Slopes or lowland: How to choose the terrain for home construction

As the population continues to grow, now estimated at above 40 million people in Uganda, the size of the land is not increasing and the construction patterns have also changed. Today many people are rushing to take up available land to establish their homes.

However, the site where you build your home has a profound influence on your ability to meet your existing and future needs. The site can be gentle slopes, lowland or hilly area.

Choosing an appropriate site for your home and developing it to make the most of its natural attributes yields significant economic, lifestyle and environmental benefits.

Choosing a site

Location is one of the most important things to consider when planning a new home. A house on a hill offers some outstanding benefits, but it may also have significant drawbacks.

Construction engineer Samuel Tusiime says those planning to build in hilly areas need to be financially stable because the whole construction process is more expensive than someone building in lowlands.

He says building on gentle slopes or hilly areas requires someone to first level the ground, which is an additional cost.

“After construction, the house gives you a good view but it becomes expensive in the transportation of materials, levelling the ground, extending other utilities such as water and electricity,” Tusiime says, adding, “For a four-bedroom house, the foundation can cost Shs3m while the foundation for a house in the lowland can cost Shs2.5m.”

Aaron Nkwasibwe,  a construction engineer,  advises that before buying a plot of land in a hilly area, one should ensure it is easily accessible to enable the transportation of building materials.

“Many people with homes in hilly areas find it difficult and expensive to extend water and other utilities compared to other people who have homes in low lying areas,” Nkwasibwe says.

He says establishing outdoor spaces such as compounds and gardens is also a problem because it requires one to level the ground and fence the home.

People with walking difficulty due to age or health issues may find it challenging to access homes in hilly areas. Such houses need walking steps to enter and leave the home.

Installing a retaining wall around the house to prevent erosion is an added expense.

Mr James Mugume who owns houses in low lying areas of Rwebisengo town council, Ntoroko District, says he chose the site because he had no option since most parts of their area are low lying.

Mugume was fortunate in that he did not incur any cost in levelling the ground and establishing a foundation was not expensive but says their area is prone to flooding which might affect his house in the future.

Low land

Many homes are built in lowland areas but before building, one needs to put into consideration that many of them are prone to floods while in other places, the soils are not good which requires more materials to be used in the foundation phase.

Tusiime says the foundation for houses in a low land is deep unlike the one on a hill or gentle slope which is shallow and levelling the ground is very easy.

Alex Tumuhimbise, a civil engineer, says if a person has money, a raised area is ideal for home establishment because the ground is ideal.

He says the biggest expense in constructing on hilly areas is levelling the ground and foundation consumes a lot of materials such as bricks.

“To get the level of the house on a hill may take between eight to 12 courses of bricks and it also consumes time, which is expensive for the house owner,” he says

Tumuhimbise says construction on a hill takes longer as the levelled ground must be allowed time to become firm before one starts construction.

He advises those intending to build in the low land to check that the area is not waterlogged. The presence of excess water will raise the cost of the foundation.

“When you are building in a low lying area where the place is waterlogged the concrete used needs to be strong about 200cm and ratio used 2:1 and one should also mix the concrete with waterproof binder to stop water from entering into the brick after the foundation,” Tumuhimbise says.

Disadvantages of the hilly area.

Building on the hillside exposes one to the risk of landslides due to heavy or continuous rainfall. Also, strong winds can affect the house if someone has not planted windbreakers. “It is advisable for people with homes in hilly areas to plant trees with deep roots to help keep soil intact which will decrease the land’s susceptibility to erosion,” Tumuhimbise adds.

Mr Chris Tushabe from Kasenda Sub-county in Kabarole District, says he decided to establish his home on top of Irihura hill because it gives him a good view and fresh air unlike in low lying areas.

“Many people who come to visit me here, can stretch their eyes up to Kibale National Park in Kamwenge District. You also enjoy fresh air but I had to level the ground and also build strong pillars to support the perimeter wall around my house,” Tushabe says