Low cost semi bungalow with a touch of elegance

A semi bungalow is one of the most embraced house designs in Uganda today. This could be partly because it is easy, comfortable, convenient and cheap to construct as compared to other modern house designs.
Seraphino Junior Ogola, the architect behind this semi bungalow house plan, notes that he designed it because it is one of the cheapest yet elegant house for one to construct. The house sits on a small piece of land, but gives you a number of bedrooms and leaves you with enough space for other activities outside.

Specifications
Ogola notes that the house occupies half of a 50ft by 100 plot of land. It has three bedrooms, a prayer room, study room, dining, sitting or lounge room and a kitchen. It has a big balcony and a garage that accommodates one car.
“The two bedrooms rooms are 3.5 metres. The master bedroom is fairly bigger than that and has in-built wardrobes. It has verandahs running around the entire house, giving sitting surface when you are outside,” he notes.

Toilet
The house has three toilets, one incorporated in the master’s bedroom and two in the corridor shared by the two-bedroom occupants. Alternatively, the toilets can be added on the outside because there is half of 50 by 100ft left redundant.

Porch and balcony
He adds that it has a big porch placed at the front extending to the balcony. In a way, this makes the balcony seem bigger. The two are multipurpose as they serve aesthetic purposes, can be used as a sitting or working area. The balcony is partly covered with the porch shed, making it convenient to use at any time.

Yard
This kind of house leaves you with a huge yard, which could turn into a lawn, or add one or two roomed houses for rent or in case you have a big family. You can also have an outside toilet or kitchen to reduce congestion in the main house.

Cost
“This is perhaps to be one of the cheapest yet beautiful houses you can construct, both construction and finishing will cost you between Shs70m and Shs80m. This is just an estimation and only a quantity surveyor can give you accurate figures,” he adds.

Finishing
Ogola says finishing includes painting, working on the roof, ceiling, doors and the outside walls. Ogola notes that all these costs are included in the Shs70m to Shs80m. Building this kind of house plan does not cost more than Shs100m. Sliding windows would suit this house as they are classy and long lasting. Using decorated lights such as chandeliers and adding art pieces on the walls would also add on the elegancy and beauty in the house.

How to utilise land left over after construction
Sometimes a piece of land is left over after construction and you do not know what to do with it. here are a few tips on how you can put it to use.

Gardening: Gardening is one way to give life to your redundant land. This is a beauty vessel that compliments the house. You can choose to add food crops, fruits or flowers in an artistic way to maintain the beauty aspect.

However, Robert Mukisa, a florist, notes that since it’s a minimal plot of land, you should not plant big trees such as avocadoes, mangoes because they could hit the house and damage it.
“You can also create a green environment by planting grass in the entire space. this will define the house and give it a good look. you can add a few flowers or trees to complement the look,” he says.

Add rooms: Seraphino Ogola, an architect, notes that you can add a few rooms outside in a boy’s quarter style. These could be rentals, guest rooms or for boys at home. Alternatively, you can also build an outside toilet, bathroom or kitchen, which could help reduce in a house.

Add pavers: Mukisa notes that adding pavers is great for uniformity in a home. When kept clean, they depict elegancy and class. These do not limit movement of people and cars like grass, which gets damaged. They come in different colours, designs and shapes.

Play area: You can also create a play area for your children by adding toys and play materials such as swinging ropes, sand.