Planning is very important strategy in every aspect of life. With planning, one can graduate his expenses to match available sources of income. For those who do not want to spend much money during building construction quality materials are important. Building construction takes different processes but monitoring and supervision will maximise the efforts put in the construction.
Building construction can be a tedious process which could go on for months or years depending on one’s budget. Construction of a building typically starts with planning and designs by the architect through the client’s requirements. Then, it continues to financing of the project until it is built and ready for use. Most clients want to build a house that would reflect their personality but within an affordable budget and yet fit their personal aesthetic requirement, this could be a difficult task to achieve without taking measures to cut costs where necessary. This is why builders are advised to follow a few tips to get started.
When planning to build, do well and get proposals from more than one contractor and compare wisely. Do not say you trust Mr. A or Mr. B because that will be the starting points of your problems. You must be strict in your choice and should not give your job on sentiments nor nurture relationships with your projects. If you want to do favour, don’t do it with your project. You can do that outside your business. Knowledge they say is power, therefore being informed before making any decision be it materials, styles and most especially the execution is very important to choose wisely. To properly do this you should get several proposals and quotas from different contractors and subcontractors which states their requirements for labour, supervision and materials with the price attached, this will enable you compare and contrast between them and choose wisely the one that fits into your budget and also get references to be sure that whomever you choose can deliver to the standard you require and to get a well-rounded picture of the person you are working with, this will help you avoid additional expenses to correct mistakes which might be incurred as a result of poor management by the contractor.
Try and cut expenses from every smallest job because when you cut from here and cut from there, eventually you make a strong accumulation. Strong negotiations in all aspects of the project is very important. If you don’t, you may eventually increase the budget beyond your imagination. There are several requirements and expectations that goes into a building among which include kitchen cabinets and wardrobes, these can cost you a lot if you are building them off-site then before installing them. However you can save a lot of money by building them on site yourself, with just minimal masonry and labour you could build a more sustainable kitchen cabinets and wardrobe then finish it with marble tiles or stones which looks amazing and would last longer than the wooden one made off-site.
When you are buying materials for your building, be sure to focus on long life span. This will make you not to start changing materials after two years. Sustainability is a term which saves you money in the long run and still achieves the purpose. This is to say that sometimes its better to spend money on quality material than save money on low quality materials that would require you spending subsequently on maintenance. To consider one must avoid anything that would incur unnecessary problems in the future since it not only reduces the quality of the building it also affects your investment. The execution of stages like plumbing and electrical fittings could generate faults afterwards if not handled properly, for example we have noticed that conduit system of installation of plumbing fittings can be hard to maintain if need arises since breaking of the walls and patching it up destroys the aesthetic value of the building as well as the structural value. To avoid this however it is best to adapt the duct system during planning so that provision can be made for the plumbing within the building where the pipes could pass through then later can be covered with aluminum louvers, that way it is neat and sustainable.
Different materials serve the same purpose but some are of more quality than the others even though the less quality ones may have aesthetic features that make them look more of a better quality. It takes the experience of an expert to distinguish the inferior from the superior quality. For this single reason, you need to ask around and seek the advice of those who are experienced in materials. Building materials today are of different types and from different companies, countries. The market is filled with substandard products due to the fact that many companies reproduce materials made by other companies for a cheaper price but for lesser quality, so it would benefit you to make proper enquiries for professional advice on materials from contractors so they can recommend quality materials for good prices. In some cases these contractors or subcontractors can get you a better deal on bulk items such as lumber, paint and fittings since they may have a close relationship with the dealers.
Some builders who want to make their job cheaper, go as far as using rubles from demolished houses. Although, some used materials are still strong and could be reused, one should be very careful not to create a time bomb that may explode after the building may have occupied and inhabited. Nonetheless, in building construction, materials can be salvaged and reused if possible. However, often materials that could be reused are the wasted ones during stages of construction. Materials like lumber which serve several purpose in construction like formwork, scaffoldings, bracing etc can still be reused, for example planks used as formwork for floor slab could also be refused for lintels and beams thereby saving you extra cost on purchasing extra wood. The important thing to note is to be careful while removing the formwork so as not to damage them too badly.
Depending on the nature of construction and job you intend to carry out, it is most advisable to create a permanent water supply like borehole or well that can readily feed water to site. If you have to build an edifice and wants to rely on tankers, you will eventually find out that you have jumped your budget exceedingly. A typical building construction site needs constant water for almost every activity so if you provide your own source of water without having to buy you will save a lot, you can do this by either digging a temporal well or digging a borehole. This source of water can also benefit you if you decide to mould your own masonry blocks on site, eventually it could be retained for use after the project is completed.
Source: The Sun
