Easy Guide to Building a Low-Cost House in Nigeria
Do you know that you can build a house in Nigeria on a shoestring budget? Many people believe that in order to build a house, one must be a billionaire. However, if well planned, Building a Low-Cost House in Nigeria is very possible and below are the step-by-step guides.
One fascinating aspect of life is that knowing one owns a home lowers mental tension and provides peace of mind when it comes to paying a house rent at the end of the year. It also offers a sense of accomplishment, which gladdens the heart. See The Basic Steps in Building a House.
Easy Guide to Building a Low-Cost House in Nigeria
Decide on a land location that you can afford
The cost of purchasing land varies depending on where you live. In Lagos, Nigeria, for example, the cost of purchasing land in the Lekki neighborhood is higher than in the Ikorodu area. As a result, if Building a Low-Cost House in Nigeria is the plan, make sure you check, investigate, and choose real land that fits your budget.
Lack of development, terrible roads, distance from your working or business location, low population, which will inevitably damage business, and finally, you may not want to live in such an area are some of the drawbacks of such a region.
Talk to an Professionals (architect and a quantity surveyor) about your budget
When planning, it is critical to discuss your budget with the appropriate expert as soon as possible in order to get a better end result.
When you hire an architect and a quantity surveyor, they will walk you through the process depending on the type of construction that will meet your budget. Also, the type of design and materials to employ in order to stay within the budget. For example, instead of utilizing a costly marble finish in the bathroom, they may suggest a more cost-effective option, such as ceramic tiles or something else.
“Why do I need a professional’s help when I don’t have a lot of money?” someone could ask. The fact is that hiring a professional will protect you from unforeseen events or difficulties that may occur years down the road, as well as ensure that you are building according to industry standards. If you don’t, your building may be destroyed or seized by the government one day.
Obtaining extremely comprehensive and precise design blueprints is critical to determining your project’s overall expenses. The scope of work is defined by project drawings, and without them, you risk incurring significant cost overruns. Budget difficulties at the start of the project can be mitigated with well-established and unambiguous designs.
Hire an architect who is both experienced and accredited
Get a skilled and knowledgeable architect who, after creating the plan, will also help you monitor the work. By doing so, you will be able to reduce the project’s cost while still receiving superior service at the end.
If you hire a project manager and an architect at the same time, the cost will almost certainly be expensive. I feel that if someone wants to build a house on a budget, they should do so. The individual must nevertheless maintain a professional and long-lasting structure.
The architect will not only design, but also design within your budget, while adhering to all of the established guidelines for instant approval.
When the specialists have completed the costing and drafting work and have created the building plan. The drawing must then be approved. The project moves to the construction phase when the designs are approved.
Don’t organize things in a random order
The term “variation order” refers to the adjustment, change, or modification of the work’s design, quality, or quantity, as well as the work’s deletion, addition, or substitute.
It also involves changing the standard of materials or commodities to be utilized in the project, as well as removing any work, materials, or goods that are not in line with the original agreement or plan from the job site.
Any changes to project goals and scopes, such as additions, deletions, or other modifications, are termed variations, which generally result in a cost rise or decrease. To minimize deviation, it is critical that you stay focused on the original strategy. Because the majority of variation orders result in either substandard work or a high project cost.
Constant supervision is the fourth guideline.
In order to keep your budget, you’ll need to remain on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because laborers are more serious about the job when they know someone is watching them. By doing so, you will be free of any additional costs incurred as a result of labor effort. You’ll also know that you’re paying them fairly for the task they do.
Constantly monitoring the project will also assist you in determining whether what is depicted in the drawing is truly being carried out. If not, a fix must be made right once to avoid incurring further costs.
See Also: Buying or Building a House? See Which Is Best
How to Save Money When Building a House
A carpenter or welder can sell you some second-hand iron and wooden doors.
If you just need five to ten doors for the building, this is a good way to save money and stay within your budget. I recommend that you go to a carpenter or welder and get some doors, perhaps the ones that will be used inside the house.
Because new doors cost between 600,000 and 900,000 Naira (600,000 to 900,000 Naira), but old and renovated doors from a welder or carpenter cost between 600,000 and 900,000 Naira
It will cost you between 15,000 and 30,000 Naira (15,000 to 30,000 Naira) depending on the design, quality, material, and style.
Finally, you will discover that you have saved a significant amount of money while maintaining your quality and budget.
Don’t buy blocks, Mold blocks for yourself
The cost of purchasing blocks for a three-bedroom house will be too high. To be honest, it’ll save you money if you mold the blocks, especially if you utilize sand from the foundation digging and soak it away, then connect it with a few trips of sand.
Finally, you discover that you have saved some money and still have enough sand to use for other projects.
Purchasing blocks to construct a house is not recommended since you do not know the quality of the block and therefore put the structure in danger. Second, such blocks are manufactured for a profit and thus will be way expensive and never a good choice for Building a Low-Cost House in Nigeria.
Materials should be purchased and monitored
Your material expenses are one of the most important areas where you can cut costs, save money, and increase the value of your project. This is because engineers have the opportunity to build connections with suppliers and negotiate prices based on volume, especially if they can get numerous materials from a single vendor.
Material costs make up the majority of any construction budget, therefore it’s important to pay attention to them. Obtain the highest-quality products while staying within your budget. Make sure you receive what you paid for when making a purchase.
In addition, the number of supplies you requested was provided. If you’re ordering sand, for example, be sure it’s up to 30 tons. You can learn how to quantify it from your employees if you don’t know how.
Unlike services, which might suffer from scope creep, materials come in a variety of pricing, and you can receive price quotes from several vendors. As a result, while acquiring your materials, engage various providers; this will result in lower pricing for the same grade of material. In a nutshell, appropriate material price negotiating with many vendors can save you money.
I read on several blogs that you should acquire the stuff yourself, but how can you purchase something about which you have little or no knowledge?
Also, how will you be able to tell the difference between high-quality and low-quality items? How will you know whether the ones you’ve been given are the ones depicted in the drawing? How will you tell which ones are excellent and which are bad?
When it comes to purchasing building supplies, I recommend working closely with your Quantity Surveyor. Bring him or her to the market to make a purchase.
Keep an eye on how the materials are used on the job. Because employees are prone to stealing or misusing items on the job site.
See Also: How to Start a Real Estate Business In Nigeria (Full Guide)
Conclusion
Before you begin, talk to a professional about how much money you have now, how much money you plan to spend, how much money you can afford to add each month, and how long you plan to build the house. You may then proceed to construct the house after great study and investigation.
