Constructing your own home

Posted By: Fundi Mfalme on 5th of October 2012

Construction in Kenya has become one of the best investments for anyone to consider. Either commercial or residential property, it is an investment that has steadily been on the rise in terms of returns on investment. The value of land has skyrocketed with pieces of land that retailed for less than a million now going for twice or more than thrice the amount depending on location. As the city of Nairobi expands, many people are seeking to explore land in the outskirts and even up-country so as to invest in housing. This has seen these regions appreciate in the value of land and the cost of construction. Still, the country has more potential for investment in the building industry. As more people flood the industry to grab a piece of the pie, so have frauds and quacks. We have seen buildings collapse in equal measure as more are put up. Millions of people have also lost hope in doing a construction project of their own due to the fear of the cost and complexities involved in managing a construction project. As much, real estate in Kenya has thrived on these groups of people who would rather pay very high costs for a building than do it on their own. This concept, even though it does save one from dealing with Architects, Engineers and Contractors it does not however guarantee several important issues I would want addressed as a prospective buyer. For one, the client is not assured of the quality of workmanship in the project. Most of the buildings if not all are sold after complete finishes have been done. It therefore is so easy for a contractor to save on money in using shortcuts during construction and ‘conceal’ this with a great finish and an awesome paint. The client is also ‘forced’ to buy a package deal. Everyone has a preference of how their home should be designed and constructed. This preference however is not in the mind of every Architect but the one person. Buying a house will only come close to what you had in mind whereas constructing your own; you get exactly what you want as per your preferences. The final and biggest disadvantage in buying a house is cost. Though buying a house in Runda for instance gets you to an estate you could wanted, or close to a road you wanted, its cost could be greatly saved if you had done it yourself. The logic here is simple; I will buy a piece of land and put a house on it. When selling, I will mark-up not only the cost of the land and but that of the house as well. At the end at times people pay even double the cost of construction. Not in the interest of discouraging home buyers, we will go through a step by step process of constructing your own home. In Kenya, the project manager is always the Architect. This however, depending on the size of the project can change. The first step is therefore getting a reputable Architect or Architectural firm. This again will vary depending on the size of the project. The Architect will take the ideas in your mind and actualize them in terms of sketches and working drawings. Its best at this point to carry along images of buildings you have in mind or anything you believe will give the Architect(s) a clear understanding of your project requirements. This is called the brief. The Architect will then prepare working drawings and schematics (at an increased cost). The next project players will come in at this point. The Architect will get a Quantity Surveyor and a Structural Engineer (with your approval) to prepare a bills of quantities and/or materials and structural drawings for the project. All this would be dependent on the project size. For a small project, the Architect himself can give you material estimates. Another crucial stage is approvals. This can be processed by the Architect but the costs will be passed onto you. Depending on location, all construction projects must be approved by the local authorities. These are the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Sanitation and the local Council. The costs vary depending on size and functionality (residential or commercial) of the proposed construction. As you age closer to breaking ground, you will probably tender the project or ask for quotations from few reputable and recommended contractors. This will help you avoid the hustles of sourcing labor, materials and transport. The Quantity surveyor and the Architect will be instrumental in getting a contractor who can put the proposed building according to the specifications on the drawings and within the required amount. For much smaller projects however, you as a client can opt to have a graduate Engineer manage your site. This option will cut the costs of supervision from the Architect and still assure of quality and adherence to the drawings. For more insight to ground breaking, getting quality construction materials, checking for consistency and the errors to be avoided on site, go to www.fundimjanja.com.