p

Spyder880, very enlightening thread indeed. I want to know how much it costs u per meter square to buy that 0.45 guage first aluminium U used on the other roofing thread? Also from ur experience is there a possibility of having fake first aluminium sheets or better still, how do one identify a fake first aluminium roofing sheets?

@ benimeogu, I will have it all broken down in bits soon let me reload some docs.

@ ROBBEN, the 0.45 aluminium sheets were costed at N1,250 for sqmtr. Of step tile. There is little chance of faking the first aluminium sheets as I will show you how to identify the real ones later with pics. Loading the pics now.

ROBEN:

Spyder880, very enlightening thread indeed. I want to know how much it costs u per meter square to buy that 0.45 guage first aluminium U used on the other roofing thread? Also from your experience is there a possibility of having fake first aluminium sheets or better still, how do one identify a fake first aluminium roofing sheets?

watch the ink printing pattern

spyder880:

watch the ink printing pattern

Thanks so much and God bless u as U continue doing ur good work.

Thank you very much spyder880 for all the info. I'll keep tracking your thread as I have many questions for you. I may contact you by email soon for some more personal questions concerning building in Enugu (or Enugwu as it should be pronounced lol)

^^^ Enugwu jare, (mountain top). I will be waiting to interct with you on mail anytime. Thanks.

Thank you spyder880, olubuffett, benimeogu and others for all your suggestions. This blog is a rich resource! Before I start the project, I will let you which plan I am going to use - Either going there myself or ask my inlaw & my own "eye" rep to buy materials and ensure builder is building according to plan.

Another question: Should I hire labourers or allow builder to hire them? Should builder and/or labourers be paid using negotiated daily rate or be contracted out?

Thanks.

^^^ for the sake of contrrol, the builder should hire and fire workers. You can negotiate with him on wages he will be paying them.

Thank you spyder880, olubuffett, benimeogu and others for all your suggestions. This blog is a rich resource!  Before I start the project, I will let you which plan I am going to use - Either going there myself or ask my inlaw & my own "eye" rep to buy materials and ensure builder is building according to plan.

Another question: Should I hire labourers or allow builder to hire them? Should builder and/or labourers be paid using negotiated daily rate or be contracted out?

Thanks.

spyder880:

^^^ for the sake of contrrol, the builder should hire and fire workers. You can negotiate with him on wages he will be paying them.

Thank you. That will be my new plan. How will I pay the builder? shud it be daily or on contract (e.g agreeing for wages for all foundation work, raising block and decking)

@Favour, you really need to attend class more often.

A very good advice is that you should give yourself some time to have full grasp of this trade. Pls don't try the daily pay route - negotiate a contract, get your rep to sign it on your behalf, make provision for contingencies and pray as well.

You might end up doing a 3-day job for 3 weeks if it is daily pay. You get the idea.

Just my thought!

@ Spyder: so is the above picture the real or fake one? What about the writing? Please explain more!

prince_onx:

@ Spyder: so is the above picture the real or fake one? What about the writing? Please explain more!

Thank you Prince, I know a thing or two about ink coding systems on products from the company I currently work for. I have come to find out that ink patterns are a good way of knowing if a product was faked or not. The sheet I showed, I had to flip it over and look at the whole info underneath, the spelling of the company name, date of manufacture and even batch code.

When I made inquiries, I found out that its the real sheets produced by First aluminum company and marketed by the aluminium company I bought them from. First aluminium are mostly manufacturers and dealers. I have now marked their ink code and will be using it to check for fake types. Note that each company has its own unique coding pattern.

NextHome:

@Favour, you really need to attend class more often.

A very good advice is that you should give yourself some time to have full grasp of this trade. Pls don't try the daily pay route - negotiate a contract, get your rep to sign it on your behalf, make provision for contingencies and pray as well.

You might end up doing a 3-day job for 3 weeks if it is daily pay. You get the idea.

Just my thought!

Very correct facts, I couldn't have said it better.

spyder880 my brother you seem to have a good idea about building in nigeria. in your earlier reply to my question you suggested my killing 2 birds with one stone ( building 4 flats and a penthouse on top for my use). That plan sounds very interesting to me considering limited resources available for the project. Please honestly do you have any idea about an approximate cost of such a project without cost of land in say Enugwu? I know you can't be exact as this depends on many factors but I just need a rough idea so I don't go into something I can't finish. please.

Still around but catching new ideas. Thanks my ogas.

@Jonahoc, my brother dont wait till you have all the money in the world to start building, even with N1m, just start and every other thing will work towards the good of the project. For the 4 flats with penthouse on top, just have N14-16 million at the back of your mind.

As I said earlier you dont have to have all the money at once, start the 2 flats and deck it, plaster and put doors and rent the 2 flats, use the cash to wall the upper first floor and possibly do lintels, then you have to dig up some personal cash to deck the second deck. Now rent the upper 2 flats and you have some capital to do the penthouse.

This is the easy part, the penthouse will not be difficult to do, it will be like doing downstairs bungalow, only that you are doing it in the second decking, 6" hollow blocks, lintels and light beams. Then you roof everything. You can design the whole top to suit your taste, you can make the penthouse smaller than the deck and create large balconies and sit outs by the sides. You can also do the penthouse to conform with the original walling of the other floors. You can lock out the upper section when you are not around, metal protectors, security doors etc will ensure the renters dont get beyond their floor and trespass into your floor. Your privacy is assured.

I think I will show you guys pictures of similar houses. I have one in my neighborhood.

Spyder880 biko I don't know how to start thanking you for all your candid advice. Are u a builder, architect or just an informed citizen? I think I shall need to talk to you when I start looking for land in Enugwu, i.e. of course, if you u wouldn't mind.

^^^^ I am not any architect but I have architects woking for me. I invest on real estate as hobby and own some rental residential houses. I have been building houses for myself and for friends and relatives since 1998. I spend most of my time on building sites, when I dont have any building going on, I go and help others build.

This 2011, I was contacted to build commercially for the first time, thats the 5 bedroom duplex thread, I have since done many works, doing some currently and more woks are coming up as we speak. I will be going to start negotiating with suppliers to start another house in Enugu.

I will help you when you are ready, just ask for any advice and I will explain it in plain, common man language to avoid ambiguities. Just put your mind to it and you will see how easy it is.

@Oga. Spyder880, pls can u elaborate more on this issue of buliding the four bedroom flat, especially in Enugu inculding the cost of land on a very good site , let say Two or more plots of land.with u handling all the projects.

Spyder880. thanx a lot for your help. Before the Enugwu project I have a duplex I'm considering for my remote village. The Architect who planned it gave me an estimate that was so scary I almost forgot about the project. If I sent you the plan can you help me with an initial estimate at current prices? This is in the village, not in Enugwu, though.

Oga Rastaman20, how the xmas, I hope you are enjoying the season as we are here.

The 4 flats and penthouse concept stems from the need for the owner to have some form of presence in his property. This practice started in Onitsha where landlords live on top of their residential blocks. It has since spread and currently, every part of the country are raising these types of house. Now, it has some good advantages over the block of flats as it includes the major stakeholder. The 'ezebinaenu' concept. (King that lives on top).

Also, you could give the upper part to your family if you have another better accomodation. This will be like killing two birds with one stone.

I can start and complete this type of structure in record time. With good funding, we can work everyday on the site till the house is painted and rented.

@ jonahoc, please send me the plan and the location of the project, my mail is on this page. We can take it from there. You ought to be building something, what you achieve with blocks and concrete can never be reversed. You are on the right track my brother.

Ok,Baba Fhemmmy, I will send it to your inbox to avoid sanctions, lol.

These are the most recent changes in my house, work has been going on in bits, as I can afford, I will also update costs on this house after I send the pictures.

They are raising the staircase back wall, creating a window.

more works from the frontal pillar beams casting.

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