Soil Type
Two plots of land side by side may have wide differing soil bearing capacities. In fact, for the same building project, you will be surprised that one requires raft foundation while the next plot requires pile foundation. Cheap land doesn’t mean cheap construction. When choosing your land, go along with an engineer to advice you on its physical properties.

Considering that raft foundation could cost you 4 million naira while pile foundation could cost 14 million naira for the same project, you may end up saving a whooping 10million naira by making the right foundation.

Design Approach
If you want to reduce the cost of construction, it starts with the design. To spend less follow the 3S: Follow the Standards, keep it Simple, and minimise the Space.
Two people could build 5 bedroom duplexes with similar layout with one party spending N28million while the other spends N18million. How?

o Ensure rooms which require plumbing are kept close together to minimise the length of pipes you will need.
o Use standard window sizes and simple roof structure as these sizes are readily available and much cheaper.
o Use a simple building design layout be easy for contractor and labours to understand and work.
o Allow some rooms to share bathrooms. Keep the number of bathrooms to a minimum as they are one of the most expensive floor areas in a house per meter square.
Even in expensive 2/3-bedroom suites in Dubai and other service apartments, it is not uncommon to find the master bedroom ensuite while all the other rooms including the living room share the second bathroom and toilet which is so strategically located.

Think in Moderate Sizes
Focus on what you need when building. Globally, the average size of homes are shrinking fast so there is no need having rooms you will only make use of once in a year.

In construction, more square footage equals more money. For instance a 12 x12 feet room(3.6 x 3.6 meters) has total area of 12.96m2 while 10 x 10 feet (3 x 3 meters) has 9m2. If your house consisted of 10 of such rooms that literally means for every 10 million naira you spend on a room of 12 x12 feet room (3.6 x 3.6 meters), you could have spent just 7.5 million naira if the room size was 10 x10 feet room(3 x 3 meters).

Why is this so? because that extra 3.96m2 (12.96m2 - 9m2) that comes with the 12 x12 feet room(3.6 x 3.6 meters) means 25% extra on foundation footing, blockwall, wall paint, floor tiles. This also means more furniture and interior decoration items to fill up the space, bigger AC capacity and more lightings, bigger generator KVA and more fuel demand.

So think about your project's size and ask yourself if you need that Olympic sized sitting room. Go ahead and reduce the space for the entrance hall, dining room, second living room.

Experienced Professionals
Good design professionals may cost some extra money, but their input helps in reducing the overall cost drastically. You need engineers who know that since the walls are designed as non-load bearing you could use 6 inches for internal walls and save about 20% on cost of blockwall.
You need architects who can design a house that doesn’t have the fanciful columns, facade and roofs but still achieves a design that is simple to construct and exceptional in appeal. This comes with experience acquired over time.

Materials Quality and Quantity
Endeavour to purchase construction materials like cement, sand, granite, wood and reinforcement bars yourself as most many Nigerian contractors tend to add excess mark-up. Once you get the quote from the Quantity Surveyor do your findings on where you can get the products.

If you find going to your building site overwhelming, you can check sites like cribpark.com where they give the prices of these items for each unique location. Discuss with the contractor so you will know when the items would be required, and in which sequence they should be delivered. Your contractor will help you plan your materials inventory properly as all materials cannot be supplied at the same time due to space constraints and security challenges

If you are delegating the materials purchase to suppliers, don’t go just go on a whim with either the first estimate or the lowest estimate. Make informed decisions to get the best quality and required quantity of materials your building needs.

By following the above listed and proven tips, over time during the construction stages, you will realize that you have saved a good money much less than you planned. This is where you need to be disciplined. The temptation is to spend the money so far saved on aesthetics things like chandeliers, floor tiles and more. Remember your aim is to save money, not to redistribute it on other aspects. Don’t go visiting luxury building materials stores where you won’t be able to resist the urge to overspend. Be focused and stick to plan.

Remember! If you don’t own a house, you don’t have a permanent address. The best legacies are the ones we build

Best wishes!

Further enquiries, suggestions and private questions can be directed to Cribpark in private message here on Nairaland. You can also send a mail to info@cribpark.com or call 08025059733

If I may, I'd like to add that Naija homes are overly ornate. Kilode!!!!!!

Tiled walls. Unecessary columns. Arched entryways. P.O.P. ceiling. All are gaudy in my opinion.

My uncle built his house in the 90's and he no longer likes the style. Stay away from trendy styles. A simple, classic design will cost less and will always look appealing.

So Help You God

Good one

ok

Thanks

Ok

Nawa o. This economy don make people dey think for naija o.

Thanks man

Know what items should be quality upfront and what can be upgraded later.

Reducing cost on buildings is simply knowing where it is safe to economize.

A plot of land located at Akesan Lagos state Along Lasu iyana iba going for 1.5m negotiable

Direct seller...

Serious buyer should call/whatsapp 08085310359, 09054800167


Hello Nairalanders, i have this land facing Lasu iba express way all round fenced for sale at rate of 70million Naira Negotiable,

Available document: Family Receipt, survey plan,

Side attract: facing expressway, close to Lagos state university, close to Iba New site estate and alot more

NOTE: This is dry Land...

Good for filling Station, churches, shopping mall,event center,schools and lot more..

Serious Buyer should contact Call/Whatsapp 08085310359 For inspection or call 08033588797

msogunro:
If I may, I'd like to add that Naija homes are overly ornate. Kilode!!!!!!

Tiled walls. Unecessary columns. Arched entryways. P.O.P. ceiling. All are gaudy in my opinion.

My uncle built his house in the 90's and he no longer likes the style. Stay away from trendy styles. A simple, classic design will cost less and will always look appealing.

I think you are right. I actually find all those columns mostly unattractive. however, I think POP ceilings are the best choice for ceiling hence they are fire resistant. arched entry ways? distasteful IMO.

Thanks OP. We all need to learn

This are some of the threads to be archived and be reread not all those useless olajumoke dis tiwa savage that................

Additionaly, you can reduce the amount of sand you ll buy especially to sand fill the rooms etc, just simply dig the septic tanks (soak away) first, the sand will fill about 3 bedrooms (depending). If you need more sand, just dig a well and you won't need to buy any additional sand, also, there will be no need to buy water or reservoir.
In addition to the OP advice, don't waste resources by building a seperate toilet and bathroom, they can share1 small room.
Lastly, ask questions, do research, don't just collect a quote from your contractors and start sending money, confirm first and you ll be surprised how much you ll end up saving.
Good luck

Ok

size of room matters for me, I don't like feeling "choked" in a room.
all the rooms may not be spacious but mine certainly has to.3x3 is rather too small

cool lessons here.

.NET

How much will it cost to build a standard 3 bedroom bungalow in PH? Anyone?

sunnyfats:
Additionaly, you can reduce the amount of sand you ll buy especially to sand fill the rooms etc, just simply dig the septic tanks (soak away) first, the sand will fill about 3 bedrooms (depending). If you need more sand, just dig a well and you won't need to buy any additional sand, also, there will be no need to buy water or reservoir.
In addition to the OP advice, don't waste resources by building a seperate toilet and bathroom, they can share1 small room.
Lastly, ask questions, do research, don't just collect a quote from your contractors and start sending money, confirm first and you ll be surprised how much you ll end up saving.
Good luck

Stepping on water to use the loo is dispicable but sadly thus seems to be the norm in Nigeria.

martyns303:
How much will it cost to build a standard 3 bedroom bungalow in PH? Anyone?

What area??

Current price

2 x 2 @ N250 per rate

2 x 3 @ N350 per rate

2 x 4 @ N450 per rate

2 x 6 @ N650 per rate

3 x 4 @ N650 per rate

Call 08182481552, 08088574969 whatsApp 08182481552, lifelightproperties@gmail.com

erico2k2:

What area??

NTA Road and if you have idea if a plot of land will be enough for the building and garage. I

martyns303:
How much will it cost to build a standard 3 bedroom bungalow in PH? Anyone?

Which area to be precise, u can't compare odili with igrita, eneka., rukpowku

Cribpark:
Materials Quality and Quantity
Endeavour to purchase construction materials like cement, sand, granite, wood and reinforcement bars yourself as most many Nigerian contractors tend to add excess mark-up. Once you get the quote from the Quantity Surveyor do your findings on where you can get the products.

If you find going to your building site overwhelming, you can check sites like cribpark.com where they give the prices of these items for each unique location. Discuss with the contractor so you will know when the items would be required, and in which sequence they should be delivered. Your contractor will help you plan your materials inventory properly as all materials cannot be supplied at the same time due to space constraints and security challenges

If you are delegating the materials purchase to suppliers, don’t go just go on a whim with either the first estimate or the lowest estimate. Make informed decisions to get the best quality and required quantity of materials your building needs.

Purchasing of construction materials by clients while seen as a good move isn't always a rosy affair.

The reason why some contractors may add a little markup (apart from the greedy or inexperienced ones) is to take care of risks. For instance, a short, heavy rainfall(with sunshine) after you just painted. The contractor will have to pay for the repainting labour but thankfully the material will be sources from the client. If local touts decide to destroy some things to press home their points. The client will have to bear the risk of increase in costs in that situation. A contractor might decide to give a tout some materials to bring in to reduce their disturbance, he may not be able to do that if the client supplies.

There are also construction changes that will demand change in qty of materials. Just saying that its not always the devil's idea to let the contractor handle procurements.

Risk is a very important factor in construction (as in other project). In fact, its the reason why Nigerian contracts are higher than for most other places.