To
own a shelter is everyone's ambition. Some may own a home when they are very
young, many when they are young and a few when they are not so young. There are
numerous people who do not have their own shelter. They pass their lives in
rented premises. Through proper planning anyone can achieve the ambition of
owning a comfortable house.
The
concept of construction is a little complicated one. It is, therefore,
necessary to understand the basics of house construction before embarking on
your pet project.
Locating
the land
When
you decide that you need a house, you then need to find a good plot of land.
Always remember three important points. They are Location, good location and
best location. Before deciding on the plot, you have to make a survey of
various plots and then select a suitable one of your choice. If you do not like
the position or shape of a land, do not buy it. If you exert a little more, you
will definitely find a suitable piece of land at a convenient location
Engage
Professionals
It is
always advisable to engage professionals to get quality work and its timely
completion. Architects, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, Real Estate
Agent and Bank, Plumbers, Electricians and Building Contractors contribute a
lot in shaping your dream house. You have to select the right people to carry
out the work. Engaging professionals will cost a bit, though Money. If you do
not wish to spend money on the
professionals, you may save a portion of the project cost but in the long run
you might face problems.
Purchase
of land
Once you
have selected a piece of land and decided to purchase it, your advocate will
take care of all the legal aspects of the land as to its title and genuineness,
and prepare a document called Agreement to Sell to be entered between the
purchaser and the seller. Agreement to Sell is a very important document
particularly for buying a property. The period between the Agreement to Sell
and the Sale Deed is a crucial period for the purchaser Eminent advocates, who
have long experience in property matters, must deal such important matters.
Most importantly you should not follow a ready-made model agreement or sale
deed, or engage a real estate agent or a job typist, as some people do. You may
save some money but in the long run particularly when you plan to sell the
property, chances of facing acute problems cannot be ruled out.
Vaastu
Shastra
The
concept of building a house on Vaastu principles has become very popular Vaastu
Shastra is the science of construction. In the present times it has assumed a
distorted meaning. People attribute Vaastu to good luck and bad luck. Whether
you believe in Vaastu or not, it is advisable to construct the house on Vaastu
principles, since an adverse remark on the location of the rooms might
psychologically affect the owner if something untoward happens in the future.
The main door, puja room, kitchen, bath room, toilet, storage space, bed rooms,
overhead and underground water tanks, septic tanks got to be according to
Vaastu Shastra, particularly so when you put up the house for sale at a future date.
House
Plan
Making a
plan is very important. It is the first step in the entire process before the
construction work starts. Once you settle on a budget and spell out exactly
what you want, the professionals can take over. The architects will assist you
in designing your home, right from the hall, kitchen and bathrooms of the
house. The rooms are so designed that they are proportionate to the area
available for construction. From the design you can see how each room is
designed. You may change the plan as many times as you like before making the
final drawing. Once the final drawing is prepared it should not be changed.
The
architect makes the plan with the future in mind. You may do the construction
work in stages depending on your budget. If you have money to construct only the
ground floor you may do so. You may or may not construct additional floors but
it is a must to have a total plan for two or three floors as per the floor area
ratio (FAR). Constructing a house without a plan will cause many problems in
various stages of construction. Do not take the advice of illiterate 'maistries’
who do not know the problems that might arise in the future.
Elevation
While
planning the house you have to make certain provisions for exterior elevation
and interior decoration and furnishing work. These add value to your house for
ever.
Sanction
Plan
Before
taking up the construction work the final drawing must be submitted well in
advance to the competent authority for approval. The building construction work
must be based on the plan sanctioned by the authority A little deviation from
the sanctioned plan may be done if required. A copy of the sanctioned plan must
be handy at the job site for inspection by the competent authority while the
job is under execution.
Housing Finance
Before
starting the construction work, you have to mobilize adequate funds for smooth
and uninterrupted execution. You have to decide on the budget and raise it from
your own sources or from a housing finance institution. Whatever be the
estimate you have to provide for an extra ten percent to take care of cost
escalation of building materials and unexpected additional work. If you intend
to avail home loan, you will have to approach a finance company well in advance
with the sanctioned plan etcetera, and get the loan sanctioned.
Foundation
The
structural engineer does the foundation drawing. Though foundation work is a
little expensive you must not compromise with it. A building rests safely on a
strong foundation. It
is the base on which you construct additional floors at a future date.
Area
From
the Floor Area Ratio, the plot coverage area must be worked out. Plinth Area is
the total area of construction. This includes all the floors as well as the
wall thickness. Carpet area is the area inside the constructed building between
the walls and the area actually used. Super built area is generally applicable
to apartments. This includes the wall thickness, the projected area and the
common area.
Solar Heater
Whether
you are providing a solar heater or not, there must be a provision for it and you
must at least give pipeline connections to the bath rooms, kitchen and other
places from the heater location so that you need not have to spend extra money
when you install a solar water heater
Bath Room
For
bathroom the bolting arrangement must be such that when it is bolted from the
inside the door can be opened from the outside by applying a little force in
case of an emergency. The bathroom must be laid with anti-skid tiles. The
fixtures in the bathrooms must be such that they do not interfere with free
movement. Also there shall be no projections from the walls.
Woodwork
Though
teak wood is preferred, by using other woods and wood substitutes you can save
up to 50% on the wood cost. If adequate funds are not available for making
built-in cupboards, you may make the provisions for putting up at a future date.
Periodic Inspection
Civil,
structural, plumbing, sanitary electrical, carpentry and Tiles laying are inter
related works which call for proper co-ordination, with periodic inspection and
/ or repair. When the construction work is in progress a representative of
yours must be on the job site. The architect, civil engineer, and the
structural engineer must do periodic inspection. This is a must.
Electrical
wiring and Plumbing
The
architect prepares the drawing for electrical, plumbing, sanitary and pipe
laying works and it must be carried out as per the drawing. In case of any deviation
it must be incorporated in the drawing. The drawing must be kept safely so that
if any leakage or short circuit occurs after some years, the drawing will come
in handy to locate the faulty areas.
Painting
This is
the last stage. Painting work is done in five phases. After primer coating is
given it is allowed to dry. Thereafter the full putty and then the first
coating of paint are given. This work must never be rushed. After the first coat
you may perform Puja. Thereafter touch up putty work is done and then the final
coating. Adequate time must be given for the final coating, which makes the
interior visually appealing.
Material
Do
not compromise on the material quality. Always use BIS (Bureau of Indian
Standards) certified materials. Electrical wiring materials must be of a
well-known and reliable brand.
Co-ordination
Without
proper co-ordination timely execution of work is not possible. For each work
phase, a timetable must be drawn up and strictly adhered to. When one phase is
over, workers for the next stage of work must step in.
There
shall be no financial constraints if all these are attended to promptly and you
can have your dream house without hassles, and live peacefully.
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