To God be all the glory. We have been moving from state to state in our quest to satisfy more clients. This time around we have landed in Ebonyi state, the salt of the nation. We have come to build another house for a new client. This house will be a duplex with the following features;

5 bedrooms all en suit (1 bedroom downstairs and 4 upstairs)
1 kitchen
1 kitchen store
1 library (downstairs)
1 study room (upstairs)
1 ante room
1 sizable main lounge
1 visitors W/c


In the finishing

parapet support for the roof
stone coated step tile sheets
metal doors in the external doors
internal and external tiles
designed window hoods
external toilet works
alluring fitted kitchen


This house will be built with a budget of N12.2m. Target completion date is 120 days. We start counting down from next week, maybe by Tuesday next week when we shall start bringing the boys and materials into site. We just cleared the site.

This is going to be an interesting journey as we move along. Expect many pictures of work progress, styles of doing each of the stages and much more. Thanking you all for making our building experience a memorable one. Thanks.

some images of the site before we cleared it

more

after the clearing

still

some dried trees behind the build space, I will remove these as well

Water will not be a problem here as we shall be getting all we need from this borehole.

Well done o! one day one day you go reach uk sha

olubuffett: Well done o! one day one day you go reach uk sha

With your help bros, everything is achievable Thanks.

Spyder880, welcome to Ebonyi. Where exactly are you carrying out your project?

chidexy: Spyder880, welcome to Ebonyi. Where exactly are you carrying out your project?

This project is going to be executed in the Ohaozara axis of the state.

Hi Spyder,

I've been following and have loved your Enugu thread. I think I'll browse the Owerri one next.

Quick questions for you regarding the house you are building:

1) Electricity: is the plan to connect the home to the power grid (if available) or to run it via generators? Since the first option is notoriously unreliable (or have things changed?), and the second is too expensive to run 24/7, are other alternatives being considered like solar, water, wind, biogas?
2) What about waste treatment - will the toilets be connected to a central system (if available) or a septic system? If the latter is the case, are there considerations to have the septic system generate biogas that will be piped back into the house for cooking and electricity generation?
3) Water: I assume via the borehole into an elevated water tank (will the tank be adjusted with a pressure switch/float for automatic shut-off one it is filled? Will the water be tested for safety? What kind of system will be used to clean up the water - filters, ultrasonic, ozone?
4) Rodents: too many homes in Nigeria seemed to be plagued with a rat problem. How will this be addressed during the home construction?
5) Central air: will each room be equipped with notoriously power draining air conditioners (especially given the epileptic power supply) or is there a plan to have one efficient central unit with vents to the different rooms (although if there is a rat problem, vents will certainly make it easier for them to move around!)

I'm asking these questions because it seems to me that the average Nigerian is first and foremost interested in building the largest house they can afford first and foremost, functionality second. Sounds like the way the country is run. Do you know if ANYTHING is being done by ANY BUILDER to address any of the above common issues? This isn't a government problem; it's for private builders to recognize and improve on as it will aid with increasing their competitive edge. Nigerians are so creative, but seem to apply it only to wealth generation and not to improvement. "We'll manage" seems to be a common refrain.

Thanks in advance

spyder880:

This project is going to be executed in the Ohaozara axis of the state.

Interesting! Most likely in my village. Make sure you sample the "original" nkwu enu while you are there

Good one! But i av a little reservation abt ur budget 12.2m to completion!! I will love to c dis possible without compromising standard. Moreover like oliver twist can u share d budget break down in phases pls.

ezicat: Hi Spyder,

I've been following and have loved your Enugu thread. I think I'll browse the Owerri one next.

Quick questions for you regarding the house you are building:

1) Electricity: is the plan to connect the home to the power grid (if available) or to run it via generators? Since the first option is notoriously unreliable (or have things changed?), and the second is too expensive to run 24/7, are other alternatives being considered like solar, water, wind, biogas?
2) What about waste treatment - will the toilets be connected to a central system (if available) or a septic system? If the latter is the case, are there considerations to have the septic system generate biogas that will be piped back into the house for cooking and electricity generation?
3) Water: I assume via the borehole into an elevated water tank (will the tank be adjusted with a pressure switch/float for automatic shut-off one it is filled? Will the water be tested for safety? What kind of system will be used to clean up the water - filters, ultrasonic, ozone?
4) Rodents: too many homes in Nigeria seemed to be plagued with a rat problem. How will this be addressed during the home construction?
5) Central air: will each room be equipped with notoriously power draining air conditioners (especially given the epileptic power supply) or is there a plan to have one efficient central unit with vents to the different rooms (although if there is a rat problem, vents will certainly make it easier for them to move around!)

I'm asking these questions because it seems to me that the average Nigerian is first and foremost interested in building the largest house they can afford first and foremost, functionality second. Sounds like the way the country is run. Do you know if ANYTHING is being done by ANY BUILDER to address any of the above common issues? This isn't a government problem; it's for private builders to recognize and improve on as it will aid with increasing their competitive edge. Nigerians are so creative, but seem to apply it only to wealth generation and not to improvement. "We'll manage" seems to be a common refrain.

Thanks in advance

Thank you ezicat for this wonderful contribution, let me take them up one after the other.

1. Power
We plan to connect the house to the main grid, power output has seen some marked improvements in the last few months and we sincerly hope that the new policies in the power sector will yield returns in terms of a more stable power supply. Most other alternatives are not cheap as you rightly mentioned, burning petrol or gas to power generators have many adverse effects, I am more concerned about noise pollution and gas poisoning.

2. Waste
Nigerian cities are still not equipped with central sewage systems. But this house will be built in a rural setting so the only option open to us is the septic system, however piping the bio gas to make a more efficient use in domestic purposes is not currently feasible. I am yet to see it used in any home in Nigeria?

3. Water
Our borehole in this site is the manually operated type where you havve to physically pump the handles to generate water. Piping it into overhead tanks are not our immediate plan. We shall look into the possibility of doing another borehole powered by electricity controlling the submersible pump to lift water to overhead tanks. Shutting off the pump when the tank is full is a simple technology since we have float valves and trip switches.

4. Rodents
The best way to prevent rodents is to deny them access to the house. I always plan my door and windows to seal perfectly as to prevent cracks that can let in the rodents. Another point of note is to ensure that my floor tiles flush with the bottom of doors as to provide the smallest gaps as possibe. Rats are very smart, you have to keep them outside.

5. I am not planning to connect the whole house via central cooling. Some rooms will have their own air conditioners but I am planning to bring in some efficient ways of ventilating the house, reducing the need of the air conditioner. I plan to widen the bedroom windows by 1ft to provide more air and position the windows strategically as to aid cross ventilation.

I actually like to think outside the "box". My main reason for being in the building industry is to provide alternatives to the current ways of doing things while pushing the boundries of creativity and innovation. I have in my team young men who are not afraid to make alternative suggestions that may change the way of doing things.

Thank you for bringing these points up.

chidexy:

Interesting! Most likely in my village. Make sure you sample the "original" nkwu enu while you are there

Trust me, we shall enjoy all the enjoyables in the locality. That is what makes this business interesting.

Aventures: Good one! But i av a little reservation abt ur budget 12.2m to completion!! I will love to c dis possible without compromising standard. Moreover like oliver twist can u share d budget break down in phases pls.

Oga Aventures, thank you for showing face, at least we shall be gaining from your vast experience in building. To be honest with you, the budget is so tight that we can only manage to stay afloat in the whole thing. My main objective has always been to reduce the cost of building houses by applying cost saving techniques.
In this site, I plan to mold the blocks on the site to cut some costs. We are also going to use gravel here as it is more readily available here. But by and large, the budget is still tight. I will share this budget with the house as the building progresses, maybe a detailed breakdown at the end of each stage. Thank you sir.

spyder880:

Oga Aventures, thank you for showing face, at least we shall be gaining from your vast experience in building. To be honest with you, the budget is so tight that we can only manage to stay afloat in the whole thing. My main objective has always been to reduce the cost of building houses by applying cost saving techniques.
In this site, I plan to mold the blocks on the site to cut some costs. We are also going to use gravel here as it is more readily available here. But by and large, the budget is still tight. I will share this budget with the house as the building progresses, maybe a detailed breakdown at the end of each stage. Thank you sir.

men, bros I hail you o, I really wonder if you are a nice person or not. You can't be in this business and be nice, it just can't happen.

I decided to renovate my apartment this weekend, Bros if you see the way bills de fly, I paid for things that were not bought. Just taking stock in the evening and discovered some things were not bought especially by the electrician, as a matter of fact, he solved one problem and created another.

As it is, I have to call in another electrician to rectify the work of the first. Too many things that typing on a phone won't permit me to write.

In the end, I began to see the world through your eyes and bedazzled at how you make really hard things seem easy.

I HAIL!

blink182: men, bros I hail you o, I really wonder if you are a nice person or not. You can't be in this business and be nice, it just can't happen.

I decided to renovate my apartment this weekend, Bros if you see the way bills de fly, I paid for things that were not bought. Just taking stock in the evening and discovered some things were not bought especially by the electrician, as a matter of fact, he solved one problem and created another.

As it is, I have to call in another electrician to rectify the work of the first. Too many things that typing on a phone won't permit me to write.

In the end, I began to see the world through your eyes and bedazzled at how you make really hard things seem easy.

I HAIL!

Bros, your opening statement is very funny, but somewhat true. To be honest to you I have had reasons in the past one month to quit building houses, till some online friends called me and encouraged me. They told me the future is bright, that I should continue to hang in there till things change. To be honest I quote very low most times, and hope to somehow cut costs by using my inner set of workers who will charge me cheap to do good work. In materials, I always haggle like a market woman to make sure I buy the cheapest, but it has not been easy, as I have had reasons to spend my salary to complete some tasks in the last two months.
I must say I have not started to make profits in all the houses I have built, but I have the energy to continue until things will change. The terrain is tough, costs are frightening, and are rising even as we speak. But I will do this and do it well, since I have agreed to do it. My word is my bond and I cannot afford to disappoint, not after coming this far.
Many clients understand what we face, like the gentleman who owns this house. We shall try and please him beyond his imagination. So help me GOD

I am happy dat u understand u av a tight budget, at least once u consider cost mngt frm onset it will help a lot. Best of luck.

spyder880:

Bros, your opening statement is very funny, but somewhat true. To be honest to you I have had reasons in the past one month to quit building houses, till some online friends called me and encouraged me. They told me the future is bright, that I should continue to hang in there till things change. To be honest I quote very low most times, and hope to somehow cut costs by using my inner set of workers who will charge me cheap to do good work. In materials, I always haggle like a market woman to make sure I buy the cheapest, but it has not been easy, as I have had reasons to spend my salary to complete some tasks in the last two months.
I must say I have not started to make profits in all the houses I have built, but I have the energy to continue until things will change. The terrain is tough, costs are frightening, and are rising even as we speak. But I will do this and do it well, since I have agreed to do it. My word is my bond and I cannot afford to disappoint, not after coming this far.
Many clients understand what we face, like the gentleman who owns this house. We shall try and please him beyond his imagination. So help me GOD

I am really amazed o, who no go no know. May God continue to strengthen you.

Truely the budget is tight. But i believe God will see you through.
Goodluck and More grease to your elbow most especially the knowledge
of building a house you imparted to many NL.

Thanks for the response, Spyder. Glad to know that the power sector is improving (I'll continue to have 0 respect for Nigerian government officials until they fix our power issues (that, in my opinion should be any governments priority because it is essential for sustainable development. Although I can't see why private companies can't step up to the plate).

I'll certainly be following the thread to see how the building shapes, and any reviews by the residents. I'll be monitoring this and the Nigerian building sector - looking for some evidence of significant innovation.

I believe septic (and household waste) to biogas is currently being researched and used in South Africa (apparently not yet in Nigeria despite its much larger population *sigh*); it should should be a viable power alternative especially in rural regions.

I don't know if Nigerian homes use drywalls to any significant extent (I would expect that to be cheaper than concrete).

(I've always joked that I'd rather live in a shack with running water and constant power than in a mansion without; unfortunately, the average Nigerian seems to have the opposite mentality)

PS: rats are indeed smart. When doors and windows are barred to them; they somehow get in through the piping and roof. It may also have to do with the hygiene of the home-owners e.g. the manner foods are stored in the easily accessible food storage room within the kitchens.

Finally we are ready to move. The first batch of my men will travel tomorrow to commence final preparations for this work. Digging is supposed to start by Thursday morning. I am buying some pegs and nails, profile wood and other first stage materials ready to push to site. Block molding is also supposed to commence on Thursday morning.

More pictures as from tomorrow.

oga spyder, i will make sure i follow this thread because i have read many of your thread in the past, that really encourage me on how to go about building. you are really oga to all builders. keep the good work.

noleen: oga spyder, i will make sure i follow this thread because i have read many of your thread in the past, that really encourage me on how to go about building. you are really oga to all builders. keep the good work.

Welcome bros, you guys also encourage me greatly. We all are learning and the lessons continue daily. Thanks.

We were so busy chasing around materials and building a good relationship with the the members of our new environment today. Some materials have been paid for and are being delivered late this evening like wood, pegs, bag of nails, ropes etc.
Sand and gravel will start to be offloaded by tomorrow morning, a bit costlier than thought but its to be expected as the rains have messed up the roads.
Cement will also come in by tomorrow morning as we have bought the item and paid for transportation and offloading at site. Block making will commence tomorrow, also digging is slated to start by tomorrow. We are upbeat about this project, everything is falling into place. Tomorrow is the D day.

Oga Spyder, thank you for the update. God will see you through as you gather the materials together. keep it up ko.

noleen: Oga Spyder, thank you for the update. God will see you through as you gather the materials together. keep it up ko.

Thank you for the kind words.

Dont wanna tell us what happened at the site today, pictures will do the talking for me, pictures later at night.

we hit the ground running, and shooting sef