials and labour increase a lot and no contractor is going to bear the increase in cost and still give you a quality product.If you plan to build your house in Kerala try to do it as fast as possible as tomorrow will be too late and you may not be in a position to afford construction cost of tomorrow.This is precisely why any house built well sells at double the construction cost immediately after completion.

Design and construction of a house is a bit complicated affair if you want to do it properly. You need Architectural design and complete design details for it, structural design details, interior and landscape details. Only a professional agency can do it rightly for you.

House construction  has got three major components in it

1. Basic Structure and plastering. Probably I can give a guess on  cost of this part. If you do it with right structural design, proper quality and engineering at present in put cost level, it may cost about Rs.1000/- per sft.Again it is only a guess and when you actually construct your house with proper engineering it may go up and not likely to go down.

2. Interior work like flooring, Electrical, plumbing, painting, interior wood work like modular kitchen ,stair case etc

3.Compound wall,gate,septic tank,water storage tanks, landscape work,rain water storage,Electrical and water connections etc

On second and third phases of construction rapid change of technology forces you to adopt to latest trends and facilities.At the beginning stage of construction,there is absolutely no way of correctly predicting cost of these stages.Of course,contractor will gave cost figures with several conditions applicable and these conditions applicable can take care of his profits whatever may be cost indications given by him.

It will be better to decide on umpteen options available for each and every item of work with professional guidance at these later stages of construction.

Once  your plan is ready, using Engineering estimate methods cost of structural work can be calculated. Square feet plinth area is not the only deciding factor of cost. At best it can be treated as one of the many factors. If you calculate cost considering only this  square feet plinth area factor it will be like the old story of blind going to see elephant.

Let us see how we proceed on design and construction of your house.

We proceed in a systematic manner in developing design for your house and then proceeding to make it a reality with high standards of design, quality and workmanship.

First step is my visit to your plot.

This visit to your plot to study your plot, site conditions, surroundings and to visualise house in your dreams through the eyes of an Architect will cost you Rs.3000/-plus travel expenses.

After this we will prepare the most important document for your house which we call as Basic Plan showing dimensions and positions of rooms, doors and windows only. We charge Rs.2.5 per square feet plinth area for this Plan.

You can go through this drawing and suggest changes as may be required and it can be revised not once but twice without any extra charges.

Then we will have to prepare a set of drawings as required by Kerala Building rules for submission to local authority like Panchayath for approval. Our charges for these set of drawings is Rs.6000/-

If you have someone to follow up about this with local authority, he can arrange site inspection by concerned official and obtain Building Permit after paying fees as may be applicable to local authority.

If you have no one to do this, we can arrange this. In that case our travel expenses and other service charges will be extra.

Then we proceed to prepare Engineering Estimate giving item wise costing for each item of construction mainly for budgetary purpose and also to act as a starting point for construction if we take up construction directly.

Before each stage of construction we will give you expected cost, time required for that stage of work and rates applicable in writing to you.No extra charges for site visit,detailed architectural and structural design  and close monitoring of work if we take up work on contract basis.

After completion of each stage of construction, we will take detailed measurements from site and billing will be on this actual site measurements details of which will be forwarded to you for your verification. Rates applicable will be the same as that given in the Stage Estimate given prior to commencement of that stage of work. There will be a proper agreement for construction work signed by both parties entered prior to commencement of work

If you are an NRI,you can peacefully leave the entire house building job to us.You will get transparent billing with complete details,you can watch work progress of each day through pictures in blog specifically created for your site sitting in any part of the world.Our reputation gained through building more than 200 houses in Kerala and designing much more will ensure that you get the best work done complying with modern architecture,structural engineering vasthu and complete professional care