How to build a low cost house
If you want to cut construction costs, you can opt for a rectangular design because it is easy to construct. Illustration by Julius Eryenyu Jojo.
Building a low cost house doesn’t mean poor workmanship or substandard materials, but rather the choices made to get good quality while keeping the budget low.
The plan shown here is an example (among many) of low cost three-bedroomed houses and here is a brief look at how the budget is kept under control.
The kitchen size is basic and provides space just to get about with work no pantry which means the occupants will use the kitchen cabinets for storage purposes. All the bedrooms share the bathroom and toilet which are next to the kitchen.
This will help eliminate the cost of building a self-contained master bedroom, and also the plumbing and electrical costs will be reduced.
Cutting costs
Below is a brief look at some (but not all) tips you would employ while building a low cost house.
Shape
Always opt for rectangular designs as they are cheaper to construct. Any odd shapes will translate into additional costs.
Room area
Since our major issue is reducing construction costs, it is a wise choice to keep the rooms just to their standard sizes, for example, a bedroom of 3m x 3m is good enough for two twin beds, the minimum width of a kitchen with two worktops on opposite sides is 2.4 metres and 1.8 metres if the worktop is only on one side.
Roofing
Always opt for gable end roofs as they are relatively cheaper than the hipped roofs.
Verandah
On a tight budget, a verandah / porch could be left out, with the option of building it later when the money is available.
Materials
The issue of cutting costs shouldn’t drag one into using cheaper substandard materials. And also the fact that some materials are cheaper than others does not mean they are substandard. This is how you would deal with material cost.
Let us take the kitchen for example, if you love the look of solid granite slabs on kitchen worktops but hate the high price tag, consider using smaller granite tiles and greatly reduce your budget.
Labour
When hiring contractors, it is wise to always get multiple bids from different contractors so that you can easily compare prices, and require bidders to break-down their prices to give you a clear picture.
