How I built my home : I started saving for my home in my S6 vacation

Watching the MTV Cribs Show is what spurred Mukwaya into saving for a home when he was still a student.

I am Peter Mukwaya, 29 years old. I am a married man with two lovely sons. I stay at Nassuti village, Mukono Central Division in Mukono District.
My dream of having a home started while I was still at high school. I used to watch The Cribs Show on MTV for much of my secondary life. Having watched people’s homes and seen how successful they were yet some were even younger than I thought they were, I was inspired to start planning for my dream home to have it as early as possible. I developed the desire to work hard so that I could settle at my own home at an early age.

Savings
Immediately after my senior six I looked for a job which I got and I started saving for it right away from the little monies I earned. I continued with the same job even at university. I sued to work as a cashier at my uncle’s bar and restaurant where I was being paid Shs100,000 per month. After two years of dedicated work, my salary was raised to Shs150,000.
I decided to fore go all avenues that could make me over spend like frequent outings and over drinking. By the end of my three year course at university, I had saved more than Shs6m which I used to acquire a plot of land 50*100 ft at Nassuti in Mukono.
Besides the job I had, I also started a retail shop where I put someone to run it on my behalf. It has now grown into a whole sale shop dealing in electronics. That gave me more time to work as I studied. Even after campus, I still got a job in the field I had trained in immediately after my studies. I studied Business Administration at Makerere University and specialized in marketing.

Starting construction
Because I could not wait to save before I could start building, I opted for a bank salary loan which I got. Unfortunately, I never had enough experience in construction which slowed down the process of building it. I combined work and construction which found me giving less time to the process of building. I did not have enough time to be at the site to supervise the work.

Getting cheated
A year after I had been cheated by the contractors, who stole some of the building materials yet with shoddy work, I decided to put it at a standstill for about six months as I planned for a way forward. The bank was busy cutting my salary and yet the process was so slow.

Opting for a construction firm
I decided to get a construction firm which managed to raise it for me up to its completion.
Since I had started on it, we discussed with the firm to help me complete it at a fair price which they did. It had reached at the window level where the firm picked up from. They asked me for Shs150m to complete it but we negotiated up to 120m which they agreed and they finished it for me.
I paid half of the money in cash and the rest we agreed to be paid in installments. I am remaining with very little to finish which I know in the coming two months I would have finished paying as I continue with the bank loan. I had to leave the house to the firm because they knew what to do than I did. Also, I needed time for concentration both at work and on my business.
The house is in its final stage and I cannot wait to enter it. I am currently paying Shs450,000 every month as rent which is expensive for me because there are other responsibilities I have to fulfill at home. My first son is now in top class and next year he is going to primary one. I hope with my own new house, I will be able to shift to my home which will relieve me on extra costs.
It is not my final dream house but for the start, I am going into that one as I plan for the one I dream about. I want to build a flat with a very spacious compound.