Nsubuga has built his house for 13 years

By Maureen Nakatudde 

When John Chrysostom Nsubuga completed his education in 1996, he wanted to have his own home.  Since he never had adequate finances, Nsubuga a veterinary doctor decided to first build a two roomed house.

After working for six months, Nsubuga bought a bicycle which he rode around as he performed his veterinary duties. Each month he could earn sh150,000 and he would save sh50,000.

Buying the first plot of land
In 1997, Nsubuga bought a piece of land at sh280,000 from Kimenyedde Village, Nakifuma. On the land he started building a two room house. After completing them in two months, Nsubuga married Sarah Namugaya in December.

Buying other plots
Later, Nsubuga got sh1.3m` and was able to buy a 40 by 50 feet plot which was an extension to his piece of land. After buying the land, Nsubuga needed farmland, so he bought more land at sh300,000. He also bought another piece of land at sh350,000. 

Altogether, Nsubuga has three acres of land. When he had acquired the land he got a loan of sh1.2m and bought building materials.

Nsubuga built a four bedroom house with plans of extending it. He acquired a loan of sh800,000 from the bank and bought a 40 by 50 feet plot of land in another trading centre called Mayanganga. He built there two rooms and used one as a drug shop and another became a retail shop for his wife.
 
Plans to build the home
In 2000, Nsubuga bought sand and bricks and iron bars to build a bigger house, but went away for further education. When completed school, Nsubuga planted three acres of maize and sold it at sh3m. In 2009, he resumed building his house.

In addition to the sh3m, he sold two of his cows and he earned sh2.5m. He got a bank loan of sh3m making a total of sh8.5m.

Money for building the house is invested in a taxi
When Nsubuga asked a friend, how he could multiply his savings, he advised him to buy a taxi.  He bought the taxi at sh8m. “Each month, for four months, I would get sh1.2m,”Nsubuga reveals.

But after that time, the taxi started breaking down and he sold it at sh4m. He then paid the bank loan and spent the rest of the money on his house.

With that money, Nsubuga built the house from August to November 2009 and it stalled at wall plate level for two years.

Nsubuga says he ran out of money for the iron sheets and wood for ring beam level. “I needed sh5.5m for roofing and it was nowhere to be seen,” he says. So he decided to try his luck in farming beans.

He planted beans on six acres and after harvesting, Nsubuga got money for roofing. He started roofing in January, 2012. 

The roof cost him sh6m. The cost would have been more, but Nsubuga says his aunt in Buikwe gave him five huge Musizi trees from which he got timber for roofing. He used 85 gauge iron sheets and each cost sh23,000.  

Not yet complete
Though the house is not yet complete, Nsubuga has hope that he will complete it soon. “I have10 acres of maize tat- amounting to 10,000kg each costing 500,” he says, ‘I hope after harvesting it, the money will help me complete the house.”

Nsubuga says he already has the doors kept, which cost him sh2m and it won’t be hard for him to close the house.

He is remaining with plastering and finishing it. Although not yet complete, the house has taken 100,000 bricks each costing sh30.

He used four trucks of sand each cost sh150,000. The house has five bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Advice to people
If you want to build you must be hard-working and determined since building is a huge project, which takes a lot of time, says Nsubuga.