Building a house? Here’s how to go about it

Jagvir Goyal

Careful planning, safe structural design, use of tested materials, good workmanship in construction, economy and safety are essential features of any kind of construction work. Any of these features, if ignored, costs heavily. Being vigilant pays dividends — it helps  you avert potential loss of and money. Let's have a look at some guidelines that will help you in avoiding their occurrence:

Begin by taking right decision

Begin by taking a right decision about the plot for your house. Carefully analyse the size of plot. Bigger the size, more are the maintenance requirements. For a couple, even a 200 square yards plot is sufficient. Choose the city you want to settle in very carefully. Once decided, choose a good and walled locality. Take care it is government approved and well planned, with essential services of water supply, electricity, roads, street lighting, sewerage, storm water drainage, green areas and preferably a club house or a community centre. Examine its proximity to the market and other important areas before making the final choice.

Right choice of plot

Select the plot you wish to buy from the list of saleable ones. Look for a plot that is not low lying. It will need extra expenditure either in filling up the area with earth or on the construction of a basement. Here, take note that foundations of the house must be rested well below the natural ground level, not on filled up earth. So deeper the plot, more is the cost of foundations. Prefer a corner plot. It has multiple benefits. Avoid buying a plot in waterlogged area. 

Precautions during excavation work

It is essential to take certain precautions during excavation in foundations of the house. See that the width of trenches is not less than as designed. Ensure the vertical sides of the trenches are cut in slopes, not vertically. If cut vertically, there is always a risk of a worker getting buried under the earth of a collapsed side of a trench. Keep men and machinery at a safe distance from the edges of trenches. Always provide gum boots to the workers to save them from any snake or scorpion bite. If machinery is used for excavation work, keep care that the jaws of the bucket don't dig deeper than designed depth. Otherwise you'll have to fill the extra depth with concrete only.

Get anti-termite treatment done

Termite is indomitable. It works like an organised army, attacks silently, and destroys massively. It is present almost everywhere in the soil. So take precautions. Get pre-construction anti-termite done from an authenticated agency instead of doing it yourself. Keep note of getting post construction anti-termite treatment done at regular intervals of two to three years even if there are no signs of termite. 

Take services of a good architect

Always take services of a good architect to prepare basic plans and elevations and to plan all further elements of the house. You will realise the benefits of his expertise at every step. Tell him your requirements and he will prepare the plan accordingly and will suggest improvements and options available. Don't accept the plan prepared by the architect instantly. Take these along, discuss with family members and weigh the provisions with respect to your requirements. Any alterations or changes, if desired, should be conveyed to the architect without hesitation. He can present countless plans till you are fully satisfied. Plan once finalised, if altered after the start of construction, can pose many problems. Architects provide drawings and minute details of every component of construction, be it the structure, woodwork, water supply and sanitary, electrical works, flooring, painting, joinery fittings, vanities, modular kitchen, railings etc. He can suggest different products and items within your budget for each item. Take benefit of his experience. 

Medical aid

Throughout the construction, remain prepared to provide medical aid to an injured worker. It is your moral as well as legal responsibility to do that. Keep note of nearby hospital and ambulance contact numbers. Accidents happen when an excavated trench side collapses, some material or implements slip down and hit the workers below, shuttering and staging collapse due to their improper erection, a worker slips from the platform at higher level and falls down or someone accidently touches a bare and live electric wire. In case of any such eventuality, take the initiative to rush the injured to hospital. Always take care about overhead electricity cables if passing nearby. These can pull a worker and cause serious burns and injuries. Use no steel vertical pipes near them for staging purpose. 

Some more valuable guidelines will be published in the next article.

Proper estimate

After buying a plot, even if you are not a construction professional, prepare an estimate for the construction of the house whenever you plan to start building it. You can easily list all the components of the house and can get approximate cost of major items. A friend who has recently constructed a house can provide valuable tips about it. Assign an amount for each item and work out an estimated expenditure. As you proceed with the construction, keep note of each and every rupee spent against each item and see that the overall estimate doesn’t exceed in the end.

— The writer is  former HoD and Engineer-in-Chief, Civil Engineering Department in a Punjab PSU