mufutau55:


On my side... there is no need for the 1976 story... because I was 80% "Ete Bassey"... except I was not sick or dead; this was long time ago.
I had no opportunity to come home and monitor my project because I was on a student visa, and once you leave, you are not coming back.
So my family are the next option... we are talking about mid 70s, there was no communication except letter (postal) delivery was still good.
Sending money then you have to send it thru people or those coming to USA for trading.. that was during the time called "Arrangee", if you are caught with more than "Basic Travel Allowance", you will end up in Bar Beach for firing-squad. Many old-timers will remember this time.
Long story short all photos of housing project sent to me was fake.. no house no hard earned money. I even thought of importing gun to Naija then concealed in an auto tyres so I can come and shoot those who duped, but I later changed my mind... but I surely learnt my lesson in a big way.

Your family are your worst enemy sometimes when it comes to finances or building projects, especially if you are overseas...

Hajji M.

@mufutau55 ,

This has been a very common experience amongst the senior diasporans/ first/second generation immigrants irrespective of our state of origin. Why do our family members like duping us in the diaspora with no mercy? Thank God for the internet, we can now blog about our building updates on a daily basis

Oga Tadeus

What's the cost of clearing a double decker bus (1992) from UK to Lagos?

Thanks

Hello,

What's the cost of clearing a double decker bus (1992) from UK to Lagos?

Thanks

Hello,

What's the cost of clearing a double decker bus (1992) from UK to Lagos?

Thanks

Hello,

What's the cost of clearing a double decker bus (1992) from UK to Lagos?

Thanks

EgunMogaji:


I remembered this your "lesson learnt" two weeks ago in Ibadan on my site. Even though it's only 6 courses here it will consume about 100 to 150 tons (depends on who is giving the estimate) in laterite.

But it's only money and we can't take it with us.

Wow, that's a lot of laterite to fill up. Do you have a local laterite pit around your vicinity for cheap supplies?

EgunMogaji:


What happened in 1993?

@EgunMogaji,

Good question. I was deliberately waiting for someone to ask me this.

Well, once upon a time in 1993 Ete Bassey who had spent 30 years in the UK decided that it was time for him to retire back in Nigeria. Before relocating he in his infinite wisdom decided to build a retirement home for himself in Calabar.

Ete Bassey took his life savings and pension and sent it to relatives to help him to build his house. This remittance of funds was over a 2 year period. In between that time Ete Bassey had been receiving glowing updates about the progress of his building and was even sent pictures by post ( this was before the advent of the Internet). This trend of receiving updates continued until Ete Bassey had to travel home to Calabar at short notice to attend a funeral.

Ete Bassey landed at Calabar Airport in the evening and asked the cab driver to take him straight to his 'partially completed' residence at the Parliamentary Village axis (this was before the advent of mobile phone, so he didn't have the chance to phone his homies in advance of visiting). To God be the glory, when Ete Bassey arrived at his destination at night time he could only see a gated fence, and a partial view of stacked blocks ( he must have thought they were left overs). Ete Bassey rattled the gate and asked for someone to come around to open it. No dice. Ete Bassey rattled the gate again. Silence. Silence pressurised the transmission of good breeding.

The curious case of the impatient cab driver. The cabby was suddenly getting impatient and wanted to drop Ete Bassey's luggage and put his headlights on full beam in front of the gate. He then asked Ete Ba if he was sure of the address to which Ete Ba responded in the affirmative (after taking some steps back to check the neighbouring/adjourning properties for confirmation of the family land). In the full glare of the cabby's fully beamed headlights both Ete Ba and the cab driver observed and gradually realised that there wasn't any real structure standing inside the gated plot.

Ete Ba who was already on blood pressure medication had a mild faint and asked to be taken to his main family house where the funeral preparations were taken place that night. Everyone was surprised to see Ete Ba ( as they weren't sure he would be travelling for the funeral ). Ete Ba demanded to see his younger brother and cousins who were handling his building project for a confirmation of the location of the property ( they never realised that Ete Ba had been there already). They told Ete Ba that there were some logistic issues they faced ( basically they misappropriated the funds) and that the house would be ready by the following year when he stated he would be finally relocating.

Ete Ba chuckled to himself and said 'so what happened in 1976 is now happening to me now'.

Something mysterious happened. Ete Ba slumped in Calabar and woke up in London ( according to the storyline that was passed on to me) after 3 days of unconsciousness. Thank God for private health care insurance. Ete Ba's British kids arranged for him to be flown back to UK under special medical arrangements.

I heard this story in 2000 as part of my induction when I relocated to the UK. Ete Ba spent the rest of his days in the UK a miserable man. He had to transfer from his private apartment to the Old Peoples Residential home due to his mental state. Ete Ba died a sad man. He never fulfilled his dream of building and living in his own property in Nigeria. I'm not sure if his grown up kids have taken possession of the building or even travelled to Nigeria. Well from the 1993 experience, we all learnt that whenever we are building from abroad we need to physically visit the place and build in stages every time we visit, even if it takes us 10 years to complete.

I expect someone to ask me what happened in 1976.

Is the car still available?

oliverjiad:
talk to r231 on nairaland

Regards

Jaid

Thanks

This question is for all the accredited shipping agents here. What's the cost of shipping a 1990 and 1992 Double Decker Bus from London to Lagos?


Thanks

As the rainy season starts to depart I'll start stacking up blocks (5,300) for the next stage (lintel/decking).

By next month I should be able to save money and place orders for the building materials, as I'm building from my salary (no bank loan yet).

More pictures

Concluded work on the German flooring today.

StainlessH:
http://www.eyesightfabricators.com/collections/gates

What's the pricing range?

HsLBroker:


The perimeter of this 13 acres is approximately 10, 900 ft in perimeter fencing, going by the calculation above, if you multiply this by 12 inches, so that it will be easy for us to divide it by the length of one block, we would have 10, 900 x 12 = 130, 800 inches, divide by 18 inches the length of one block i.e 130,800 / 18 = 7266 blocks x 5 coaches = 36, 330 Blocks.

2, 275 Blocks for the pillars (calculated, but no time to explain how i got that)

i.e (2, 275 blocks plus 36, 330 blocks) = (38, 605 blocks)

5% of this total blocks must be added to this blocks because of broken blocks and that is 1, 930 approximately 2, 000 blocks plus 38, 605 blocks equal to 40, 605 blocks.

N40 per blocks for bricklayers.

N20 per block for laborers

1000 blocks to 20 bags of cement.

800 bags of cement plus 120 bags for foundation flooring (920 bags of cement)


30 trips of sharp sand.

3 trips of 30 tonnes granite.

Water.

That is all.

This is awesome. Thanks

More pictures

Finalising work on the German flooring

What's your cost for designing and building a 3 Bedroom Flat?

clementcro:
Our capabilities include:
• Window Finishing(Curtains and Window Blinds)
• Beddings(Duvet, Bed Covering, Pillow Casses, Beds etc)
• Wall Finishing ( Wall Paper Decoration, Wall Painting, 3d panel installation)
• Lightening
• Building and space Remodelling
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Shelfs
• Reception Remodelling
• Office space remodelling
• Banking space remodelling
• Eatery remodelling
• Bathroom and Toilet remodelling
• School Decoration and remodelling


Call 08060595019 for more information

Where's your website? Seeing is believing.

Dieumerci:

Sir, with 42.5 grade cement and a good quality sharp sand, you'll get very solid 32 blocks from one bag of cement.
Trust me.

That's very interesting Dieumerci. I'll speak to my brother in charge of the masons about it.

gtrust:


Beautiful house!!!

Just an observation: why roof the bungalow when you can deck and use that space as balcony for your pent-house

Thanks for your observation. One of the rooms upstairs already has a balcony. Another balcony can be created and extended for the second room without necessarily decking more foot space.

I get your practical solution. The columns and pillars around the foundation were designed to carry the load of a storey building ( if necessary). The issue for me is that if I keep on shifting the conceptual goalpost by extending the decking I might as well
deck the whole roof and convert it to a Duplex. However, I'll have a word with the Structural Engineer about the feasibility of extending the decking to accommodate a large balcony.

I was even toying with the idea of having a another floor on top of the penthouse for a proper 'penthouse'. The Engineer approved it but my wife kicked against it as we are getting older (i.e. reality of climbing staircases at an advanced age).

micgray100:
Happy to see the building carcass on-going... Happy u finally decide to include the pent house as advised.....

I discovered you didn't use DPM in your foundation. Let me know your reason...

Thanks...

Engr. A.L Onakomaya....

Greetings! DPM was applied to the DPC while preparing the German flooring. We used polyethylene sheets and laid them across before concrete was applied.

KolaShangOne:
Mehn.. I think people building In Oyo, Osun, Ibadan, Ogun and Ondo state are very lucky. We can cut that list your Engineer gave you by at least 30-40%.

Blocks- 140
Granite 30t - 85,000
Sand 20t- 26,000
16mm - 2050
12mm - 1200
10mm - 950

Formwork planks
1 x 12 plank - 700
1x9 plank - 600
2 x 2 - 200
Nail-5000
Bamboo- 200.

@Londoncool

I know the East do not have sharpsand and rocks (just clay soil) maybe thats why blocks and granite are expensive there. The rainforest there too doesn't produce the kind of wood for roofing too.. Its a pity

@KolaShangOne

The price difference in building materials between East and West is very high.

Dieumerci:

If you mould 32 blocks per bag, you'll need about 165 bags of cement and about 100 tonnes of sharp sand.

Talking from experience.

Would you really get 32 blocks (9 inches) from one bag of cement? I thought the rule of thumb was around 22-24 blocks for 9 inches?

erico2k2:

I'm now wondering why we are being quoted 2 40k for 30 tones

I have just been advised that in practice they normally load 25 tonnes (and not the full 30 tonnes)in order to maintain the truck.

Does anyone know how to calculate the amount of cement and trips of sand needed to mould 5300 9 inch blocks?

Thanks

DPC level update

The price for Dangote Cement 42.5 grade in Calabar has just reduced to N1,650 and has compelled Unicem to reduce their price too to N1,650.

smiley001:
[b][/b]
@OP: What does ur builder mean by Granite, 1 mack truck?

U need to ask him d quantity in term of tonnage... If It's 10tons, 20tons, 25tons or 30tons for For d quote of 140k.

@Smiley,
Thanks for the observation. The 1 Mack truck of Granite is 30 tonnes. Cheers!

greenermodels:
please, i think there's a mistake in the floor plan for the bungalow, the room beside the staircase have the door wrongly placed

@greenermodels,

Nice observation. I saw that too and felt it looked a bit odd. I'll have a word with the Site Engineer about relocating the door before we start demarcating the walls.

Work started on the DPC phase