Needless to say, as the labour charges, prices of materials and lands are increasing at a steady pace, the overall home construction cost is increasing with each passing year. So, while being concerned about the home construction cost is natural, with adequate financial planning you can easily build the corpus and reduce the cost of building a house.

If that sounds familiar, then continue reading as that is what we are discussing in today’s post.

Easy Tips and Tricks to Reduce the Cost of Building a House

Well, don’t stress as today’s writeup will give you some really smart and effective tips on how to curtail the cost of building a house in the best way possible.

Take a look at these six ways.

Hire a qualified contractor and architect

You may think that hiring an architect and building contractor will cost you a lot, which may be true in some cases, on the other end it will save on your overall construction expense to a great extent.

Just the way a professional contractor will complete the home construction by strictly adhering to the stipulated deadline, an architect will assist you in making the most of your existing space while saving you money on further maintenance costs and the prices of materials as well. Similarly, a professional interior designer can further help in designing the interior spaces of your dream home.

So, how to know that the architect or contractor you are employing is worth the investment? Well, to the best of suggestions, try and seek advice from friends, colleagues or family members in this matter who have constructed their homes recently.

As they already have previous experience, they will be able to give you the finest of suggestions to let you hire the most reliable architects only.

Next for you is to create a detailed agreement as fast as you can.

Do include every aspect in this document, including the tentative fees for architects, who will fetch the construction materials, payment and project completion deadlines and penalty in case of delays etc. Aside from that, also consider the cost of interior designing services as you have to furnish the house before moving in.

Coming to the construction costs (by the contractor), they charge anywhere between 8-12% of the total house construction cost. So, keep that factor in mind. However, if you don’t want to implement this trick, you are free to do that.

But if you think that it will save on your actual home building project notably, it’s not going to happen. You still need to bear certain imperative costs such as hiring supervisors or contractors while your dream house is being constructed.

Despite that, if you continue to stick to your decision, you can go for it. But make sure that you adhere to a simple but modern house design in order to get the entire construction work done on time, and, needless to say in tandem with your tailored needs and requirements.

Select an appropriate plot

Even though the most crucial factor to consider, the type of plot you are buying plays a vital role, particularly when it comes to saving your overall home construction cost. So, try to choose a strip of land that is situated right on the road and retains an even level as well.

Conversely, if the plot seems rocky, uneven or way lower as compared to the surface of the road, then it’s simply not worth the investment. So, in the case of the latter, you will need extra materials or components for levelling up or filing the land, thereby adding to the overall house construction cost significantly.

As a result, you must buy your plot wisely, if a budget-friendly house building is what you are looking for.

Prioritize the quality of materials

No matter whether you are buying bricks, cement, sand, tiles, marbles, bathroom fittings, windows, doors, blocks, bricks or cement, make sure that you get these items from a local service provider as their costs are generally lower as compared to the more reputable brands.

Also, you can buy them in large quantities in advance to save money even more, but be careful about storing them properly. To further cut down the cost and improve the construction quality, make sure you select the desired cement grade by consuming it in adherence to the given instructions.

Say, for example, you can optimize PPC cement for non-structural works such as tiling or plastering and OPC for the sake of structural consignments including roofs, columns, foundations and many more.

While it may be a good idea to buy alternative and sustainable building materials to keep the costs down, there is no point in compromising with the quality. For instance, you should not ignore the waterproofing of wet areas. Although you can save some costs by not doing proper waterproofing, it may turn out to be an expensive decision later on.

In a word, you got to be smart with your choices when building your dream home.

Don’t compromise on the quality

When constructing your home, taking both the initial costs as well as the total cost into consideration is of the highest importance. These include all the expenses that will be covered during the entire lifespan of your house.

At the least, a house maximum lasts for around 30-50 years and we all know that. So, make sure that you build a super-sturdy home with the help of a qualified architect as the person will assist you in selecting good-quality materials that will not only last longer but are available at affordable prices also.

Consequently, you can avoid the unnecessary repair or replacement costs that you may have to bear in the future. To the best of suggestions, go for eco-friendly construction materials. Blended cement is the best option to optimize in this matter, reducing your overall construction and maintenance cost notably.

As a result, you would be able to save more money on your construction project down the road.

Avoid changing anything at the eleventh hour

When the final construction is done, an inspection or walkthrough of the building needs to be conducted. And a few changes at the last minute can occur at any point in time. But, try to avoid such expenses as much as possible as it can increase your overall construction cost quite a bit while hampering the overall structural quality as well.

So, it is best to preserve these expenses for future needs only such as emergency purposes or in case of severe damages. Also, if possible, get the essential upgrades and improvements done while the home construction goes on. This will save you from spending huge sums of money on the patch-up works or defective portions of your house every now and again.

Make the most of the latest technology

Pre-engineered building (PEBs) is a concept that is gaining immense popularity with each passing day. Interestingly, this idea is implemented in residential constructions also nowadays. In more simple words, PEBs are galvanised structures of iron steel that are first manufactured in factories and subsequently assembled on the site itself.

Coming to the walls and flooring, a mix of gypsum particle boards and cement are used so as to give these parts of your house the desired firmness. So, if building a faster home construction is what you are looking for while also saving on the overall building expense, then PEBs can certainly fulfil your wish.

Because they are way lighter in weight, quite naturally, charges related to construction will be way less as compared to conventional residential projects.

Time to build a sturdy yet affordable home!

We all want to save money no matter how massive or minimal our house construction project is. So, reducing the cost of building a house without compromising on the quality and amenities of materials is something totally attainable.

Make sure you implement each of the tips given above to do that while building an exceptionally strong and durable home without breaking the bank. All the best!

The post Six Easy Ways to Reduce The Cost of Building a House appeared first on Houseyog.

However, if you can stretch your budget by another Rs. 150 per square feet i.e. Rs. 1850-1900 per square feet, you will get even better quality of materials and finish. But if you believe that homes are built once in a lifetime, and you should use a little premium construction materials, then the construction cost in Kolkata may range between Rs. 2000 to Rs 2100 per square feet.

Besides, home construction involves different types of building materials, architects, labour and contractors. And all these factors can add up to the total cost of constructing a residential or commercial building in Kolkata.

Important factirs for home construction cost

Some of the major factors that affect the home construction cost are:

• The size and layout of the plot/land you are building on
• The actual build area of the house i.e. simplex, duplex with parking or total floor of the house
• Quality and grades of building materials being used i.e. cement, steel, tiles, external and internal bathroom and kitchen fittings, electrical fittings etc
• Exterior elevation and design of the building i.e. tiles or glass on exterior wall etc
• Features of the house e.g. landscaped garden, open terrace, home automation system etc
• Utility features like water harvesting, solar panel installation etc
• Expertise of the builder, architect, contractors and technicians

If you are planning to build a house and you are at the budgeting stage then I have got you covered. Today in the post, I am explaining everything worth knowing about the cost of constructing your dream home in Kolkata, West Bengal. Although we are primarily discussing the construction cost in Kolkata, the costs are more or less similar in other major cities across West Bengal including Howrah, Durgapur, Asansol, Burdwan, Kharagpur etc.

Calculating the House Construction Cost in Kolkata

The accurate cost of construction can be calculated only when the architectural blueprint i.e. floor plan and house design is ready. However, even if you don’t have the floor plan and exterior elevation design etc ready, you can calculate the approx house construction cost in Kolkata considering a tentative house size.

For instance if you want to construct a house on 30×40 sq ft of land then you can easily calculate the tentative cost of construction in Kolkata. But, before that you need to figure out the size of the house to get the build area.

Now, depending on the position of the land i.e. access to road and municipal area, you may get different floor to area ratio and build up area. If you have to leave approx 25% of the land i.e. approx 300 sq ft, then you can construct your house on remaining land i.e. 900 sq ft area.

This is how I calculated the approx floor area ratio (FAR) for budgeting purpose. Please note that the AR can vary and you may use almost total land for construction at some places.

Plot size: 30×40 sq ft= 1200

Approx set back: 25%= 300

Approx build area on ground floor: 1200-300 =900 sq ft

The approx cost of constructing a 900 sq ft house on 30×40 sq ft site in Kolkata will be Rs. 1530000.00 to Rs 1890000.00 depending on the build quality of the house. Costs for duplex and multi storey building are listed hereunder:

Similarly, the cost to build a house on 40×40 sq ft plot, with approx 1200 sq ft build area will be between Rs. 2040000.00 to 2520000.00. The below table can help you estimate the approximate cost of constructing a duplex or a multi storey building.

Now with the help of above formula, you can get the basic idea of the costs involved in building a house in Kolkata and nearby cities in West Bengal.

Major home construction costs heads and share of expenses

According to this news article, the average cost of construction has increased by over 10-12% in the last one year due to an increase in the raw material prices for key building materials like sand and cement. And the construction cost is expected to increase further in coming years.

Now that you know how much of money will be required to a build a house, let’s take a look at the major cost heads and construction expenses in constructing a residential building.

The major cost heads of constructing a house are:

Let’s take a look at the expense chart below and get a better understanding of these costs heads and its share in overall construction expenses.

It’s also important to note that some of the cost heads are flexible and can have larger shares or smaller shares depending on the individual home owner’s preference. For instance, someone may want to do flooring with Italian marble instead of normal vitrified tiles. In that case the flooring and tiling expenses will be more than the anticipated budget. This will also result in escalation of the overall home construction cost.

Things to consider while constructing a house in Kolkata

Building a house of your own can be overwhelming and consuming. Right from choosing the expert architect to design your house to finding the best quality building materials and engaging professional architects and contractors, the entire process can really get tiring and consuming. Besides going wrong in choosing the right architect and building contractors may lead to budget and time escalation.

Some of the important factors you should consider while constructing a new house:

• Do adequate planning before starting the construction
• The total construction budget and making financial arrangements
• Understanding your current and future space requirements
• Use readymade house designs or go for bespoke architectural designs
• Hire professional home builder and architects
• Understand the grades and quality of building materials, and choose the right ones
• Follow local building code and advisory on building a house
• Utility and features important to your family e.g. solar panel, water harvesting, home automation etc

Over to you

The process of constructing a house can easily be overwhelming and tiring for most of us. Finding a suitable plot, preparing land, finalizing the house blueprint and house design, preparing bills of quantities and estimating the cost – the entire process of planning can be tiring and time consuming. Besides, taking the approvals from local municipalities and engaging a professional house construction company needs a well thought out approach.

Luckily, the process of budgeting and estimating the construction cost can be simplified to an extent. And that’s what we have discussed in this post today. If you have already selected a plot, you can calculate the house construction cost in Kolkata based on different sets of materials and finish.

What else do you think one should know to calculate the much accurate per square feet costs of constructing a house in Kolkata?

As always, I hope this post will help estimate the overall construction cost. If you have any questions related to budgeting and estimate the cost of constructing a house, do write to us in the comment section below.

The post Home Construction Cost in Kolkata – Calculation Explained appeared first on Houseyog.

Constructing a house is a huge financial commitment. Even if you opt for a home construction loan, you still have to save money to build a house. With careful financial planning and saving, you can save enough money to build your dream home. But, first off you have to find out the tentative construction cost, so that you can start saving money accordingly.

Try these simple tricks to save money to build your dream home.

Amount of money you need to save

Saving becomes easier when you know how much money you need and by when. First of all, prepare a rough estimate of construction. A professional Architect Now that you know your construction budget, aim to save at least 20-30 per cent of the total construction budget. Because, even if you are planning to avail of a house construction loan, the bank is not going to finance 100 per cent of the construction cost. They want to see your commitment before approving and processing your loan application form. And therefore, you have to save money for the down payment.

How much money you need to cover the initial construction cost may depend on the total home construction cost. But, whatever the total construction cost may be, you should aim to save as much as you can. This will help you ensure you don’t have to borrow a lot of money from the bank. So, look to save anywhere between 20-30 per cent of the total construction cost. However, if you can save more, then that will be even better for you.

Open a savings bank account

Open a savings bank account and consider it as a home-building fund account. You may already have a savings bank account. But still, it’s highly recommended to open a separate bank account and use it to save money for home construction.

This home fund account is going to be used as the main account to save money to build a house. Deposit any surplus money like a bonus, tax refund, commission, and salary raise etc to this account.

Save and invest to get higher returns

Invest the money wisely from this account to get better returns and yields. Consider different investment options like equity and mutual fund investment. They are known to offer better returns than the usual fixed deposit, recurring deposit and saving bank accounts.

If you opt to invest in a mutual fund or other market-linked schemes like equity, then be very careful in choosing the funds and scripts. For the best returns, analyze the past performance of the instrument. Also, check for reviews and comments by experts. Understand the financials of the companies/funds, and then make your best judgment.

However, if you are unsure, it is best to talk to an expert financial planner. A financial planner can help you get a better return out of your investment as per your financial goals.

Cut your expenses

There can be two effective ways to save money for building a house, buying a home or an apartment. Or to meet any of your other present and future financial goals. One is to cut down your present expenses and the other is to increase your earning.

How can you cut present expenses?

Note down all your expenses big or small on a daily basis. Analyze your expenses and you can easily find a few cost heads that can be tweaked and adjusted. Get rid of any cost heads that do not add value and make a huge difference in your life. This will help you bring down your monthly expenses and you will end up saving some extra cash every month. Put this extra cash into your home saving fund and then invest it wisely to get a handsome return.

For instance, if you are going out every weekend for dinner, then you may like to change the frequency of dining out. Instead of dining out every weekend, you may like to go out once every month. Instead of dining out every week, if you eat out just once a month, you can save a substantial amount of money every month.

Similarly, you can get rid of a few of the subscriptions like DTH, and instead watch shows online. Get rid of newspapers and other periodicals and you can read online news. Look for recurring expenses and check out which cost heads can be adjusted to cut your monthly expenses down.

It may appear like a small saving. But, when you seriously want to save money to build a house, every penny you save will help you realize your dream of building a house faster.

Increase your income

As I said, when you want to save money for building a house or to meet any other short or long-term financial goals, you have to save and invest money wisely. Now, if you are able to increase your monthly or quarterly savings even by 10-15 per cent, it will help realize your financial goal much faster.

How do you increase your income?

You have to put in extra effort and build some sort of passive income. Apart from your day-to-day job, find ways to earn a little extra every month. You may consider starting a side hustle because starting a side business is not as difficult in today’s time when you have free tools and apps to take care of your operation. For instance, you can use Canva for designs, Zintego to generate business receipts, Google Calendar for scheduling tasks and so on.

Today we are living in a creative economy where anyone can monetize their skill. So look for a new opportunity where you can monetize your time and skill. Here are a few options you may like to try.

• Look for a part-time job opportunity
• Teaching a few hours on online platforms
• Starting a blog and publishing posts every week
• Take up some freelance assignments as per your expertise
• Start a video blog on YouTube to generate extra income

Do whatever you can to increase your income, even if it’s just a few thousand every month. By investing this extra income wisely, you’ll be able to reach your financial goal faster.

Cut the cost of construction

As a future homeowner, you only know the efforts it takes to build a corpus for new home construction. The sweat, efforts and sacrifices you have made should not be wasted and thus you should look for ways to keep the cost of construction under control.

The process of building a house has changed a lot over the years and there is so much that can be added while building a house. From fancy tiles and marbles to ultra-modern home automation systems, there is much to do.

But, you should not get carried away and look for the features that can add real value to your home. Get your priorities right and accordingly plan for the construction and this will help you build your dream home without getting over budget.

You should also consider hiring a professional architect who can help design the house and estimate the budget for construction. Hiring an architect does not cost much and there are many architects who offer flexible rates as per the level of engagement. Having a professional by your side has many advantages and you must consider this option.

Final thoughts on saving money to build a house

Choosing to build a house on your own land is a big financial and emotional commitment. If you have decided to construct a house, you are actually gearing up towards a long, exciting and overwhelming journey. As it involves a lot of money, it requires a foolproof financial plan and savings. From saving money to manage initial construction expenses to arranging housing loans and getting a house plan in place, this journey is going to be super exciting.

However, saving money to cover 20-30 per cent of total home construction cost is not going to be easy, especially when you do not start saving money early on. I have shared a few simple and easy money-saving tricks that’ll help you to save for home construction. If you follow these simple saving tips and hacks, you will be able to manage the funds much more effectively.

What else do you think can help save money to build a new house? Share your money-saving tips and tricks by commenting below.

The post How to Save Money to Build a House appeared first on Houseyog.

If you are planning to build a new custom house, and you are looking for the best custom home design tips and ideas that’ll help you to plan and design a beautiful home in budget, then I can help you get it right. We have worked on several custom house design projects and we interact with hundreds of customers like you. We have helped them with their custom home designs and we can help you get it right as well.

What is custom home design?

A custom home is a unique house which is designed for a particular client according to their requirements, plot size, lifestyle and budget. A custom home design is different from a ready to move house because it offers plenty of control to the home owner. Designing a custom home gives you the opportunity to design the layout, number of rooms, floors, features etc as per your requirements and specifications.

The custom house plans and designs are created by a professional architect or a custom home builder as per the input, space requirements and budget of the client. Naturally, you don’t get such control when you buy a ready to move property that was designed by the builder or a previous home owner as per their needs and requirements.

Best custom home design tips worth knowing

The whole idea of designing a custom house is to design it as per your requirements, priorities and budget. But, designing and building a custom home is no easy task, because it’s a long term process that involves multiple stakeholders and contractors. You will get multiple ideas and inputs from different contractors. But, you should stay focused on your priorities and stay focused on features, amenities and areas that are important for you, and your family lifestyle.

Here’re a few of the best custom home design tips and hacks that’ll help you create beautiful custom home design plans for your new home.

Start with the basic

We have been designing custom house floor plans and elevation designs since over a decade now. I can tell you with authority that the best way to end up with a fully optimized and well designed house floor plan is to start with the basics.

This is your dream home. Hence, it must be designed as per your priorities, and space requirements. You don’t have to be an architect to draw a simple house floor plan with all the amenities and features that’s important for you and your family.

Moreover, you are not supposed to create a final house floor plan on your own, but the idea is to bring your vision on paper. Draw the layout of the plot and visualize how you want to use the space and just create multiple floor plan ideas. Try and accommodate all your requirements on the paper and see if you liked the division of space and overall floor plan idea.

Brainstorming with multiple floor plan layouts will not just bring clarity, but it’ll also help your architect understand your priorities and vision for your dream home.

It’s absolutely important to hire an architect to finally draft the building plans, elevation and structural drawings. Architects do not charge a huge service fees, especially for smaller homes and buildings. But, a little bit of home work prior to meeting and consulting an architect will make things easier for both of you.

Think long term

The main idea behind designing a custom house plan is to ensure that your dream home has all the features and amenities you need today and might need in future. So, when planning your custom home design, don’t just think about the current space requirements, but think of the future requirements as well.

For instance, if you have aging parents who may stay with you in a few years from now, then you should create a room for them. If you have kids or plan to have kids, then they require a separate bedroom room. Similarly, if you have frequent visitors, then you should think of a guest room. You may have a car or may like to buy one in the future, so your custom house design must have a provision for a car parking space. Similarly, you may need a flexible space that can be used to setup a home office or can be used as a library or as a store room.

All I am trying to say is your custom home design should include your future space requirements. It does not cost much to keep provision for amenities and features you may require in a few years from now. However, if you don’t look at your future space requirements and amenities while drawing your custom home plan, it may be difficult to accommodate those requirements at a later stage.

Even though you plan to build one floor currently, there is no reason why you would not design a ground plus one or two floor building. Planning has to be with end in mind, especially when you can build the second or third floor when needed in the future.

So when designing a custom home, you should always think long term.

Choose facing wisely

Since you are exploring custom house plan design ideas, you most likely own a plot to build your house. If you don’t already have a plot, then it’s the right time to search a suitable plot as per the house size you are planning to build.

However as every plot has some unique features and properties such as open space, park, main road, pond, greeneries etc, you should consider these features when you are designing the house floor plan. For instance, if there is an open space in the north, then it would be wise for you to keep the bedroom on the north side to enjoy the open space. Similarly, you may like to expose the living room towards the north side to get extra light and ventilation in the entire living area and hall.

While choosing the right position for doors and windows in your custom house plan design, you should consider already available features of the plot. Ideally, the doors, windows, balconies, open terrace etc should be placed in the direction that offers natural light and ventilation.

Check out functionality

Now that you have finalized the key features and amenities you want in your custom house design, the next step is to figure out the layout of the floor. However, while choosing the placement of different spaces like bedroom, kitchen, temple, study room etc you should always consider the lifestyle of your family.

For example, to avoid noise and to get more privacy, you may like to place bedrooms away from the living and drawing hall. Similarly, if you have a big family and like to gather in your drawing room, then your living and drawing space should be a little bigger.

The idea is to make the floor plan much more efficient and functional.

However, there is no one fit all rule, so choose a layout that works well for you.

Consider your priorities

The whole idea of a custom house design is to ensure you get all the features and amenities you want in your home. But, if you try to incorporate too many features and amenities, then the cost of construction can easily go up by a good percentage.

So, ideally you should list out all the features and amenities you want in your custom house design, then sort it out as per your priorities and of course the budget. For instance, it would be nice to use Italian marble on the floors, but it’ll also cost nearly double than a good quality floor tile.

Similarly, if you always wanted to have an open terrace, then you should go for it. However, if you are building the house on a small plot, and you need one extra room, then it becomes crucial to take the call. What’s more important, an open terrace space or an extra study room?

I hope you get the idea?

Check construction budget

Now you have a house floor plan design for your new custom house, it’s time to look at the financials. The simple rate of construction comes at around Rs. 1300 -1700 per square feet. But that’s not enough, especially when you are building a duplex or a triplex house.

However, you can calculate very accurate construction estimate with a bill of quantity. As you already have detailed measurements and the total build up area, you can easily calculate the approx construction cost.

The building contractor or the architect can provide the bill of quantity for your new custom home construction project. Once you have the bill of quantities, you can easily make the overall construction budget and start constructing.

And if you calculate the BOQ correctly and stick to it, it can even help reduce home construction cost to a good extent.

Stay in budget

There is always a possibility of exceeding the budget during the construction. However, you should try and stick with the budget you have already made. Crossing the budget by 5-10% is okay and natural because a custom home is built once in a lifetime. However, you should not get tempted and get carried away while sourcing materials and fittings for your new home construction. You should rather stick to the custom house design and plans. Or else, you may end up spending a lot more than you had thought of initially.

Conclusion

Building a new custom house can be overwhelming for anyone. There is so much to plan, so many things to look at, and so many decisions to be made. It really requires proper planning and knowledge. I have already shared a few of the custom house design tips that’ll help you big time. Here are the custom house design tips and ideas we have discussed today:

• You should start with the basic planning
• Always think long term space requirements
• Choose the facing for the house wisely
• Give priorities to the functionality
• Always be mindful of your priorities
• Make  detailed construction budget
• Try and stay in budget

If you stay focused and follow the above custom house design tips and ideas then you should not have any issues in designing and building a beautiful house in your budget.

What else do you think one should keep in mind while designing and building a custom house?

The post Custom Home Design Tips to Build a Beautiful House in Budget appeared first on Houseyog.

The major home construction cost heads that we’ll be discussing today:

• Land and land preparation expenses
• Architectural services charges
• Documentation costs
• Material sourcing expenses
• Labor charges
• Finishing costs

Therefore, if you want to reduce home construction cost then you have to find ways to adjust some of the expenses under some of these cost heads.

So, how do we do that?

That’s what we are going to discuss next.

Simple tips to reduce home construction cost in India

New home construction costs have grown significantly in recent years. Prices of raw materials like brick, cements, sand and steels keeps on changing dues to different factors. Also, labor charges and rentals for equipment and machinery keep rising every year. Needless to say, constructing a new house has already become a costly affair.

Home construction costs primarily depend on the size of the house you want to build. Secondly, the kind of materials you use and the quality of finish you want. And therefore, you should plan everything minutely and may be make a home construction checklist to manage and track everything correctly.

But how do we reduce the new home construction costs and budget? Well, that’s what I am going to help you with in this post.

Save on cost of land

Prices of residential lands have gone up substantially in recent times and therefore it’s important to choose the right plot. If you buy the right plot at the right price, you can save a good amount of money on construction.

Here are a few ways to save money on home construction by choosing a good land or plot.

Land preparation cost

Overall cost of construction will go up in case the land require some preparation like filling and leveling. If you end up buying low lying land then you have to prepare and level the land. Land filling cost can go in hundreds of thousands of rupees, especially when you have a substantially large parcel of land of over 2000 sq ft area.

However, if you have not purchased a land yet, then you should look for a parcel of land that does not require leveling or filling. Ideal plot should not be too low or too high from the road levels. Otherwise, you have to spend extra money in leveling the land and that may increase your home construction cost and budget.

Floor area ratio

This is another important thing to note when buying a plot. Different municipalities and development authorities have different regulations for floor area ratio.  In simple terms, floor area ratio is the maximum permissible floor area.

FAR calculation is different for different places or municipal areas and it keeps on changing as well. Width of the approach road to access your plot plays an important role in FAR calculation. Hence, you should always buy plots that have wider access roads, even though it will be a little costlier, you can build multiple floors on the same plot size.

For instance if you buy a plot of 40×30 =1200 sq ft, and the FAR is 2 then you’ll get the buildup area of approx 2400 sq ft. However, with a FAR of 1.5 you only get 1800 sq ft of built up area. And hence, it is important to look for areas or plots where you get a higher FAR.

Saving on architectural services charges

And therefore you must consider hiring an Architect. We often consider architect fees and charges as an additional expense. But trust me, it’s totally worth it. An experienced and professional architect have a crucial role in helping you design and build your house cost-effectively.

However, there are a few things to note when working with an architect to get a house plan designed.

• It’s always better to work with an architect or an architectural firm with real experience as they can design cost-effective house plans and elevation designs.
• Don’t just choose an architect coming your way. Rather check architectural service prices from a few local architects to know of the standard architectural service charges.
• Even consider online architectural services as they tend to offer comparatively better price and hassle-free house designing services.
• If you have an even dimension plot e.g. rectangular or square shaped land, then check if you can get a ready to use house plan and elevation design.
• Cost of construction is calculated based on total built up area, so be mindful of the total buildup area in your house plan.
• A ready to use house plans can be customized as per your requirement. It also costs a lot less than a custom made house plan.
• It costs less when you want to build a rectangular and square shaped building, than an L shape or an H shaped or any such odd shaped structure.
• Always insist on getting the full architectural drawing that include, master plan, floor plan of the building for each floor, elevation, structural and working drawing etc.
• Having a full set of architectural drawings and perspective views in 3D can help avoid construction error and save construction costs.

Saving in documentation charges

Before starting the construction work for your home, there are certain legal formalities that have to be done. You need to get the house plan approved prior to starting construction. If you are working with an architect, then the chance of getting the house plan approved is higher.

Since you are already going through the process of plan approval, it’s better to get the full building plan approved. That means, if you plan to build single floor now, and second floor later, then it’s always recommended to get both the plans approved now. Otherwise, you may have to go through the same process to get the approval for the second floor.

Moreover, instead of going through a third party, you can approach the authority on your to get your house plan approved and save more.

Tips to save costs on building materials

A good portion of construction budget will go towards buying building materials. Needless to say, you have to choose the right kind of materials available at cheaper rates.

Here’re a few of the ways to save money on building materials and bring down the home construction cost and budget:

• Cement, sand, steel and bricks are the main building blocks for your new home. Majority of your home construction budget will be spent on these materials and therefore it is important to choose these materials wisely.
• By choosing the right quality and grade of cement, brick, steel etc, you can save as much as up to 20-30% of the cost.
• When choosing the cement, instead of looking for the national brand, look for similar grade materials available from the regional brands, which will cost a little lower than the national brands.
• Use the right grade of materials as per the advice of your architect. For instance, there are two grades of cements usually available in India i.e. OPC and PPC. OPC cement is a little costlier than the PPC cement and both have different applications.
• You can use OPC cements for structural work like pillars, beams, roof etc. However, for brick work like plastering, tiling etc, PPC cement may be the best choice.
• Similarly, when it comes to bricks, you have multiple choices like ‘A’ grade red bricks and ash bricks and both these bricks are equally good. But, you got to choose a brick that is available cheaply and for less.
• If you are after a multi storied building, you may even consider concrete blocks, for they are lighter in weight. And therefore, you can save on structural elements and as it keeps the building cooler, you can save on cooling expenses moving forward.
• Another major cost head is for wood work i.e. door frames and doors. Wooden door frames and doors for all your rooms can become costlier.
• But, you can choose to install laminated flush doors for all rooms except the main door. Similarly in the washrooms, you can use PVC doors which are available in fancy designs; they are more durable, and available at much cheaper rates.
• Roof railing can be done with a little gap (the jail pattern) for it offers ventilation as well as help reduce the construction costs.
• For electric work, always use the best quality wire and accessories, but that does not mean you have to use the costliest products and accessories available. Basically, you should look at the quality and grade of the materials, not the fascinating brands.
• While choosing lights and light fittings, you should look for regional brands with adequate warranty and if you choose right, you can save up to 50% of the total lighting and light fitting expenses.

Saving on labour and contractor expenses

Different types of contractors, subcontractors and labor are required to build a new house. And a good portion of your home construction cost will go towards labor and contractor payments. However, if you hire the right kind of contractors and labour, you may end up saving some extra money and that will help you reduce your home construction costs and budget to a good extent.

Here are a few of the best ways to save money on labour and contractor expenses.

There are many benefits of working with a team of experienced contractors and labour. They tend to make no mistakes, work efficiently and can help complete the construction on time and that in turn help you save money indirectly.

However, when you work with inexperienced contractors and labour, they tend to make more mistakes, which may be expensive in terms of build-demolish and rebuild. And sometimes, they will end up with irreversible construction mistakes and that may turn out to be expensive, even though they may charge a little less than the experienced contractors.

Another important way to keep the labor charges low is to go with simple elevation design. Simple elevation can be finished quickly. However, it may take extra manpower to finish a complicated building elevation design and thus, it will cost more.

Saving on finishing costs

Once the basic construction like structure, brick work and plastering is done, it’s to give finishing touch to the house. And this is an area, where you need to be very mindful while choosing the materials like paints, lighting, floor tiles etc.

Here are a few tips to save on finishing expenses and bring the overall home construction costs down.

• For flooring, tiles and marbles are available in different ranges. But if you want to keep the costs low, you can use mosaic flooring instead of tiles as this will help reduce home construction costs significantly.
• While choosing tiles and other flooring materials, you will get several options in different price ranges. Review and evaluate all the options available and then choose the tiles carefully to keep the overall construction costs low.
• False ceiling could cost you well, especially in a duplex building. But, you can get rid of the false ceiling to keep the construction costs low.
• Alternatively, you can even consider creating a tray for lighting around the walls as it serves the purpose and costs under 10-15% than false ceiling cost for the entire ceiling area in a room.
• For plumbing and fixtures, you will get tons of options in different price ranges. The national brands are generally costlier for the range of products they offer.
• But, as I said, there are tons of options and as far as durability is concerned, they are mostly durable. It’s the brand name and the looks and finishes that costs more. So, if you choose the sanitary and plumbing materials wisely, you can save over 30-40% of the total expense towards bath fittings.
• You can also save substantially in wall painting expenses by choosing reasonable wall paints like semi-acrylic wall pains, instead of getting fascinated by the high end paints.
• Using a lot of tiles on external walls to get luxurious elevation can shoot up your construction budget, so you can use wall paints instead to reduce home construction costs.

Other tips to save money on home construction

Apart from what we have already discussed, here are a few other ways to save money when constructing a new house in India.

• Make a comprehensive plan and budget, and stick to it.
• Never start construction unless you have figured everything well, from permission to house floor plans to budget to the kind of materials you will be using in construction.
• It’s natural to get impressed with those shiny tiles, but don’t get carried away and fascinated or you will end up spending more.
• Check prices from multiple builders and contractors to ensure you are not being overcharged and that you are paying the fees as per market rates.
• When possible, buy materials from bigger suppliers and bargain for a better deal. When your order size is bigger, you can easily negotiate better rates from the building material suppliers.
• Working randomly may result in misuse of your funds and if in case you run short of cash then you may have to pause or halt the construction.
• Always work with experienced hands, their fees may be a little more, but there are long term benefits of working with people who know what they are doing.

Conclusion

Building a house is considered to be a costly affair. And due to lack of proper planning and budgeting, the total cost of constructing a new house can easily go up by 10-25%. Needless to say, if you are planning to construct a new house, you go to be very careful with everything.

I have already shared the major home construction cost heads, and how you can cut these costs to reduce the overall cost to construct a new house.

Hope these cost cutting tricks and ideas will come handy for you.

What else do you think once can do to reduce the home construction costs in India in 2021? Share your tricks and hacks by commenting below.

Happy home constructing!

The post How to Reduce Home Construction Cost and Budget appeared first on Houseyog.

Today in this post, I am sharing everything worth knowing about the construction cost for a new home. I am also going to help you calculate the cost of constructing a new house in 2021 on a plot size of 1200 sq ft.

Although the average home construction cost in Indian was around Rs. 700-1000 per square feet in 2018 with standard quality materials, the construction costs have increased substantially in 2021.  

Today, average home construction cost can range between Rs. 1300 per sq ft – 2000 per sq ft, depending on the grade of raw materials you want to use, and quality of finish you want in your new house.

You already know that the home construction cost primarily depends on the size of the house, elevation design and quality of the raw materials being used in the construction. Apart from those crucial factors, a good portion of the total home construction budget will go towards the payment of labour charges.

All in all, calculating the cost of constructing a new house in India is not that simple and straightforward. Because, detailed home construction estimates include various cost heads, and variable factors with severe impact on construction costs. Therefore, if you want to calculate the tentative cost of constructing a new house today in India then you must consider these cost heads and factors.

Today in this post, I’ll give you a good overview of those cost heads and factors that must be considered to calculate tentative home construction cost for budgeting purposes.

So are you ready? Lets’ find out the average cost of constructing a house in India. We’ll also create a simple formula that you can use to calculate estimates costs for new home construction project.

How to calculate the cost of constructing a house in India

Constructing a house is a long term project which may take anywhere between 12 to 18 months to complete, if everything goes well. However, if the construction gets paused and halted for any reason, then it may take even longer and cost more to complete the construction. It requires a lot of patience, planning, estimation and involvement of several experts, professionals and contractors to build a house in a timely manner.

But, with proper construction planning and detailed estimation of cost heads, you should be able to manage a home construction project much efficiently and complete it on time.

However, if you start constructing a house without planning and budgeting, you can easily get caught up with issues that you thought are not important. For instance, if you did not get approval, or could not manage funding, the construction work may have to be halted which may result in higher construction costs and delays in completion. However, with proper construction planning, you can manage the expenses well and eventually reduce the home construction costs as well.

Lack of planning and inadequate budgeting can pose different challenges during the construction, which may result in delays, price rise and poor quality of construction. And that is the last thing anyone would like to experience while constructing a house.

We have been working with developers and architects and have managed many home construction projects and sites. I know what it costs to build a house today.

If you are building a house, then I can help you get a good understanding of how to calculate the tentative home construction cost in India that’ll help you to plan and build your home efficiently.

So, here’s what matters and what should be considered when calculating the estimate to build a new house in India.

Size of the plot and the house

The cost of constructing a new house primarily depends on the size of the house e.g. number of rooms, floors you want to construct. Depending on the size of the plot of land where you want to construct your house, you can figure out the size of the house and number of floors you can build.

While deciding the size of the house, you should consider a permissible FAR (Floor Area Ratio) in your city. Depending on the geography, you should check the local building guidelines from the municipal corporation, development authority or Gram Panchayat to figure out how much of open space has to be kept while constructing the house on your plot.

Moreover, it’s not just the permissible FAR, but you should also consider your immediate space requirements and future space requirements to decide the size of the house you should build.

Architectural design of the house

Once you get the idea of FAR and how much of space has to be left open as per the local building guidelines, the next step is to onboard a professional architect to get a customized house plan design and architectural drawings for your new home.

The very thing that you need is a proper house plan based on your plot size and layout. House plan consists of a set of detailed drawings that helps you visualize the entire layout of your upcoming house e.g. position and size of different rooms and areas like bedrooms, kitchen, living hall, bathroom, balcony, parking, passage etc. Depending on the number of floors you want to build, there’ll be a specific floor plan for every floor of the proposed house.

The architect and structural engineers are going to charge you a professional fee to help you design a customized house plan. House plan design charges in India vary depending on the expertise and experience of the architects you are working with and the level of detailing you want in your house plan.

Some of the architects in India charge a flat fee to design a house floor plan as per your plot and requirements. And some architectural firms charge based on the plot and total built up area.

Generally, to design a house plan for a 1000 sq ft plot size, the architect fees can range from Rs. 10000 to Rs. 15000 assuming you need a different set of drawings. But, please note that the architect’s fees for designing a house plan may increase in case of larger plot/house size. And if you want them to visit the site during construction, then they may charge separately for every site visit.

At Houseyog, we charge a flat fee of Rs. 4449.00 (plus GST @18%) to design a space optimized customized house plan for a 1000 sq ft single floor house. Our house plans are very detailed and contain furniture layout and column position marking. And the cherry on the cake is unlimited revision that we offer during the design. You may like to check out our ready to use house design catalogue to get some inspiration before you design your own house.

Quality of raw materials to be used

Once you have the set of architectural drawings passed and approved by the local building authority, the next major cost head in constructing a house is the cost of materials. Based on the set of drawings, a qualified architect or a building contractor can prepare a bill of quantities for you. BOQ for constructing a house is a vital document as it lists out all the materials with tentative cost that will be required to construct a new house.

However, you can think of materials in two different ways e.g. materials required for civil work and materials required for finishing.

You require different types of raw materials for construction e.g. sand, cement, steel, brick etc. And then you require materials for flooring e.g. tiles, marbles, fittings for doors, windows, etc

However, the price of the construction and finishing materials depends on the quality, brand and grade you prefer to use. Prices of raw materials may also vary from city to city and based on the supplier you are buying from.

The cost and quality of materials that you want to use can have a major impact on overall home construction cost, and that’s where the detailed BOQ document can help you prepare better estimates and stay on budget during the construction.

Moreover, if you want to get home construction loan to build your house, then the bank will ask for a Bill of Quantities with detailed cost estimates to assess your loan application. They’ll only approve a construction loan when they are satisfied with all the documents, especially the projected estimates of construction you submit with your loan application.

Labour charges to be paid

Apart from the cost of construction materials, labour charges are going to be another major cost head that you need to consider when estimating the construction cost. During the construction of a house, you will be working with different types of contractors and they charge differently. For instance, someone with expertise in brick work and plastering will charge differently than the flooring and waterproofing contractor.

And therefore it makes sense to work with one reliable home builder contractor who can execute the entire construction work from RC work to column, brick work to plastering, roofing to flooring and waterproofing etc.

However, you should take quotations from multiple home builder contractors to know the market rates. Moreover, home construction is a time taking project, and you are most likely going to work with your contractor for the next 12-18 months. And therefore, it is important that the construction contractor is truly reliable, transparent and has the expertise to pull it off on time and in your budget.

Also, it is easier to deal with one efficient contractor than coordinating and struggling with different independent contractors for different tasks, and hence it’s better to work with a full stack home builder. Here’s a detailed post on hiring a builder to build your home.

Calculating average home construction cost in India

Now that you know about the major costs and how it may affect the home construction cost, let me help you with tentative construction costs in India. The average home construction cost in India ranges from Rs. 1300 per sq ft to Rs. 2500 per sq ft. It includes standard quality materials and labor costs.

However, this cost does not include the architectural service fees and fees for getting necessary approval and sanctions from the local authorities. It also does not include the interior designing and decorating charges. Above cost estimate is from the home construction which includes civil work and basic finishing like doors, windows, flooring etc.

Calculate the home construction cost based on materials

As per the size of the house you are building, the architects or the builder should give you the detailed cost estimates. The estimates should not include the quantities, but also the current market price for different materials.

But, you can use a simple formula to calculate the home construction cost for your own estimation and budgeting purpose.

First off, let’s divide the quality of materials and finishes as standard, premium and luxury and based on that, you can easily calculate the home construction cost.

For the sake of calculating the construction cost of a small house in India, let’s assume you want to build a house on a 30 x 40 sq ft or 1200 sq ft plot size. We are also assuming the standard build up area of around 900 sq ft space (after leaving some open space). If we leave space for car parking, then the actual build up area will be around 775 sq ft.

Assuming you want to build a small one floor house with a car parking space of around 125 sq ft, let’s calculate the tentative construction cost using standard, premium and luxury quality of materials.

Standard home construction cost

Our actual build up area out of a 1200 sq ft plot size, after leaving all the open space and car parking comes around 775 sq ft. if we are to use the standard quality materials, the construction cost would go around Rs. 1300- Rs. 1500 per square feet.

To build a single floor house in India with RCC and red brick with plaster and wall tiles in bathrooms and kitchens, it may cost around Rs. 1007500 to Rs. 1162500.

The cost is only for civil construction work with finishing. Also this estimate includes the labour charges.

Here’re the tentative prices for main raw materials:

• Polished granite at the entrance @ Rs. 60 per sq ft
• Car parking flooring using paved tiles @ Rs. 35 per sq ft
• Tiles flooring (except stairs) with tiles @ Rs. 80 per sq ft
• Granite kitchen countertop @ Rs. 90 per sq ft
• Ceramic wall tiles @ Rs. 60 per sq ft
• Semi polished granite flooring at staircase with MS railing @90 per sq ft
• Bathroom fittings @ Rs. 20000 per bathroom
• Sump and overhead water tank of around 10000 liter capacity.
• Rooftop tiling @ Rs. 35 per sq ft
• Waterproofing in bathrooms and terrace.
• Electrical wiring, points and accessories of mid range like anchor by Panasonic

Home construction cost with premium and luxury materials

If you wish to build the same house but want to use a little premium quality of products like floor tiles, wall tiles etc then construction cost can range from Rs. 1800 – Rs. 2000 per sq ft.

Similarly, if you want to build a super luxurious home with the best available products, the construction cost could range from Rs. 2000 – Rs. 2100 per square feet.

But as you know, the cost of construction can increase or decrease based on the quality of materials you decide to use.

Instead of using polished granite of Rs. 60 per square range you can use the granite of Rs. 80 per square feet. Similarly, you can use higher range premium floor and wall tiles in the kitchen, washroom and other areas.

For instance, premium grade bath fittings could cost you around Rs. 50000 – Rs. 60000 per bathroom.

Similarly, you can use premium quality electrical wires, switches and accessories from Havells which costs nearly the double for other similar products.

For instance a normal fan regulator by Anchor costs around Rs. 150 per pc. But the same fan regulator from Havells or Crabtree is going to cost you around Rs. 275 per pc.

Hope it helps you understand how vital the brands and products could be and how it could affect the overall construction cost.

Conclusion

While, there are many benefits of living in a residential complex, some of us still prefer to build your own house as per our space requirements and preference. Although you get a lot of facilities when living in a well maintained residential complex and societies. Living in your own house with a small backyard can be a different feeling altogether.

The cost of home construction in India can range between Rs. 1300 per sq ft using standard quality materials, Rs. 1800 per sq ft if you wish to use premium quality materials and Rs. 2000 per sq ft using luxurious quality materials.

If you are wondering about how to calculate the tentative construction cost for budgeting purposes, you can use the cost heads as shared above.

Hope it’ll help you in budgeting for the upcoming home construction the right way.

And if you have any question or want to share some tips, then feel free to do so by commenting below.

Happy home construction!!

The post What’s the Average Home Construction Cost in India? appeared first on Houseyog.