You can build a house off a monthly savings of sh150,000 but…

By Joel Ogwang

At childhood, all humans dream or fantasise on the lives they aspire to live.

The list of aspirations may be endless but, obviously, owning a house will be one of them at a given stage.

This is pertinent in the African society that attaches a lot of importance to mostly a man, who owns a home and starts a family.

However, with emancipation, women are increasingly building houses.

Ojede’s dream

Ignie Ojede, a banker, earns sh800,000. Parts with sh250,000 in rent. The remainder caters for his and the family’s upkeep.

But, like many others, he intends to build a two bedroom house at a low-cost. “I have a (100 x 50ft) piece of land already,” says Ojede. “Now I want to build and own my own home.”

At 26 years, Ojede, the third child in a family of seven, has fathered three children. But, being arguably the most successful child in the family, responsibilities are weighing him down.

“Because of the straining responsibilities of taking care of my (widowed) mother and my siblings, I can only save sh150,000 per month, so as to build in the future,” he says.

“I don’t have any other source of income now a part from my salary.”

Expert’s advice

According to David Lubwama, an architect attached to Nest/ EHO Associates, phasing out the construction of a house is the way to go for low-income earners.

“That (Ojede’s) house would consume about sh27m,” he says. “Not many have this money at a go, but this doesn’t mean you cannot own a house. By phasing-out the different stages, you will be mesmerised at how easy it is to build.”

Phasing out involves gazetting three critical stages; sub-structure (foundation), super-structure (foundation to the roof) and the actual roofing as well as the roofing and indoor/ outdoor finishing.

At a sh150,000 monthly savings, Ojede would build his house in 15-years. He would be 41-years-old when it is complete!

However, to kick-start the construction works of Ojede’s dream two bedroom house, Lubwama argues about sh2.6m will be needed.

“It means Ojede will have to save for 17 months or, two years,” says Lubwama. “But if he gets any side income or save more money, it may take less than 15 years.”

Ojede can buy sand, bricks and aggregates which, by their nature, are not perishable and stock at home or pay for cement and other necessities and stock them at a trusted hardware shop.

“Considering that the cost of construction materials keeps changing, it is imperative that you pay for cement, for example, costing sh28,000 a bag now, for use in the future when it rises,” says Lubwama.

“By the time he starts construction, he will already have bought the items at low cost.”

Key to building a house

Even before setting eyes on owning houses- whether for rental, commercial or domestic use- most people are paranoid mostly by the cost and duration it takes.

“Before I started building my three-bedroom house 10 years ago, I wanted to pull out,” says Lucy Kataama, a businesswoman. “It was challenging, but I remained steadfast.”

Indeed, commitment and consistency are key to building a house, reckons Lubwama. “What matters most is the will to build,” he says.

“If you are not focussed and determined, even if you have a billion on your account, you will not realise your dream of building. It is not easy being consistent with your savings.”

Upon saving for two years and realising sh3m, Job Lubega, a shopkeeper, envisaged additional savings of five-years before actually kick-starting his two-bedroom house construction.

“I wanted to raise at least sh10m before starting-off,” he says. “But a friend of mine told me I didn’t have to be over-ambitious; what was important was actually starting. His philosophy was, in house construction, unless you start, you will never start.”

Having followed his comrade’s counsel, Lubega is mesmerised at how much progress he has made. “I no longer rent,” he says. “The house isn’t yet fully complete, but it is habitable. I owe this to my colleague’s advice.”

Lubwama, however, warns that the choice of the land terrain matters a lot in construction, counselling;

“Avoid buying land in a wetland or steep slope where you have to raise the ground-level. This increases construction costs. Go for a flat land, instead,” he says.