Jayakumar’s brand new house at Nedumkunnam in Kottayam, Kerala, has been impressing everyone, not just with its simple yet classy designs but by the fact that it was built on a meagre budget of just Rs 10 lakh.
The owner who is an autorickshaw driver used to live in a small shed with asbestos-sheet-roof that leaked during the monsoon. He had diligently saved small amounts of money to finally fulfil his dream of building a sturdy house that didn’t have leaky roof.
During his trips, Jayakumar used to notice the low-cost homes in the locality. Moreover, he didn’t hesitate to walk into those houses in order to know more about the construction methods. This finally led him to Costford, the notable construction firm that is devoted to designing eco-friendly homes that aren’t expensive.
The owner wanted to retain some parts of his old house that were still sturdy. Engineer Biju of Costford and his team visited the house in order to inspect the sturdiness of the house. They said that the two bedrooms and the kitchen area were good enough to be retained.
A sit-out, living room, a bath-attached bedroom, a mezzanine floor and a multi-purpose room have been newly built. Meanwhile, the old bedroom has been turned into the dining area. Thus, the old, dilapidated house got transformed into a beautiful house of 950 sqft area.
Old tiles have been paved on the GI truss roof. Meanwhile, the cement oxide flooring grants a rustic charm to the house. All the windows and doors in the old house are replaced with new ones.
Interestingly, a mezzanine floor has been added, taking advantage of the height of the roof. Instead of concrete, this floor is built using timber from coconut tree and Artocarpus hirsutus wood. Meanwhile, the walls are built using fibre cement boards. An additional bedroom could be built by separating the area using fibre cement boards in the future.
The cost-effective staircase is done by paving wooden planks on a metal frame. Jayakumar had collected most of the materials including old windows, roofing tiles and doors, well in advance, as he wanted to complete the construction before the rainy season began. Meanwhile, the bricks from the old house are used to build the compound wall.
Jayakumar says that he used to work at the site whenever he was free. So, the construction was completed in under four months for an extremely affordable budget of Rs 10 lakh. The family is happy and relieved that they can now live in a house that is sturdy and safe.
Project Facts
Location – Nedumkunnam, Kottayam
Area – 950 SFT
Owner – Jayakumar
Design – Costford, Kottayam
Email – design.costfordktym@gmail.com
Budget – Rs 10 lakh
