Building a house is not as difficult as it always seems. Anyone can go into a building project, as long as you have a goal and full determination. In order for you to start such a project, here are a number of things to ensure are in place:
1. Decide on a location you can afford.
2. Decide on the size of land you can afford in your location of choice.
3. Develop a building plan using a skilled architect.
4. Evaluate the cost of executing your building plan.
5. Discuss the building plan with a handful of building contractors
6. Modify the plan to match your budget and recommendations of an experienced building contractor.
7. Submit your building plan for approval with the relevant agency of the Lagos state government.
8. Decide where to source building materials and engage a building contractor.
9. Engage a monitoring engineer or facility manager.
10. Release funds for execution of the project.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO INVOLVE A BUILDING CONTRACTOR, HERE’S AN ALTERNATIVE LIST OF STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1. Agree on price and engage a one-man builder, brick-layer, or mason.
2. Issue the final building plan to the builder or mason.
3. Engage a friend or relative to monitor the progress of the project and use of materials.
4. Construct a temporarily building materials room to control management and usage.
5. Buy at least 30 percent of the blocks required for the building (bulk purchase may result in reduction in price per block).
6. Buy tippers of sand as appropriate or needed.
7. Buy Cement as needed also.
8. Buy iron rods required for pillars and get an iron bender to bend them to shape.
9. Track project progress and cost against budget and timeline.
An important aspect of building construction you must take seriously is the area of quality of work. It is not sufficient to just buy building materials. The quality of work involves how these materials are blended together to deliver a building that is both architecturally beautiful and structurally sound. This is why you need an expert involved in your project.