₦airaland Forum

"No bottom to how cheap you can build"

A home can be built with no supports, too small of a foundation, no building plan, no special windows. It can be built on solid rock, unstable soil or on water (as they do in Makoko slum).

Develop a budget, but be careful not to make it too low . Essentially, do not get too caught up in how to make your home cheaper stay focused on how to make you home a good investment.

"New construction" or "Quality Construction"

"New" does not necessarily mean "soundly constructed." High price does not mean high quality.

Unfortunately, in the construction world, "new" doesn't have the same meaning as say, a new car. It only means that no one has lived there yet.

Just because you're spending a lot of money
in your "new house" does not mean you're getting commensurate quality. A N50m house may be loaded with cheap windows, a lousy paint job and leaking roof - if you don't pay attention, you might get a house that's really worth much less than you're paying and even spend more on repairs and maintenance.

Case Study 1: Mr & Mrs Gabby contracted ABC Builders to build their new home. In 4 months, the house was finished and delivered to the client.
To the uttermost dismay of the home owners, the roofs were leaking and they've had to reconstruct the fence wall 2 times in 8 months.

Case Study 2: XYZ Homes had completed new homes in the water-logged swamp down the street. They claim the house was thoroughly engineered to withstand any condition. 2 years later, some of the houses begin to subside.

A common practice when building in water-logged area (especially areas with high water table) is to do a raft foundation which does NOT GUARANTEE anything.

High water table means the water pressure in
the soil is high and the soil in such area is likely to be weaker.
If the building site is surrounded by areas of
higher ground as in case study 2, the underground water will flow to the site and this may cause pressure beneath the floor slab or increased moisture levels.

It explained the reason why the couple in case study 1 had to reconstruct their fence 2 times in 8 months.

While you can't become an expert in construction overnight, surround yourself with experts who won't be fooled by a bad construction that is disguised with pretty moulding and nice painting.

CONTRACTOR'S INTERVIEW

Here are some of the most important questions that you should ask when interviewing contractors.

1. How many projects do you currently work on?

It's good to find out how many projects the contractor is presently handling.

Case Study 1: The builder handling on Mr. Okafor's project also have several projects he's working on at once. There would be a lot of progress on the house for a week, and then the crew would disappear for two to three weeks as they rotated to another project.

2. Have you done similar work?

It doesn't really matter the qualification of the contractor, always remember that one size doesn't fit all. Just because someone is
an experienced carpenter doesn't mean he can handle roofing woodwork.

Case Study 2: Phil was a certified civil engineer whose experience was almost entirely in road construction. While he was knowledgeable about building bridges, drainages and roads, he wasn't familiar with the process of building a single-family home
and couldn't help his brother who's planning to build a 3 bed bungalow.

3. Do you plan to subcontract the job?

It is very important to find out if the contractor has a crew that's working for him or if he's going to sublet some work (such as excavation or roofing). Ask if he has worked with them before. If so, how many times?

Case Study 3: XYZ Builders uses different subcontractors for his projects in order to maximize his profit. He engaged Akeem to install wall tiles in the bathrooms based on what Akeem told him that he can lay tiles. Meanwhile, Akeem was a bricklayer. The end result was a bad job.

Jussi: You are Spot on Brabus! As challenging as building projects can be, they bring lots of excitement and superb learning experience. Keep on shining bro!

@Jussi, I am a big believer that we learn as much from other people’s failures as we do from their success.

The fact that we share our mistakes makes us all reading this thread better home owners / investors. And that's the true excitement.

Am_Alone shared his experience on how he got fake stone-coated roofing installed for him and thousands of people learn from it.

Brabus 'reno-viction' project is another great lesson for many first time home owners who has learnt how to avoid booty-traps in construction projects.

Share your experiences with us!

The Big Irony

- Builders, architects, real estate gurus, masons, and other tradespeople in the construction industry don't really schedule meetings, 'how about now' works for them. If I lie, ask Spyder880.

- Things deemed 'not needed until later', will be needed today. If they say, it will be needed - make provision for it asap.

- The shorter your emails, the sooner you'll get a reply. Keep the long sermon for later and be brief.

- In our construction world, variations and additional extras are a way of life. Be prepared!

As stressful as home building can be, it also come with lots of excitement.

THE INEVITABLE CONSTANTS

- no matter how accurate you are on take offs it is inevitable that you'll always need additional materials during the project.

- no matter how deep in detail you go with your builder and architect, there'll always be questions that have to be answered during the project to keep them moving.

- There'll always be permits, dues and fees to pay. Be ready for those surprises.

- It is fabulous seeing your building emerge from the drawings (in 3Ds). The final look may be odd.

- Building will always take longer than whatever anyone promises.

Working with Builders

Research:

Check for references and ongoing projects (to be sure he'll have the time for your project).

Avoid Guess-timates and get more than one quote. Be sure to identify exactly what the job will entail.

Draw up a Project Schedule

Draw up a contract which details the cost and
timeframes. It is very important to do so at the initial stage.

Be Involved!

Help your builder understand the look you are
going for. Show them pictures and magazines of the kind of things you want. Be sure you fully understand what the builder is telling you to avoid nasty surprises. Talk to the site manager or supervisor and not the subcontractors to avoid confusion.

Monitor the Job:

Keep tabs on how the job is going. Tell the builder as early as possible, if you feel your agreements are not being met.

DON'T OVERBUILD!

My advice would be to not overbuild. I have a boss whose house was way too big (a single family apartment with 38 rooms, 92 doors, 101 windows), there were rooms they literally do not go into for years, which was f*cking stupid.

There will be many many things that you think you are "supposed to have" as a successful professional that are really just a waste of money and space, try to fight that and use the money elsewhere.

Always value location over the actual house.

CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS

I've come to realize that the standard building materials and installation methods that the majority of the people from the USA, Canada and Europe are accustomed to is different from what we're used to in Africa, especially Nigeria.

If you're building in Nigeria for the first-time, you may not initially notice the lack of amenities that you can't do without. Always follow up with your contractors, architects, and builders to be sure you're on the same page.

Down here, there is much less attention paid to finish details by the local contractors and
architects. The average Nigerian feels that many of the following amenities foreigners include in their homes are extravagant and unnecessary.

- Hot Water from all Faucets
- Vented Plumbing
- Drains with Traps and Clean Outs
- Sufficient Electrical Outlets
- Screens on Windows that Open
- Shower Sprays located above our Heads
- Garbage Disposals
- 8' Minimum Ceiling Height
- Countertops that are large enough
- Cabinets with sufficient storage
- Roofing that prevents rodent intrusion
- Drive-in Garage

Recently, a client from the USA asked me why he needs to have overhead tank in his proposed development. He doesn't see such addition in most buildings around him even skyscrapers

This is Naija, every man is a republic of his own.

ORDERING AND DELIVERY OF MATERIALS

I used to have the feeling that timely procurement of materials would aid completion date but now I know that a late delivery, and incomplete load, damaged materials can dramatically slow the building cycle costing not only time but money.

Lesson learned: have supplies delivered a day early to the site and to check the
delivery for accuracy. For a small project, working with a smaller company would make more sense. They're still searching for clients and would likely want to impress.

Just-in-time deliveries of structural elements and interior building materials to match the progress of construction will reduce time used for moving or locating materials. Thus reducing the time needed to complete a project.

Time is Money!

Pic: Waiting for sand

One of the most disconcerting (or simply
annoying) aspects of home ownership surfaces when a part of your house you normally take for granted fails to function.

This thread is created to share our construction experiences in the hope of helping first-time home owners or the busy ones in their builds.

So for those who have had a home built, the engineers, builders, architects, real estate developers - this is the thread to provide all those lessons learned, things you would have done differently, things you're glad you did, etc....

By sharing our lessons-learned, we might spare someone else a bit of head scratching and perhaps enable other folks to avoid the mistakes we made.

Every time this thread gets a new compliment, my day is brightened! Thank you Mr. Tunde20197, thank you for noticing the work we're doing.

You inspire us to do more

I love Kerala Builders. They're truly innovative.

beqs101: Yes Uju I'm a graduate but,I'm yet to do my N.Y.S.C...I didn't just know i will get married this soon.. I'm excited about it though..i won't just relax and thanks for the advice..

My Sister bikonu...GO and LOOK for a JOB or start a trade!!! Don't say nobody warned you...cause when your hubby's eyes opens and he start resenting you for draining his financial resources and making no contribution to your family welfare we will hear another story. Your conscience is already giving you warning signals. Ignore at your peril.

Question: What if your husband loses his job shortly after the wedding?

Get a job. Get a life!

Loving all the new works showcased on this thread. The concepts definitely have some great potentials.

funsam85: good day, I just joined the site. Can any one tell me what the average cost of building a four bedroom bungalow (from foundation to roofing) in abeokuta is?It includes a family lounge, main lounge all room ensuite, a sit out and other accesories. I have gotten a land. Thanks.


@ brabus
I am really grateful for the
enlightment.Can u please give me the
breakdown.thanxx

Hi funsam85,

With respect, I dont think this is the right way to commence your project. What I want you to clearly avoid is commiting yourself to a project that may go haywire.


Experience has taught me to put caveats on guess-timates as number of projects commenced without drawings , specification or proper pricing don't end well.

The best advice I can give is to speak to an architect, come up with a specification document showing the must-have and nice-to-have features of the proposed development and also interview established builders in the area as they will have local knowledge and should guide you much better.

Acceptance of quick quote pricing without any proper information to support is dangerous.

______________

However, here is a breakdown for a similar project roofed last week, belonging to another Nairaland client in Ogijo, Ogun state.

House Type: Bungalow
Land Topography: Flat and Dry
Dimension: 39ft x 55ft
Bedrooms: 3 spacious bedroom, all ensuite
Bathrooms: 2 1/2


Other features:
- Drive-in Garage
- Family room/Dining
- Main Lounge
- Porch
- Kitchen/Laundry/Small Terrace
- Lobby
- .45 Step Tiles Aluminium

1. Foundation: N650k
2. Carcass: N1.3m
3. Roofing: N1m

*I'll update the pics later. Attached herewith the elevation plan of the building in .pdf format.

Aventures: I am sure i am going to be attacked by some people for be blunt whenever i see things not comforming to engineering standard. The builder/engineer in charge of this project is taking a great chance which is absolutely not acceptable this day because of incesant collapse now are partly due to chances some people took years back. Now my observation as an a trained structural engineer on this project is that the engineer/builder/contractor as the case may be is using a wall load bearing method in building a storey building, the implication in this case is the building load is majorly borne by the block wall, meanwhile the blocks we have this days do not pass the strenght test of blocks we can use for such a method. another implication in this case is that the columns are directly protuding into the slab this can result in what we called a punching shear. Though this method is cheaper but to reduce the chances, [b]the builder here should have introduce some beams at some critical point [/b]and also engage well qualified iron bender and fixers cos waht i saw is far from a good job. I am not really out to criticise but please let learnt hw to enlightened our clients, if there budget can build bungalow let them build it and have rst of mind rather than trying to save cost at the expense of structural stability and safety.

There are beams in critical areas. The pics posted were not the final look of the slab before casting.

@bleeper, @kcool_k4

Let's not disintegrate this thread with unrelated topic. I'll only respond to on-topic posts henceforth.

Thanks.

kcool_k4: Sir brabus, I believe you know I have nothing personal against you.

Bros, I don't begrudge people. Life is all about choices. It depends on the perspective of individuals and hence not something I can generalize.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or... choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Hence, the reason I'll never request that the thread should be deleted. Its always a reference point for me and there are so many lessons to learn.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaints or... point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

Lesson learned

Just like the roads we travel on everyday, there are corners, cross-roads, detours, roundabouts, and even the pothole.
With a number of different roads to choose from, and only a vague idea of where they go, which one is the right one to take?

Life only offer choices. It doesn't give guarantees.

bleeper: @ Brabus, pls let me have your e-mail addy.

Just key in "Building a luxury block of flat" into google search. You'll get the link to the thread.

spyder880: 1.8m X1.6m seems like a small void, this is possible but before we continue with the advice, a physical inspection by a competent professional is most recommended. I fear that the outer walls on the beams may have to go down before you can do a good job linking the rods with the beams.

@bodeface, na the koko be dat. You need structural integrity assessment.

We're not magicians to know what you've done, perhaps a pic of the void and the load bearing beams might help.

But if you ask me to choose btw decent and safe, I'll choose the latter.

big deal 007: Nice one but I don't agree with you on this statement... "It is clear SLS and his CBN do not do research or carry out investigations before coming out with policies and actions that will affect the common man". I believe they do research and they know the truth but do you think they care if the policies will affect the common man negatively? Look, behind most policies and every bill or law in Nigeria lies the agenda of the Elites, they consider first how it will affect them and try to manipulate the common people making it look as if it is for the good of the people.

They don't research. They copy like samsung. Wasn't it the same SLS the plagiarist?

bugmenot:

Thanks Spyder.

What is the advantage? I hear it prevents cracking... Does it aid the building in settling into the soil in any way? The soil here is sandy, and my (layman) guess is that the building will over time adjust and readjust itself into the soil.

Chaining is good and highly recommended but there's more.

If I were you I won't bother much on cracks for now. I'll think of settlement (especially differential settlement) when the ground begin to compact beneath the fdn or subsidence in the future when the loads are increasing.

My worries would be on instability of uneven grounds. 3 boards raft isn't enough guarantee. A thorough job needs to be done to prevent differential settlement.

Also, build light. Reduce the load. 6 inches block won't be a bad idea. At least oyinbo man dey build with plank.

bugmenot:
Brabus, If I understand your question, I'm guessing that there will be need for sand-filling. As far as I know, that is not the case. Does it make sense to build without sand-filling in places where the groundwater level is high? What's the best material for the Damp Proof Membrane?

Thanks again for your professional opinion, please keep the comments coming.

You're not getting me. Sandfilling is OK and the Damproof Membrane but that doesn't solve anything if you don't keep water away from your foundation.
You've only solved 50% of the problem.

That's why I say, Pitch the foundation and drain the water outside with a gentle slope. Lo ba tan!

Double post

Pic

bugmenot: Thanks for the comments, Brabus & Spyder. Below is the much I know, hopefully it will be enough for you guys to give me some good advice.

1) How deep is the foundation?
[color=#990000] Foundation will be 1 metre deep, it will be a three board raft foundation.

2) What is the groundwater table?
I no sabi o.... The much I know is that it's dry land. With all the recent rains in that area, it's remained dry. That not withstanding, the soil is the typical sandy soil found in that area.

3) What kind of soil characteristics?
I don't have technical details, but I know for sure that the soil is sandy.

4) What is the depth of the foundation?
see (1) above

5) What is the expected load?
The foundation is for a 4 B/R duplex.

6) Was that the geotechnical design recommendation or presumed bearing resistance?
Again, I no sabi o...

[/color]

Which part of Ajah is this? Ikota, Badore, Langbasa, Sangotedo, Ogombo, Abraham Adesanya, Lakowe or where?


From your quote, I can deduce what your builder is trying to do which is a common thing in Ajah axis. Take off the silt sandy soil, introduce engineered soil, compact, backfill etc. Its nothing new. What I don't like here are the technicalities. He should keep that to himself or save it for next Federal Government project and speak to us in a layman term.

I've seen worse in Okokomaiko area. 4 boards raft and even 1.8m fdn depth or more in some areas. And still the cost is not out of this world.

See pic below.

NOTE: 4 coaches block work after 4 board raft and 8in thick slab.

Here's your quote in a layman term.

PHASE 1 - SETTING OUT/FOUNDATION
UPTO GROUND FLOOR SLAB

Substructure (All Provisional)

A - Site Clearing - N40,500.00 (for one plot is too much)
B - Excavation 1 - N17,400.00
C - Setting Out / Supervision Fee - N50,000.00 (can't say much about this, but its too much for a 95sqm shop, sorry House)
D - Excavation 2 - N9,600.00 (add B and E below)
E - Excavation 3 including BACKFILLING, removal of surplus, level and *compact and treatment to faces of excavation all around ground beam. - N28,800.00
F - Level and compact bottom of excavation - N1,700.00 (we can gloss over this)
G - Laterite or Filling Sand - N85,200.00 (we can as well gloss over this if it includes labour cost)
H - Imported laterite filling to make up levels well compacted. - N22,200.00

CONCRETE WORK

I - Blinding under ground beam -N15,000.00 (Granite, Sharp sand and cement inclusive)
J - Casting - N448,000.00 (what amount goes into granite, sharp sand, cement and labour. A typical breakdown could be 20 tonnes granite, 50 tonnes sharp sand, 80 bags of cement, and N100k for caster even though I won't pay as much)
K - 8in thick German floor slab - N504,000.00 (what's the breakdown?)
L - Steps - N28,000.00 ()

Iron Rods

M - Various sizes from 10mm - 25mm iron rod - N600,000.00 (How many tons of 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm etc? What percentage goes into materials and labour cost?)

Pillars

N - Various sizes from 10mm - 20mm iron rod - N125,000.00

Raft floor slab

O - 10mm - 12mm iron rods - N450,000.00

Carpentary Work or Formwork

P - Planks to cover the sides of Ground Beam - N134,000.00
Q - Planks to cover the edge of raft slab - N12,300.00 (what happens to the planks used in P above?)
R - Planks to cover the edge of step risers - N3,000.00
S - Raking string of steps 300mm wide 3m 900.00

Damp proof membrane
T - Nylon, Tarpaulin or PVC Sheet to cover the fdn - N90,000.00 (what does that protect if the groundwater level is high?)


Total For Phase 1 - N2,665,600.00 (the overall cost isn't bad but it can be better managed)

@bugmenot,

Sometimes it is necessary to carry out engineering treatment of the soil, dewatering, and reinforcing the ground in order to achieve adequate ground conditions.
This will make the ground suitable for design function over the life of the project.

However, there is hardly enough info to latch onto. The only info here is "I'm building a 95sqm in Ajah"

We need to know how you arrived at your foundation design.

1) How deep is the foundation?
2) What is the groundwater table?
3) What kind of soil characteristics?
4) What is the depth of the foundation?
5) What is the expected load?
6) Was that the geotechnical design recommendation or presumed bearing resistance?

In some other regions within Lekki, a full excavation for a 600sqm basement with a concrete foundation 7 feet underground with slabs would start at about N3m

Price range depends on how carefully you define the scope of work, where you are building, and what quality of work you are seeking. As you have not defined any of these parameters, it would be strictly a guess for anyone on this forum to offer an opinion on a price range especially on an engineering quote like this.
The terms are just too technical for a layman builder like myself or DIY homeowner.
________________

And for the "BITHUTHENE 2000" waterproofing, my simple advice is don't
ever let the water get to your fdn. It is absolutely the best waterproofing design.

Pitch your house and drain outside!

coogar: in the punditry of hard currency, your intelligence at it's best would be the zimbabwean dollar.....i wouldn't even try to explain the concept behind "coogar" cos those who know me knew why coogar was chosen after "cougar" was permanently banned! i would just let the world know the truth that your idiocy in megawatts should solve all the electricity problems in all the 3rd world nations.



you must have traded your common sense for a plate of porridge.....
whether exhibit a,b or c is deployed has nothing to do with the general modus operandi, fact remains smaller volume of cash is less obvious than a larger volume. if you cannot bend your mind around that simple irrefutable fact then you should sue your teachers for mismanaging your child development!



even his lame attempts to be pedantic falls flat on its face!
so who is easier to rob? a man dragging a bag along the road or a man whose cash is in his inner pocket of his jacket? are you such a saphead?



and if for a reason the bank does not have any high denomination, you won't take the money? isn't that the reason high denomination like 5000 naira is being introduced? isn't this the reason the lower denomination notes are being mopped up? when God was distributing intelligence, you were on a leave of absence!



without any shadow of doubt, you operate on a single digit intelligence quotient! it is what the banks have as currency that they would pay with - and this is exactly why sanusi is introducing high denominations! you still don't know how to argue - you are so poor in spirit and mentally that rainbow appears to you in white and black!!!

@logica, what do you expect from a Mallam promoting cashless policy. Don't you know bureau de change go suffer.

The turbaning was offered in exchange for N5000 note. More money for the Abokis. Try pay Abokis in cheque or online transfer and see if your goods will be delivered.

coogar: don't be daft ......
what tip-off would a hoodlum standing at the entrance of a bank need when he sees an alhaji dragging several gmg bags out of a bank? all he needs is to follow him and pin-point where he resides and so on n forth.....but if the same alhaji puts a bundle of 500k in his agbada, he can walk out of the bank easily without attracting prying eyes!

No smoke without fire bros! Here's a real account that happened about 2 months ago to a friend.

The robbers followed him till he got to a tight corner and they told him the time he collected the number, the denominations he was paid. Where he went, how he stopped to purchase fuel at XYZ filling station, how entered the mosque at 2pm to pray. They told him they knew he kept the money inside the car and that he didn't go into the mosque with the money so he shouldn't even think about acting funny.

SLS is just creating opportunity to frustrated Nigerians, hoodlums and bag-snatchers. Why not see the Cashless policy to fruition before the introduction of N5k?

coogar: it rhymes with the cash-less policy as the 5000 note would effectively reduce the volume of currency in circulation! 1 X 5000 note = 25 X 200 notes. 200 notes of currency is more than one note. contrary to what you think, you are actually shooting yourself in the foot!

Go over your post and define inflation. Then tell Sanusi.