Owning a home is out of
reach for many people
because of the high cost of building and the scarcity of land. For example, in Kenya, an ideal house for a family is roughly three bedrooms and is priced at around 5 million Kenyan shillings. With the high price of homeownership, not many people can construct, let alone buy, a house. However, there are excellent construction ideas that enable the construction of affordable houses.
How to Build a Cheap House?
1. Choose affordable house designs
Complex house designs require more money to construct. Generally speaking, sticking to a box or rectangle makes the building and design affordable. It is much easier to build up than a sprawling one-story building. Most people worry that box-style homes will not be attractive, but they can make the exterior attractive by considering landscaping, lighting, and other décor options that keep the costs low.
Another part of the house design that needs to be considered is roofing. Believe it or not, there are many roofing designs, and they can affect the price of the home. Essentially, simple roofing designs mean less money will be required to build a house.
2. Engage professionals
It is essential to hire skilled professionals to do the work. You do not need cheap labour that will ultimately require repairs and add more to the construction cost. A lot of people have lost money as a result of poor workmanship. While it seems cheaper to avoid professionals in the building process, it is ultimately very costly in the long run when you have to either fix or do repairs. Essentially, unskilled labor can make a homebuilder lose about 50% of the total cost. Yet, construction firms like Yattiyr Investments Limited only charge a small professional fee.
3. Approved Designs
Waiting and redesigning a home can cost a lot. For instance, if a home builder does not get the required permits on time, they spend a lot of time and money to get the necessary licenses. Furthermore, any additional changes to the original design can drastically increase the construction cost. It is advisable to get the designs right and approved before any construction process begins. In Kenya, for example, if a homebuilder starts the construction process before approval by the relevant agencies, they risk paying hefty fines and sometimes having to redo some of the work.
4. Low-cost location
Location is significant in that it can influence the design of the house and the construction cost. Although constructing a place with beautiful views will cost a homebuilder more, many affordable sites can also come with additional charges. For example: – breaking hard rocks, clearing bushes, or even requiring extensive drainage. Consider all these factors before choosing one of the low-cost locations.
5. Avoid constructing a home during wet seasons
Many roads in the upcountry are not paved like in urban centers. Therefore, it becomes difficult to transport materials to the site during the rainy season as the roads become impassable. Besides making access to the construction site a problem, the rain may wash away building materials during wet seasons and delay construction as workers cannot work in the rain. The delay can have the potential to increase the construction cost.
Final Thoughts
Building a house is not a complicated process as many folks may think. If anything, a homebuilder needs only to develop a plan and ensure that they stick to the plan and the budget. Needless to say, if you think you will live in a house for a long time, like over 25 years think of the materials to use and the appropriateness of the plan. Several choices are available to those looking to build affordable houses. You can reach out to [email protected] for the construction of affordable housing.