Type of land

John Kennedy Omona, an engineer with Alkom Investments Limited in Bweyogerere says the cost of building a house varies depending on the size and type of land on which it will be erected. “A house, intended to be built on flat land is cheaper than that constructed on a hill or in a valley,” he says. Therefore, to beat your deadline, choose your land well.

Have a plan or an architectural blueprint

Omona advises one to engage a professional architect to draw up a house plan. However, Erisa Kiwana Nkoyoyo, an engineer with Stone Roofing Uganda says before you acquire the plan, you must have a sketch map of what you want.

“You should know the concept of the type of house you want,” he says. “Is it a three-bedroom house or two?” In construction, Nkoyoyo reveals that the measurements determine the cost and the materials to be used. “Before construction commences, seek pre-construction services. It helps you to have prior knowledge of what kind of materials you need,” he says.

Frank Katusiime, a property consultant and chief executive officer of Business Initiative Ltd also adds that the local authorities must approve of the plan before construction begins. The approved plan is then submitted to the structural engineer who gives a structural design.

Once the design is out, the property owner should enlist the services of the quantity surveyor who does the quantification of the house, showing the amount of money one is likely to spend on construction. Depending on the availability of funds and resources, Omona reveals that within three months, your house should be complete.

If one has inadequate funds, they can build the house in phases. “Begin with the slab, then take the walls up to the ring beam as you sort the finances out,” he says.

You need a structural engineer to determine the strength of your house

Be determined

If you want to move into your own house by December, you should not look at finishing everything at once. “You can focus on the start as opposed to the finishing. Not everyone has all the cash needed to finish a house. Many people start small,” he says.

Bills of quantity

After a professional quantity surveyor has written the bills of quantity, Katusiime advises you to assess if you have adequate funds to roll the project off. “If the money is not enough, go slow on getting a loan. First build a shell house from your own resources, and as soon as you start roofing, you can get a loan because the roofing stage requires one to have all the materials before they start.

Contractor

Get a contractor and sign a contract to have the house ready in the time frame you desire. Normally even if you have the bills of quantity, Katusiime says it is better you request the contractor to make his own cost estimates of the house. “This means that there are two documents to help you keep track of the project,” he says. It is important that the house owner keeps tabs on the cost of the materials and to stick to their budget.

Supervise work on site

Ensure that the foreman supervises the workers. “It can be you or any trustworthy person on the site who can record what is being used,” he says. However, Katusiime says you should leave the purchasing of materials to the contractor. That said, some people prefer for instance to buy materials and negotiate labour. Ultimately, it is incumbent on you as the owner of the project to keep record of progress of the construction.

Structural engineer

Some people evade the structural engineer’s element because of the cost involved, but Katusiime says a structural engineer helps a building owner assess the strength of the structure. “The structure should sustain the building. If one is to use tiles to roof, the structure should be stronger than the one that is to be roofed with iron sheets,” he says. If it is a storeyed structure, Katusiime emphasises the need for a structural engineering report.

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