How To Build A Low-Cost Bungalow in Nigeria

Tips for Reducing Construction Cost

To average-income earners in Nigeria, the prospect of owning a home may seem like a pipe dream. It is generally believed that one has to be very wealthy to own a home. The escalating cost of land and building materials have further convinced many that the average Nigerian worker cannot afford a home. But experience has shown that with proper planning, due diligence, and discipline an average-income earner can own a home in Nigeria. I will share some great tips to reduce the cost of building a home in Nigeria.

In this article, we will look at ways to cut down on the cost of constructing a house. Some factors that contribute to the cost of building a house include the cost of acquiring a land, the house design, and the cost of building materials as well as labour.

We will consider:

• How to get a good land at a cheap price. 
• How to reduce building cost with a good house design and floor plan. 
• How to reduce cost of roofing a house.
• How to reduce the cost of building materials. 
• How to reduce labour cost.

Get A Good Land

Getting a land is the first step when you want to build your home. The cost of acquiring a land is a major factor in the cost of building a house. Consider the following construction cost saving tips:

• Make sure you get a dry land with firm soil as it will cost you more to fill a swampy land. In Nigeria, it is now easier to get a good land at an affordable price even in a city like Lagos.
• Consider buying a land in the outskirts of Lagos such as Badagry and Ikorodu as you are more likely to get it at a relatively cheap price (between ₦300,000 and ₦1,500,000). Such areas also usually have good soil types, and labour, as well as material cost, are relatively cheaper.

You have the option of making an outright payment for a plot of land, but we know how difficult it can be for an average earner to save say ₦400,000 or ₦900,000 for a plot of land. If you are disciplined enough to not get discouraged, family problems will try to gulp the money you have saved, or the price of the land would have gone up by the time you are ready to buy it. And you are back to square one. By the time you succeed in saving some more money to add to your previous save to buy the land at its new price, the price would have gone up again. And the cycle continues.

Real Estate firms to the rescue! You can now become a landlord in just two years! Several real estate firms in Nigeria have made it possible for those who can afford to pay at least ₦26,500 per month to own a plot of land after two years of payment. So, instead of saving the money in your bank account every month and fighting the urge to withdraw it, start paying for the land and become a landowner in two years. There is also the option of getting a half plot from them.

The beauty of buying a land from these real estate companies is that the lands they sell come with complete documents and are located in estates - freeing you from all 'Omo-onile wahala'. If you cannot afford a full plot, I will suggest you get a half plot as it will be easier for you to pay up. A half plot of land is sufficient for building a 3 bedroom flat with enough space for parking at least a car.

Using A Decent House Design And Floor Plan

Your house plan is what determines the overall cost of building your home. Keep it simple and consider the following tips to reduce construction cost.

• The importance of a good house design cannot be overlooked particularly if the property is going to be your home for a long time or even a lifetime. A badly designed house can impact negatively on the cost of building the house, maintenance as well as comfort. 
• It is advisable to always use professional architects who will factor-in proper ventilation, space management, and maintenance requirement into a house design. It costs between ₦40,000 to ₦300,000 to get a building plan and design.
• Instead of having a dining separate from the kitchen which will make you spend money on wall partitioning and take more space, you can incorporate your dining in your kitchen. That way, you'll save space and cost on building materials.
• Bear in mind that it will definitely cost more to build a four bedroom duplex than it would a four bedroom bungalow. The same goes for a building a three bedroom bungalow with all rooms en-suite as against one with just the Master bedroom en-suite. 
• Consider having all the bathrooms in one region if possible in order to reduce the plumbing cost and for ease of maintenance. You can also have bathroom and toilet together rather than divided by a wall. So, ensure that your house plan is decent and falls within the limits of your budget.

Reduce the Cost of Roofing

The current trend in roof construction in Nigeria is the high pitched roof with some towering over 20ft. This is a beautiful type of roof but it's very expensive to construct. For example, it can cost over 1.6 million naira to construct this type of roof for a 3 bedroom flat, quite on the high side I think. Instead of spending such amount on constructing a high pitched roof with a very large enclosed space that you're not using, use a flat roof or a slightly slanted flat roof. Better still, use a lean-to or shed roof. They're very classy and supper cheap. From experience, making a shed roof can reduce the cost of labour as well as the amount of wood and other materials thereby cutting down your cost of roofing by over 50%. For instance, you can roof a 3 bedroom flat with less than 500,000 naira.

Reduce The Cost of Building Materials

The price of building materials is another major factor in the overall cost of building a house. You can reduce the cost of constructing your home by cutting down the cost of building materials. The following are tips to build a low-cost housing:

• A good way to go around the escalating cost of conventional and imported building materials is to use locally-sourced alternative building materials such as stones, woods, stabilized laterite bricks, and bamboo wherever possible.
• Instead of using the conventional sandcrete blocks for constructing the house, cement stabilized laterite bricks produced using laterite from the building site can be used. The sand dug-up to create the septic tank and soakaway pit can also be used in filling the foundation.
• Use more natural landscape instead of interlocked bricks, and incorporate recycled materials like plywood, plaster boards, etc wherever possible.
• A sure way to reduce your construction cost is to reduce the cost of roofing your home. Instead of using the high rise roof style common in Nigeria, simply use a flat roof. Flat roofs are not only aesthetically superior, they cost less to construct. You spend about 1/3 of the cost of the popular high rise roof on a flat roof. Your home will also look less clumsy. Simplicity is usually elegant.
• It is best to get a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) for your particular house design so as to know the types and quantities of building materials required, and the estimated cost of getting them. Knowing the estimated cost of completing the house can help you to plan and save towards completing the project. 
• Buying your materials directly from the manufacturers in large or bulk quantities can also reduce the cost of the materials and transportation. The design of a house is what determines the types and quantities of building materials needed for construction. 
• A three bedroom flat with all rooms en-suite will definitely cost more than one with just two toilets, and a house design that requires decorative tiles for finishing will cost more than one that requires just a combination of different colours of paints for the same purpose. 

Reducing Labour Cost

A great way to reduce labour cost is to give the building project to one person or firm. That way, you can negotiate the labour cost for the entire project (bricklaying, plumbing, roofing, electrical works, etc) at once. Or you could break the construction process into stages and negotiate labour cost for each stage.

For instance, you could bargain the labour cost for construction of the substructure (that is from setting-out to DPC). Using unqualified and unskilled labourers just because their rates are cheap will only make you spend more in the long run as they most likely will do a very bad job.

Use Moderate Finishing

Remember to keep it simple. It is always better to use simple yet elegant house designs. Apply the following tips to cut the cost of building your house.

• Avoid using pillars that serve only aesthetic purposes. Consider using a house design that combines different colours of paints for aesthetics instead of one that uses decorative tiles.
• Use more natural landscape and limit the use of interlocking bricks to walkways. The kitchen cabinets can be constructed into the wall with blocks and wooden doors. Also, the walls of the kitchen and bathrooms can be tiled halfway.
• Avoid changing the house the design along the way as doing that will only make you spend more. Decide on your design, get your Bill of Quantities, negotiate all labour cost together, and stick to your budget.

Really, with proper planning, diligence and discipline, an average-income earner can own a home in Nigeria. There are lots of great ideas for reducing the cost of building a house in Nigeria. If there is any idea I skipped, please let me know in the comments section below and share your great ideas so that we can all benefit.