ojbboy:

At times you get confused on where to start from, how to move and what to do to jump-start your project. Knowledge of building stages also helps to save time and gives you the opportunity to plan ahead and reduce cost. When you are thinking of building a house what comes to your mind should be in this sequence.
(1) Concerning what type of house you want, what purpose is it going to serve? residential or commercial? or others, this will give you an idea of the location, and the size of land you need to get. It is however important you seek advice from your Architect on what type and size of land can suit your dream of what you are planning. After this you need to see-
(2) Your land speculator or agent, that will help you in getting land that soothes your purpose, a lot of them advertises on papers these days so getting one may not be too difficult. He arranges with the Omo Onile, pay their dues and you also get a lawyer to help you in preparing and checking the documents to make sure you are not buying a land that is Government acquired from the wrong person,and to avoid land with dispute.
(3) Now you need the local town planning authority in your area to make sure that land can be used for the purpose you have in mind and they can give first hand information about development pattern in this area ,Land under Govt acquisition would best be found out here.
(4) Meet the Land surveyor to demarcate your land and draw out the site boundary, he will also put the corner pieces demarcating your land from your neighbor.
(5) The drawings of the land surveyor is what the Architect will use to come out with a befitting plan after talking with you, he may also be responsible for approving the plan in town planning office.
(6) Is now time to move to site, for let’s say 2-3 bedroom bungalow at starting, get 2 trips of sand, 2 trips of gravels, look for a secured place you can keep your bags of cement get a tanker or drum where you can always have water to use, after you must have cleared the site. Buy for a starter 1000 blocks or as calculated from your estimation.
(7) It is time of setting out, some bricklayers uses blocks to set out a foundation especially when it is a small building and the ground is level, or your Architect or Builder can collaborate with bricklayer to do this in a more complex plan. They will buy wood, ropes, nails and you have to pay for the services or based on contract as you deem fit.
( After setting out digging begins, then concrete is poured round the foundation, then blocks are layed by bricklayer on top of concrete to 3 or more coaches serving as the d.p.c level. It is then filled with sand and rammed (beating to make hard) then oversite concrete or German concrete is poured round to cover the d.p.c (for waterlogged, sloppy or sandy area you may need to apply reinforcements or Iron at the edges of building and nylon-like membrane is used to cover some site especially when there is a threat of water disturbances).
(9) Blocks are now laid to window base, 4 coaches or layers after marking out the doors, then after the 4 coaches you mark out the windows and go another 5 coaches, the entire opening in the house is now ready for concrete lintel.
(10) Get your Iron benders or welders, they will have to make their estimate the carpenter and the bricklayers are all going to work here the welder is responsible for cutting and bringing in the Iron, the carpenter makes the frame or boxes to accommodate the concrete, and the bricklayer with labours or casters pours and see to it that the boxes are properly filled with concrete. After this, add 2 more layers of block and you are ready for roofing.
(11) Get your carpenter, cost the timber or steel for larger projects. The covering roof proper that can be aluminum, asbestos, plastics, galvanised zinc etc.
(12) If you are thinking of conduit wiring or plumbing, then you need the help of electrician and plumbers now, and you can be putting your ceiling after or simultaneously. Digging of your soakaway pit and connection of pipe services by your plumber should commence, and tillers or terrazo contractor if you are using one comes after plastering by the bricklayer, Electrical work also continues, fixing of door frames, wardrobes by furniture maker, windows and other accessories can also go along based on taste, style or pocket.

After all the completion of these stages, you buy all furniture's and electronics, and MOVE IN.

femmy2010:

@ojbboy,
with current prevailing market price for building materials,how much can one budget to build a "very simple" 3 bedroom bungalow?

Fhemmmy:

I am sure if you give information on the area or state, it might help as labour differs by location

femmy2010:


Ota,Ogun state.

ifyalways:

Informative thread.

I already have the land with a building erected already(a school,bought it that way) however,I'm thinking of building a block of 6 classrooms.Location is Onitsha,Anambra state.I wud love to start by mid december and finish by early January(the students wud be on vacation).How much should I be looking out?Foundation,roofing,wiring,painting etc.

diordaves:

I like this school angle. Refreshing difference from personal project dominating the property forum.

I did a quality certification/project management on my trips to Nigeria for a friend who also built a school in Ibadan. So I can be quick to tell you that 1m should see you through a six room block. But that is half the story.

You need to see an architect with your needs and clarify this questions first:

Are you converting the existing building into the six classrooms or you want to build a new six classrooms with the existing block on the land?


Does this six classrooms include the staff room and headschool's office and library, sick bay and toilets?

Are you planning just a single block classroom format or you hope to make it/convert it in future to a storey building classroom format?

These are the stuff you need to trash out first. But one thing I came away with from my friend's school in Ibadan, you can really save loads, if you do your internal partitioning with particle boards instead of blocks and the external walls half way with blocks. This means you will need load bearing columns. So talk to your architect. If you adopt this method, you can achieve your wish well under one million.

Hope this helps. Good Luck! The Kids need your dream to be a success.

za85:

Na by force to start a thread?? And why are u disappointed femi? This thread have existed before. But even if it didn't one can see the process from everyother building projects on here. So what happens when someone breaks it down ?? At of topic then I guess?? Pls find something better to do.

P.S
Those of you that are so quick to announce where they live "like us in the us" like us in the uk" nobody cares stick to the topic and pocket where u live to urself.

ifyalways:

No,Im not trying to convert the existing storey to 6 classrooms.Trying to get a new block of 6 classrooms.

No,just a single block of classroom.No intention of converting it into something else in the near future.

I dont need a staff room as that exists already.A sick bay and then 3 toilets is OK.

With N1M,wud I be able to get that done in say 1 month?
Thank you.

za85:

Na by force to start a thread?? And why are u disappointed femi? This thread have existed before. But even if it didn't one can see the process from everyother building projects on here. So what happens when someone breaks it down ?? At of topic then I guess??  Pls find something better to do.

P.S
Those of you that are so quick to announce where they live "like us in the us" like us in the uk" nobody cares stick to the topic and pocket where u live to urself.

femmy2010:

If the thread is not beneficial to you then you can always hiss and not comment.
The moment someone feels he knows it all then problems starts.

Oga fhemmy,
Ignore the bobo jare.

ftmom:

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If you did not pay a bribe to get a meter, you have experienced a miracle.

Fhemmmy:

One day, Nigeria will change . . .  I have a dream that a day is coming where the rich and the average will care about the nation