₦airaland Forum

brabus:
@mavverick, can we deal with specifics here?
What document did we (NextHome) use to prepare your estimate?

The architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical drawings submitted by the architect.

1. Can you tell us what height was specified in the structural drawings which was duly signed and sealed by a COREN engineer?

2. On your second allegation, a BOQ document (Bill of Quantity) prepared by a QS should be your guide and not a builders quote since you are DIYing.

3. Did you follow the payment schedule as agreed in the contract document? A simple yes or no would suffice.

4. When you choose to go out of the contract, did we say No? A simple yes or no would suffice.

So what are the odds stacked up against you? NextHome stick to their guns by doing exactly what the structural drawing, which forms part of the contract document, specified.
Or maybe we allowed you to walk away from the contract without any fuss? Or you ended up spending more than what the builder quoted for the project?

Brabus has come again, instead of holding hands up and accepting mistake and apologising so everyone can move on. He argues things that are just plain laughable.


So now is the time you know how to follow drawings right, so if I specifically requested for a specification, you gave me excuse of thinking I meant DPC, now you are saying what's on drawings. I think if you wind me up, I will come up with all the screenshots because everything is in writing..

So now you just realised you are not a QS, but when you were preparing quotes and putting money beside it (paid to you) you only just remembered today since March that you are not QS. lol. I find this funny. Or when I paid for 35 trips of filling sand and you dropped 28 or so and told me that it was equal to 35 scientifically (Bosun don turn scientist). Again, all this I have the proof in writing. I am not one who goes for blood (revenge) but please let me deal with my losses and don't provoke me to airing all my grievances in a faceless forum. I have given you credit where I feel you deserve and given you a constructive criticism where I feel its deserved, so don't let me turn it around and start airing out all the extreme negatives here. I have my evidence all in writing.

Payment schedule, after I was scammed by the picking up of my cement and not delivering the sand I paid you for, you expect me to still be dropping money into a leaking pocket. See this guy oo, you think I am Shina Rambo and stealing money.... Even if you put juju for mouth self, its not working....

Going out of contract started when my rods were being stolen, cement being taken away from site and sand not being delivered.
So who went out of contract first ?

EgunMogaji:
Okay so here's a revelation that will shock you guys.

I will absolutely hires Brabus, if he'll accept me as a client. Please remember that Brag3 who was relieved of N1.7M still tried to rehire him.

The issue I can see here giving a contractor vast leeway with funds and control of a project.

Guys this is how you build a high dollar project.

You divide it into stages with each stage coming with an inspection before release of payment for the next stage.

Stage 1: Contracts are signed and money is released that will get the structure done to an agreed level at an agreed timeframe. Let's say german floor.

Stage 2: Independent inspector (we have them here in the US and I have used one before in Texas) will go onsite and verify that the terms of stage 1 contract has been completed. If not then default penalty terms per the signed agreements enter the fray.

Assuming things are well the next batch of funds are released for getting the structure to the next agreed level. Let's say walls and pillars for 2nd floor.

Stage 3: Independent inspector goes back on site to validate that the level has been reached (this person also inspects for codes to make sure that no short cuts are taken and is also contractually liable for approving an inspection that should have failed.

And so forth and so on.

What about buying materials in bulk to save money you ask? Any builder worth his salt should never used Pauls money to build Pauls house. Paul money should actually be going into a companies escrow account. There is as such as operating loan/operating funds that companies can access for on going concerns. That is if you're truly robust as projected. Spyder880 is developing estates from his own money, paying surveyors, etc before getting a penny from buyers. That's who it's done. You invest your own money in your company.

At the end of the project when the independent inspector and owners inspects the final product and take ownership they will pay the balance due.

Brabus should be able to do this. He has material handling truck, a showroom, etc

So yes I will definitely hire Brabus if he'll take my assignment but I can't afford him and he most likely wouldn't go for my system.

Bros.

I completely agree with what you are saying, however I feel there needs to be a degree of pragmatism in it and to also add the Nigerian factor. Now, a lot of people who come to NL even from the diaspora are not billionaires as some people in Nija think, most of these people are normal people who are just trying to achieve one thing or the other, you will even hear of people who do not own their own home in Obodo oyinbo, but yet they decide to build in Nija first, its just the saying "No place like home". One day you will come back home na, or is it everytime you want to be staying with that friend, family etc whenever you come to Nija, before you know it some will start bamboozing their problems and shooting it at you "Arrange Visa for me, We need money, School fees, arrange hospital abroad for me" and the list goes on.

Anyway, not to divert away from the point. Here are the issues I see. A lot of Nija contractors (not all) and people in the mould of brabus would not build a house for you with their own money, they might do some works for you, but I don't think Brabus will construct foundation columns and german floor for you out of his own money.... So Abeg, commot that idea for this equation. Also, you have some (remember not all) who will get contractor to do work and then they would not pay, so if the contractor experiences this on 2-3 occasions, do you not think that they will go bust ? Ontop wetin ? because I build house for client.

In one example when Brabus was doing work for me, I specifically asked for my foundation to be 5 boards high, Brabus did 4 and told me that he thought I meant 4 board + DPC. I was explicit enough about 5 with no mention of DPC. It was only for the timely intervention of GOD which ensured that I was in Nija when the filling started and when even people with naked eyes told me that this your foundation is too low, then I took the decision to go 6 board. My Architect suggested I go a minimum of 5 board but if I have the means go 6 board. I took the view that this is foundation and once its done, its done. You don't want to regret it because one is trying to save 1m - 1.5m.

Now these are some of the shortcomings I have found with Brabus.


Secondly, why is it that some builders have a problem when you suggest you want to provide your own materials ?

In my experience, I'm not a builder but just a normal guy who understands some aspects of building and supervises building work over the years (not in nija), in Nija one of the reasons I wanted to supply my own materials was because I felt that this would convince workers not to compromise on quality. Its not that if they deliberately want to do it, they would still mess up your project by not having enough cement/granite etc when you have enough on ground, but as they say "Money is the root of evil", If the payment for contractor supervision and workers are separated and material is also provided by client, you would have thought contractor/workers would not want to short change you by either not buying what you gave them the money to or buying inferior quality materials. Surely everything should click together right ? workers should be paid ensuring that they are motivated, contractor should be paid for his time ensuring he directs the job well and is on hand to answer questions or provide update to client and materials are on ground on time and workers are cracking on. This is the perfect combination right "but this is not what I experienced on some occasions"......


Also OP, In Nija its difficult to budget accurately, its a country where anything can happen !!!. So hence you need to have a healthy 20% contingency put to one side. Do you think that some contractors would want to put this kind of money aside ? I don't think so bro, certainly with my experience with Brabus on some occasions. Not all, but some. Atimes, I felt like I was being thrown under the bus and at other times he was in control of things, but mouth too sweat.. ooh boy.

Guys.

As a side distraction when I have everyone's attention. I have a question about roofing.

What kind of wood is best used for roofing.
I want to roof my multi dwell apartment as some point in time, I don't know much about the various types of roofing materials out there, which one is the best aluminium one, which one is the best tile one. The property is for commercial purposes, but it doesn't mean I want to put cheap low quality stuff there, I prefer to spend the money now and put something good that will last for 50 years etc.

Which make should I be looking at.
Who are the best suppliers price wise
Any tips and tricks ?

Sergy,

Abeeg, do you have good people you can recommend for the following jobs.

* Tiler
* Electrician to do complete wiring for 7 flats.
* Window & Burglary proof.
* Plumber to do water installation for the whole flats and do the installation of sanitary wares.
* Someone to do external cladding.

Hello.

Do you have a list of references in terms of people here on NL who you have completed their projects and are happy with the work you have done.

If you need to provide a quote, I'm guessing that a site visit is required right ?
Also, if I have just arranged block, is it better to wait for the house to be plastered before installing windows or install windows before plastering, I am thinking about the idea for plumbing as well, ideally when the house has been plastered, I want to minimise the number of walls that would be broken again for various works.

My thinking is that if the house is plastered before window installation, then it would need to be broken again for windows. If a house is plastered after windows installation, they would usually stain it with cement mix etc, and I really don't want to be painting twice. Are you also the one supplying the nets ?

Thanks in advance.

I have been following this thread for some time now having known Brabus for the best part of 3 years. In actual fact, the project belongs to me and the other one known as Ologolo terraces belongs to a very close member of the family.

I initially started this project around March, and at the time the scope was to only do the fence work after I heard that some people were encroaching into my plot, so I knew I had to do something ASAP and this is where brabus came into the picture, having used him for my fence project in Lekki, I knew I could count on his speed see (https://www.nairaland.com/1236563/privacy-fence-lekki-construction-blog).

I called him the same day I heard about the encroachment and the workers resumed to site the next day. You will notice that the site known as Mixed Use Development is already fenced because we started with the fence first instead of the foundation which was as a result of the issue that I described in the second paragraph.

Now, I have the pictures from the progress of the project up to where we are now which is the arranging of block on the first floor.

Now, I am hoping that this thread will become educational for all concerned as this is the first house that I would be building in Nigeria, it’s very inspiring seeing the site grow from bush to a standing structure and may God allow those of us who are yet to build commence their project as well.

Now, some of the issues that I faced during the foundation phase as are follows.

• Communication issues
• Issues with Omonile and them holding us to ransom.
• Being betrayed by some people that I trusted.

When the foundation started I wasn’t on ground, but was on ground when the columns were casted and the commencement of filling. This was where I had the biggest problems till date.

• Issues with omonile.
• Issues with the delivery of filling sand.
• Issues with who was paying for what.
• Lagos state enforcement agencies troubling us
• Issues with workers.


Now, Brabus to his credit did sort out some of the issues whilst there were other issues that I wish were handled differently.
Lessons learnt here.


• Be clear on the payment of contractors.
• Decide whether you are supplying materials or the contractor is going to do all this.
• Avoid middlemen when dealing with Omonile, deal with them directly.
• Don’t be too stingy; one should always look at the bigger picture. 1k here and there would not bankrupt someone especially if embarking on a project like this. You need more positive people on your side as there are many battles to fight.
• You need someone on site every day that you can trust.
• Materials need to be policed.
• Be clear with the scope of what your contractor is doing and what you are doing if applicable.
• There needs to be common respect between client and contractor.


I was impressed with the way Brabus dealt with the issues of the state officials coming to trouble us, the approval people, the materials testing people etc. He showed that he was ready to put his boxing gloves on when the need arises and take a chill pill and negotiate when the need arises also. I feel that Brabus often has too much to deal with and can sometimes be inundated with distractions and sometimes your project can suffer as a result of this. Brabus also needs to be careful about making promises to clients, I came to realise this when some promises were made to me and I set my mind on them, sometimes the promises are not realistic and Brabus still sells them, at other times the situation is out of his control i.e. (rain). I just find that he needs to remove the salesman tactics and get real.


Ok, that’s it for now. I will continue my blog later. Need to get back to work.