Waooh, you must have been on a spending spree going round and round, i hope this will not affect our project oh, i am really kin in seeing it through, as for me, i have molded up to 3089 blocks, all 6'' (inches) they would have gone far but from what i gather the rain in Benin is as unpredictable like the British weather, so care is been take not to watch off the job of the day. They are currently on site and my target is to get up to 4000+ blocks before i kick off with the foundation proper, but one thing baffled me today when i call my Architect, i asked him how long it will take him to get the approval for the building and he told me that, it will take a minimum of 3 weeks, this didnt not go down well with me cause it will encroach into my planned time.

Tell me if i make the necessary approval payment , and with the letter and receipt i will get from the GOVT, can i proceed with the digging of the foundation? or i must wait till they come and inspect the site, I am trying to make good use of that 3weeks of waiting which i dont really have. ?

Please ooooooo make una helep me resolve this, I seek advice from all my senior and junior colleagues


Don Vito, did u wait for 3weeks before u started our foundation? is there a go-between this approach? can i kick off while the approval is in process??

They say silence is golden, this one is not golden at all, what is happening DON VITO, any update?

What is happening oh, why the prolong silence!!!!! or have we migrated to another thread?? i need to know

@lord sypder880, Abeg after u play with the kids finish please meet me and bugmenot for class room, in Ref to pages 30/31! We ll be waiting for the leacture! U need to answer oh. We ll not relent asking u till u answer us!

@Vitodorado, how is the project going, update us na, abi u wan surprise us?

@all Gods knows i m loving this ! Neat job! Congrats chaircover, may God continually cover you with more of these! The space is awesome!

@bugmenot, attention spyder,femmmy; it's just like bugmenot read my mind:
To answer your question, the land is 100 by 100 so u see that I still have enuf space for future use! As to the other question how much it will cost me to get to decking, I will leave that to Spyder, fehmmmy and other dons to answer! My day will be made if I get a rough estimate as a guide!

Bugmenot thanks for triggering this timely question again, sypder n co you have seen my floor plan so please advice in respect to unanswered augment query!

@Fhemmmy, see yall mouth na only u sabi chop meat abi? lol

@olubuffete et al, what is m&e, ?

@nnaboo u r welcome like yesterday, u can't get a better forum like this! Please fire down!

@spider/olubuffete, I will advance the guy sharp sharp. Olubuffete u mentioned m&e could u explain?

@Sypder880, you have completed this particular project from the look of things, and people like me will now need to fall back to your post on how you started, Its a great edifice you have there and to think that all bits are on this thread is quite phenomena, may God continually pour out his blessing on you IJN Amen,

MY architect is asking for 40k for the drawing i have attached, do you think this is ok?

@vitodorado, that's okay, but for a jack of all trade, I m a bit skeptical about the output! Hope u have seen his previous job before. My bro, no matter how small watermelon is, rat own must dey inside! Just factor ur builder own, he must eat from you! All the best bros!

@vitodorado, great job, i can see u are using from the soak-away, how did you resolve the filling sand with ur contractor?

My brother if the texture of wat the Manson guys will bring will serve ur purpose without futuristic effect on ur building my bros. Why should u send more on getting it outside? Not wise spending if u ask me, u need the cash for some thing else!

@vitodorado, maybe you should do a ficibilty study on wat u will pay to get it in from outside ,and compare it with the 180k ur guy is asking! No doubt the Manson guys will dig the Sand from somebody else's land that is not yet ready! It's common practice in Benin. Your job is turning out good, as fore o ve decided to go ahead with the main building with my limited cash, instead of the proposed bungalow, I m still strategizing and evaluating! By God grace foundation digging will start in a couple of weeks! Congrats!

@spyder,
I think that is a mistake on his part, 1400 x 65 is actually N91,000. i will correct it, Also as per 1 trip of sand in chalking up 1800 blocks, he gave a unit price for 1 trip, common sense told me that, and when i called him he confirmed the obvious, i think what is gave was juts to itemize and cost what will be needed. I still have alot of proof reading and evaluation to do, to get the real actual figure.

Congrats, in yours also, you are near completion already!

@Spyder, Okay i will not tell him, i will just have the fund somewhere and wait for him till he complains

@Spyder,
Thanks for equipping me, this will be the subject of discussion today with the arch- guy. I will factor the cost( extral 600K) Internally and discuss with the guy to tell me the kind of magic he wanted to do.
I will send the floor plan across as soon as i am able to.

Please if u feel there is other thing i need to know please share with me. I m open for correction and advice.
Once again, thanks for the swift response

@Next Home, i will upload the floor plan on soon.

@sypder, from your wealth of experience how many bags of cement will be required to do german floor? and how much will it cost me to do the decking, Is 1.4million naira way too small?

Please give figures, your input matters to me at this stage!

@All,
Below is a quotation i got to get my building up to Decking level, Analysis/Advice NEEDED ( a storey building of 4 flats, 2 down n 2 up)


COST OF MOUNDING 5,500 BLOCKS Amount


165 BAGS OF CEMENT AT 1900 313,500.00
10 TRIPS OF SHARP SAND AT   1400      14,000.00
LABOUR 100 BLOCKS AT 1500        82,500


TOTAL 410,000.00

"
MATERIALS FOR FOUNDATION
" Amount

4 HEAD PAN/ 4 SHOVEL/ WHEAL BARROW 13,200
20 PROFILE / 3 BUNDLES OF PEGS 4,200
DIGGING & POURING 30,000
PEGGING 10,000
50 BAGS OF CEMENT AT 1900 95, 000
LABOUR FOR SETTING 2500 BLOCKS 140,000
25 LENGTH OF 12mm ROD AT 1400 35,000
BLIND WIRE 11\4 ROD / BENDER 12,000
CAR PENTER / 7 LENGTH OF 1X12X18 10,700
12 TRIPS OF FILLING SAND AT 8000 96,000
COST FILLING 25,000

TOTAL 376,100

GROUND FLOOR CONCRETE SLAB (GERMAN FLOOR) Amount

2 TRIPS AT SHARP SAND AT 14000 28,000
19 TONS OF GRANITE 80,000
WATERING OF FLOOR (2 TANKER) 10,000
RAMMING & VIBRATING OF FLOOR 20,000
14 LENGTH OF CEMENT 1X12X18 AT 1100 15400
35 BAGS OF CEMENT AT 1900 66,500
COST OF CASTING OF FLOOR 30,000
ENGINEERING SERVICES / SUPERVISOR 50,000

TOTAL 299,900

SUPER STRUCTURE ( from G-Floor to Lintel) Amount

COST OF SETTING 1800 BLOCKS 96,000
25 BAGS OF CEMENT AT  1900 47,500
1 TRIP OF SAND AT 14,000 14,000

TOTAL 157,500

LINTEL Amount
65 LENGTH OF 12MM ROD AT 1400 19,000
25 LENGTH OF ¼ ROD AT 200 5,000
BINDING WIRE / IRON BENDER 17,500
15 TONS OF GRANITE 80,000
2 TRIP OF SAND AT 14,000 28,000
COST OF CAST 30,000

TOTAL 179,500

WOOD MATERIALS Amount

30 LENGTH OF 1X12X18 AT 1100 33,000
15 LENGTH AT 1X6X18 AT 700 10,500
NAILS ½ BAGS AT 3” 84’’ 7,000
15 2X2X18 AT 350 5,250
CARPENTER 20,000
ENGINEERING SERVICES 50,000

TOTAL 125,750

 
LINTEL TO DECKING (FIRST FLOOR) Amount

18 BAGS OF CEMENT AT 1900 34,200
LABOUR 90,000


TOTAL 124,200




GRAND TOTAL 1.672,950 ( without Decking)

DECKING ALONE 1.450,000


Please advice needed.

Amen!

@Prince, its two different ball game when it comes to renovation, ours is from the scratch while u can afford to leaving your mid way, we might not have that liberty to do same take for instance during decking,

Its getting clearer with every contribution made. Thanks Prince for this eye opener!!!!!!!!!!

@Sypder u inspire me greatly,

@moves, I didn't think of that option before now, I will give it a thought n re-strategies if need be! I owe this to all professionals alike in NL! Thanks once more for having me! What can people like us do without cream of professionals like you! Ideal gotten from this thread could be applied in our everyday life! I m ready to learn n be wise with the hard earn cash. Greate thread

Splendid, thanks all,

@olubuffete, I really don't get u my question is centered on weather I could pull tru with the limited fund or am I asking too from so little a budget?

Forgot to add, if I could deck? Then the fittings n interiors will come in bits by bits until I get the desire! I could make the wrong decision if not guided

@spyder actually my last 2 comment was a question, I wanted to know from your experience if I could use 4million naira to build the down part of the story building (2flats downstairs) viz a viz decking the down part completely. After decking I will then concentrate on the first flat so I could move in to complete the next flat which will be rented eventually, then after recovering from this in furture, I will then start the upper part.

So my question is with a budget of 4million how far can I go ? Can I deck ? ( I already have the land )
Your usual advice will be treasured,

U r right I really need to be wise cos the cash flow isn't constant. We really need our senior colleagues to advice us oh. Thanks for ur input my brother

@All, considering a budget of 4M, a plot of 100/100 in Benin ( already acquired), with a destination of building a story building of 4 flats ( 2 up and 2down), with the budgeted fund of 4M, it is possible to finish the decking (down flat) and then continue on the upper part later when i would moved in to at least a portion of the flat down stairs note each of the flats will be a minimum of 3bedroom , THIS IS ONE option,

The Other Option, is still with a budget of 4M, i should go ahead and build a bungalow behind and later start the main building at the front after i have moved in to the bungalow

@Olu69,
I will speak for myself and maybe others might bear me witness, many of our concerned are being treated on this thread, i think if you give us some titbits on how your solution works, many will learn and even key-in to your Ecobeam Building System.
You have to pardon me for been a little old-schooled, i enjoy it more when we discuss and other senior colleagues ask some vital questions that beginners like me might not even think of asking. It helps, what do u think Olu?