Tips for house construction in 2025 keeping the costs low

Building a house in 2025 requires utmost care, or else you'll burn a hole in the pocket. However, there are ways to save money right before you. Careful attention from the beginning can save you money at every stage of home construction.

Roofing:
Instead of just concrete, consider industrial roofing. Use ceramic tiles with a clay ceiling tile. This also helps reduce heat. By omitting ceiling plaster, you can reduce material and labour costs. Accurate electronic drawings are mandatory; this facilitates future maintenance.

Truss work:
Instead of a concrete roof, use GP steel for truss work. Top with ceramic tiles and a clay ceiling below to reduce heat. Compared to a concrete roof, you can save 15%.

Brick walls:
While concrete blocks are commonly used for walls, some choose to build with exposed brick, both inside and outside, believing this saves money. However, to achieve a good finish and quality, you'll need to choose higher-quality bricks, which can negate cost savings. Labour costs and time will also increase.

Wall putty:
Avoid exterior wall putty. Although material costs are low, labour costs are five times higher.

Painting:
The usual painting method is one coat of white cement, primer, and two coats of emulsion paint after plastering. You can apply primer directly after plastering, omitting the white cement and applying final colour paint directly. This saves on labour and material costs.

Tiles:
Choose 2X2 size 0-joint tiles. This saves on material and labour costs for filling. Select tiles costing less than Rs 60 per square foot.

Staircase:
Plain concrete steps are best for concrete staircases; they reduce working costs and material use. While spiral, cantilever, and chain staircases are aesthetically pleasing, they are more expensive. Use GI square pipe steel for the handrail and vertical supports of the staircase. Minimize glass work.

Kitchen:
Using aluminium fabrication or ferrocement for cupboards and storage instead of concrete slabs can reduce costs by 40%. Keep the kitchen area plain during construction. If you are building a wood-fired stove, only that part needs to be concrete.

Omit plastering on the terrace and apply waterproof paint.
For sloped roofs, use cheaper reclaimed clay tiles instead of expensive ones. Market rates are Rs 8-10, while new clay tiles cost Rs 30-40.

Switches and sockets:
Homeowners should not leave everything to the electrician. You pay per point. Avoid unnecessary switches and light points.

Plaster ceiling:

• Polishing the underside of a concrete roof instead of plastering saves on plastering and painting costs.
• Keep the interior height of the house to 10 feet. Costs increase with height.
• Install sunshades only on the window side.
• Except for the main door, use doors made of laminate or print-finished plywood. Various varieties are available in the market.
• Limit the number of bathrooms to what is needed. A bathroom currently costs around Rs 1.5 lakhs.

Information courtesy: Suneeb V, Architouch Design, Nilambur
Prepared by: Ajay S.