For many, the dream of building a house might come crashing down owing to the worsening pandemic situation. People have either lost their jobs or have plunged into severe financial crisis, forcing them to shelve construction plans. Experts in this field and many eminent architects say that the exorbitant amounts of money spent on houses are nothing but a dead investment.
Overshooting of budget is a common complaint that most people have while constructing brand new houses. But, with proper planning and execution, a beautiful house could be comfortably built without burning a hole in the pocket. Keeping a check on the expenses doesn’t mean that one has to compromise on the quality of the building materials or give up their favourite furnishing and decor. Designing a house as per your wishes, by staying within the allotted budget is the smartest way.
Here are some tips that could help you plan better and build your dream home without breaking your bank.
» It is important that you keep an account of the expenses from day one onwards. The daily expenses should be correctly recorded for tabulation and for future reference too. Besides, it would inspire you to keep a check on the expenses the next day.
» While experimenting with new techniques in order to reduce expenses, it would be wiser to enquire whether it is acceptable as per the common norms or general trends. Else, the house would lose its resale value, in case you wish to sell it in the future.
» It is quite common that your relatives or friends come up with multiple ideas and suggestions. However, the budget may skyrocket if you pay heed to all of them. It is vital to decide that your house shouldn’t have any useless or unnecessary spaces. It is better to design the rooms and spaces as multi use areas.
» One should be careful while choosing the plot for construction. If it is a low lying land, then it should be filled using soil. Similarly, the foundation should be made sturdy if the plot is in a water logged area or if the ground isn’t firm. Expenses are likely to shoot in such instances.
» Even though the total area of the house would be reduced if the size of the rooms is shortened, it wouldn’t really lower the expenses. The number, not the size of the rooms need to be lowered in order to keep a check on the expenses. For instance, if a room has a width and height of 12 feet each, then it would have an area of 114 sqft. So, if the construction cost is Rs 1000 per square feet, it would cost at least Rs 1,44,000 to build a room of 114 sqft. However, if the height and width are reduced to 12 feet, then the room would have an area of 100 sqft. It would then cost Rs 1,25, 000 to build the room and not just Rs 1,00,000. As there won’t be any changes in the number of doors, windows and the general arrangements in the structure, the expense isn’t likely to go down significantly even though the total area of the house would be reduced.
» There are chances for the construction works to get stalled or delayed due to multiple reasons. It would be wiser to anticipate such delays and plan accordingly. Each day’s works could be planned in advance. There should be proper plans about the order in which the works should be completed and the works that could be combined. This would give you an idea about the amount of money that needed to be at hand when a particular work is being done. Moreover, it would also give you an idea whether the construction is progressing as per the schedule.
» Budgeting is something that should be planned, well in advance. The construction should begin or continue only if you have clarity about the amount that you are willing to spend and the availability of money. It is important to rope in an experienced architect or engineer. The plan could be altered or redrawn until the client is fully satisfied. The construction should begin only after the plan has been finalized. It is better that too many changes aren’t made in the plan while the construction progresses.
» It would be wiser to begin the construction after having a proper idea about the ways in which everything should be done. Besides, one should be aware about the availability of the materials and their prices too. Enquiring about multiple purchase options may prove profitable for the owner.
» No compromise should be made on the quality of the building materials. You could try reducing the expenses by avoiding unnecessary design gimmicks. The price range of every brand begins at a basic category and then moves to luxury. You could choose the right price range depending upon your needs and budget.
» Houses made using gypsum and ferro cement are gaining immense popularity these days. One of the main advantages of these methods is that the construction could be completed swiftly. Besides, they are cheaper than many other methods of construction.
