You can achieve more with a 85x95ft plot

The real estate business in Uganda is one of the fastest growing sectors today.

Almost everyone dreams of building and owning a house some day.

Peter Wasswa, a construction engineer, says one can go commercial, build rentals, a bungalow or a storey house on a 85x95ft plot with proper planning.

Abdu-Wahab Nyanzi, an architect, says for a family home, one should think of all the rooms and additional ones they will need in the future during the initial construction. This will save on costs of remodelling.

For a three-bedroom house, one can have a sitting room that can accommodate a six-seater sofa set and space for activities such as entertainment. You can also have a dining room that can accommodate a six-seater dining table.

There is also space large enough for a kitchen with a spacious sink area and cabinets.

Wasswa says such a house may be expensive because of extras like finishing, doors, painting, tiling and piped water.

He adds that one would need about 25,000 bricks and four to five trucks of sand.

Windows

Nyanzi says windows look better if they are finished with a sill. These come in all sorts of designs.

"The market presents sills and pre-cast or cast in-situ. Some of the materials used to make sills include stone, concrete, plastic and timber. Some sills are also made from floor or wall tiles. The architect should advise on which one to select," Nyanzi says.

Porch

A porch is a structure attached to the house that forms a covered entrance to the doorway. It adds beauty to the house.

Nyanzi says the porch can be designed in numerous ways.

The form and shape has to be well-thought out at the time of design to achieve good results.

The architect can propose arches, pergolas, bollards or hand rails as part of the porch.

"It is critical for the architect and client to appreciate the effect a porch can have. Some clients want the porches to be an active extension of their living rooms, hence dictating the kind of finishing that will match the transition between the two spaces," Nyanzi says.

To add charm, choose a warm colour. For example, brown, yellow or use sandstone. Materials to design the porch should complement the other colours used in the house for elegance and harmony.

Flower gardens

Many people do not put much thought into their garden space, yet a well-designed garden and its surroundings can add value to one's property.

Walls and finishings

Abdu-Wahab Nyanzi, an architect, says a number of developers finish their walls with paint. This is probably the most affordable finishing on the market.

"Architects have a range of paints. Ask the architect (or other expert) for guidance on whether to use weather guard, vinyl paint, matt, gloss, plaster primer or undercoat," he says.

The market also has a number of wall renders that can be applied to walls for a magnificent appearance.

Some of these finishes are low maintenance, while others are specifically made for dusty environments.

Nyanzi says the external walls can also be finished with materials such as cut stone, face bricks, flattened rough cast and pointed mortar. This gives room for creativity.

"The architect has to select materials that will work well with exposure to the elements of weather," he says.

For boundary walls, use strong, solid materials for security purposes, but bear in mind a choice of material for aesthetic purposes as well