House Painting

 

• If you have decided not to polish your walls, it reduces the total cos of extra cement and sand as well as painting cost.
• For exterior painting if you use weather-coat paints maintenance cost can be saved a lot. Use white or off-white colour for your interior. It makes your home simple, fills it with light and reduces cost as well.
• Another alternative to reduce painting cost. Till 7.5 feet, use expensive paints. After that use normal paints. It can save your money a lot.

House Wiring

 

• Decide first, which switches you are using in your home. Then buy switch boxes and fix it on walls along with piping.
• In the least used spaces like terrace, store etc you can use cheap switches. But use good quality ones in most frequent used places like kitchen, bed room and living space.
• Do wiring in the ceiling so that you can reduce the total length of wire needed. You can save labour cost to pierce walls as well.
• Concealed wiring done inside the walls and open wiring done visible – wiring of a home is done in both these ways. If you use interlock bricks or unpolished walls, open wiring is the best suggestion.
• Determine the exact positions of lamps and fans before roof concrete so that you can place pipes inside concrete during roof concrete process. If circuits of electric motors, air conditioner and refrigerator are given this way it can reduce total time and later purchase of many materials.
• It’s a better idea to draw lines of power plugs from distribution board. If load is in excess electric wire gets heated easily.
• Fix ELBC to know power leakage and to avoid damages.

Economic House Plumbing

 

• If you construct two bathrooms near, you can reduce construction cost considerably.
• You can choose different strength pipes for plumbing, no need to use uniform pipes everywhere. As down-water pipes get less pressure, less strong pipes are sufficient.
• Choose wash basins that suit your room. It saves not only your money but also your space. White sanitary fittings are cheap than colourful accessories.
• Fix small taps in areas where you need less water. It saves both your money and a lot of water.
• You should have a clear idea of what types of taps to be used, where to be placed and at what intensity of water flow. If sink is shallow and if you use lengthy angular pipes, water spills outside.
• Ready made ferro cement septic tanks are cheap and durable.
• You can use many wastes for your construction later. For example waste pieces of tiles or marble used for flooring can be used along with mosaic for flooring of your car pouch or balcony.

House Flooring Tips

 

• Red oxide floors are economic. If polished well they give an antique look of the past. Black oxide is another alternative to reduce cost. Give extra care while polishing cement floor. It’s better to do the polishing after house warming ceremony. If too many people walk through the floor before it’s not dried completely it affects the finishing.
• Simple tiles can be afforded by a common man. This floor is better for persons having arthritis. You can use different designer tiles in different rooms. Its finish and polish increase with each usage and hence polishing is not needed.
• Use antiskid tiles for your bathroom. If rough tiles are chosen they get dirt easily. Take care of this fact while choosing tiles for bathroom.
• Use tile adhesive as substitutes of concrete before fixing tiles. It helps to avoid cuvaring caused by sand and cement concretes.

Economic Roof concrete

 

• If you use tiles before placing iron bars for the concrete of your roof it reduces the cost and lessens the heat inside the rooms.
• You can do tress work for car porch or front sit out instead of concrete. Building roof with processed iron and if tiles are fixed on the roof it can reduce total budget. This type of construction is known as ‘False roof’ method.
• No need to construct pillars for false roofs. Using pipes and bricks you can give support to the roof.
• For car porch build a wall with 5 feet height and then fix an iron grill.

Tips for Wooden work at home

 

• It’s not necessary that you should use only teak or valuable woods for your construction. You can use jackfruit tree, wild jack (jungle jack) and similar wood most available in your place to reduce total cost of wood up to 50%.
• While buying wood for your home construction purposes, buy for your furniture as well. If done so, wastage can be reduced considerably.
• Before fixing frames of windows and doors, apply a coat of primer. If you have plans to varnish it, polish it with primer in those areas too, in direct contact with walls.
• You can make half portion of kitchen door with glass. It gives a stylish appearance to your kitchen; reduces the cost of wood also. If so, even the door is closed kitchen is not isolated from the rest of the home and a house wife can easily see what’s required in dining table or living room.

Economic construction of walls

 

• The walls that support the home need extra width while thin walls may be sufficient for others.
• Reduce walls as much as possible. It makes the space for effective, more ventilated where sunlight travels free. It reduces total cost of the construction also. If walls are constructed with shelves on either side you can use the space more effectively. Use Ferro cement for this purpose; you can reduce total cost. Ferro cement is as strong as reinforced concrete. Also it’s easy to build layers of ferro cement than normal cement concrete shelves. You can use 10 gauge wire mesh as substitutes of iron pipes in the slabs. Such slabs are prepared using mesh polished with cement on either side.
• Buy all bricks for your construction from one place/manufacturer itself. If brought from two places, they may slightly differ in dimensions adding extra cost. Your construction may lose its uniformity a little bit. Break one or two bricks in the middle to know if they are burnt properly. If not, they show slight colour variations. If you put a good quality brick from 3 or 4 feet height it never breaks.
• It is economic to build bricks in tat trap bonding method. Instead of layering bricks one above the other, two bricks are placed straight at first, then the third one is placed in opposite direction. This way of placing bricks saves at least 25% of total bricks needed. Total weight of the building reduces; the total heat inside the rooms also reduces as there is space between the bricks.
• Arches reduce total construction cost; it increases the beauty of your interior also. Arches with bricks are economic. It is not needed that all rooms need doors, arches are sufficient. For example, you can place an arch between your living room and dining hall instead of a door. It gives enough privacy as well as free passage through the space.
• In old homes, door frames have four sides. But in new constructions, the frame at the base is avoided. It helps free passage and easy cleaning of your room. But in some cases like front door, back door, bathroom or places in contact with rain or water the fourth frame may be necessary. If so, you can construct the fourth side using cement. It reduces the total cost and is more durable and strong than wood.
• Provide synthetic/plastic doors for bathrooms. As this door is in direct contact with moisture it’s better to avoid wood. It reduces the total cost as well.
• Doors inside your home that need less safety measures need only less cost aluminum fittings. It reduces total budget also.
• Construct lintels in necessary places only. Above doors and window frames up to 4 feet width no need to concrete lintel. Normal bricks are sufficient. If you feel the need of extra strength, concrete using one or two iron bars within the brick pieces.
• You can give latches to windows at construction phase itself. It reduces the total costs and adds designs to your windows as well.
• Wooden frames can be used for windows in both upper and lower parts. Then you can fix metal bars in between using grilling process. It can reduce the total construction of windows if wood is replaced this way.
• If windows are fitted inside the walls, you can avoid shade concreting.
• Arrange cabinets while constructing walls itself. It minimizes those shelves that budge outside the walls.
• If cabinets are fixed in the lower end of windows they can be used as seats. If possible they can be made as storage spaces.
• Your home needs cross ventilation. When the home is sufficient of light and air, electricity bill will reduce considerably.
• Do you want to build an open courtyard inside your home? There are two ways – either to provide sunlight only or to allow both sunlight and air. First method needs less cost comparing the other.

Economic Home plan Tips

 

• You should pre-decide those requirements needed for your new home; where to put almarah, how many shelves needed and their total size and number of drawers, how many pockets needed for bathrooms etc. If decided earlier, you can leave those places for later modifications. Reconstructing an already constructed structure adds double cost.
• You should complete the plan of the home before starting the construction. Never alter anything later. If you want to construct home as per vasthu show the plan to an expert before preparing the blue print.
• When size of the home increases room size will also increase in accordance to it. It eventually increase the total cost of floors and walls. Shape of the structure can also influence the total cost of construction. Oval and round shaped homes have less surface area.
• As square shaped homes have less surface area, they need less bricks. Basement construction cost is also comparatively less.
• While constructing foundation
• To do sand piling and plain cement concrete in unnecessary soil adds only production cost. It’s similar to burying money under soil without any use.
• While removing soil for constructing basement structure, never put soil too distant from the construction. Later you need the same soil giving you extra labour cost and time consumption to bring that soil back.
• You can use rock powder instead of sand in basement. It reduces total cost. Also it gets protection from attack of pests.
• While constructing foundation using granite or rock, use its waste as fillers to fill the gap instead of cement. It reduces the total cost and adds more strength to its foundation.
• Belt above the surface is not needed in all places. It’s needed only in places where chances are there for earth quakes. Usually it’s done using iron pipes and concrete. Lintel gives more strength than belt in normal plots.

Tips for selecting the plot

 

• If you choose a plot with no road to bring materials, total construction cost of the home will increase at least 15%. At least a mini lorry should reach your plot.
• While buying a plot you should know if it’s an agricultural land, old paddy field, a land with strong soil or if rock or soil removed from the plot. If clay is present beneath, homes with normal basement won’t stay long there. Basement construction will add extra cost as well. So it’s better to do soil test before starting the project. This test can be done in soil mechanical division of civil department of government engineering colleges.
• If it’s a paddy field, it gives extra construction cost for your basement for sure. Also it may be a bit difficult to get consent from government authorities to build home.
• Water should drain well from the area which you wish to construct your home. If not, during rainy season soak pit of septic tank may face drainage problem; water may not drain easily from the tank. In such cases, even after toilet flush, your closet may not become clean. Also assure that your plot is free of environmental pollution including waste garbage, drainage or a dirty stream.
• You should know earlier if you need to give extra money to build a post for your new electric connection. If there are electric lines in nearby places and electric posts are available, your costs reduce considerably. Otherwise add this cost also, to your total budget.
• It’s always better to choose a land with well and outer wall.
• It’s better to show the site to an architect and seek his opinion before purchase. If you believe in vasthu factors, choose a plot best as per vasthu principles.

Effective Tips To Reduce Construction Cost

 

(Shutterstock)

Estimating the overall cost of building construction is a complex process. A mismatch between anticipated costs and actual expenses can lead to project failures, irrespective of whether it is a residential or a commercial property. It is also a crucial component of the total housing cost, the magnitude of which is very high in most of the big Indian cities. Effective cost management and value engineering are keys many professional builders rely on for ensuring a profitable business. If you have decided to construct your own house, here are some tips to save on the cost of construction.

Construction plot

Choose a location with potential developments in the future, where plots are available at much lower prices. The level of the plot which is much lower than the level of the road can invite additional costs as it will require more quantity of filling material, thus, increasing the construction costs. Select plots which are at the same level as the road.

Simple design

Custom designs are costlier. A small floor plan with a square or rectangular layout will require less time and money, while consuming fewer materials per unit built-up area, thus, reducing the overall expenditure. Think about having reduced area by minimising the number of rooms and bathrooms. Building a two-storey structure over a one-storey building, is a smart strategy. High front elevation with the use of structural elements for beautification, can sure burn a hole in your pocket.

Reclaimed building materials

Buy low-maintenance construction materials. Work with your contractor to source the right materials at lower prices which include locally available bricks, cement, etc. Old or reclaimed materials could also be used, particularly for staircases. Perform judicious selection of products, for instance, RCC (Reinforced Concrete Cement) door frames are much cheaper compared to wooden door frames. Negotiate with various stakeholders for discounts while buying materials in bulk.

Smart technologies

Prefabrication is one of the latest technologies that is known to not just curtail construction time but guarantee savings as well. Hire reputable contractors who can help in this regard. Modern construction techniques are advantageous when it comes to achieving a greater percentage of accuracy.  

Experienced professionals

Contractors who have stayed in the business for long will possess the skills to keep change orders to a minimum while also ensuring quality compliance. Changes in materials or blueprints which occur during the building process can highly impact the cost of construction. Collaborate with a professional architect and structural designer, to seek advice on saving costs by optimising the house design.

Property Management Tips For Landlords

 Whether you manage your properties alone or have enlisted a capable property manager, being a landlord requires significant time and effort to ensure your properties are providing a return on investment, and doing their part to help build your financial security.

When executed correctly, being a landlord enables you to meet your financial goals faster, and gives you pride in your ability to provide good quality housing for your tenants. When things go wrong, being a landlord leaves you vulnerable to risk, and can land you in drawn-out personal conflicts or even legal battles, if you have gaps in your personal protection plan. 

A reputable property manager can provide a personalized assessment, as well as more information about how to best manage your assets as a landlord. However, the following tips and tricks are a useful starting point for new landlords, and a helpful refresher for experienced landlords looking to maximize the potential of their investments.

1. Be meticulous about tenant selection

Placing a tenant into your property might seem like a straightforward proposition, but a little extra time spent on finding the perfect candidates can save you a significant amount of time and money later on. 

It is undeniably cheaper to keep a good-quality tenant long-term than it is to spend time and money on readvertising your property and cleaning up after, or even evicting low-quality renters, not to mention the risk of having a property without income if a new occupant is not available immediately after a previous tenant has vacated the property. With this in mind, selecting tenants should be a significant priority for every successful landlord. If due to study, you do not have enough time to choose a tenant and your academic performance drops, then you can use the paper writer service to save time and improve your grades

Ensure your advertising is consistent with and targeted toward the kind of tenants you want to find. If you’re looking for high-end executives, advertisements on paid sites, such as Zillow or Realtor.com, with high-quality photographs of your property, are more likely to attract the quality of tenants you’re seeking. If you’re looking for students or young families, less formal sites, like Craigslist or even Facebook Marketplace, may be a more cost-effective option. 

Where possible, be present for property inspections so you can meet the tenants face to face, or ask your property manager for a run-down of their impressions. Ensure that the rules are explained clearly, and be friendly at all times. You want tenants to look after your property the way you would, and being likeable will go a long way in achieving that!

A word of warning—if you’re in a position to provide quality housing at a reasonable price, it can be tempting to help out family members. While this is entirely up to you, many landlords and property managers advise against renting to family.

Family members may feel entitled to ignore certain clauses and requests, or you may feel uncomfortable following up late rent payments or damages when you have to see the occupant at next week's family barbeque. If you do rent to family, have a very honest conversation about the lease and expectations before making anything official. 

2. Get the lease right

Getting your lease right is critical in protecting yourself, and making sure each party has a clear understanding of their role in the agreement. For complete peace of mind, have a professional draw up your lease in consultation with yourself; whether that professional be a lawyer or a property manager. A trusted professional will know the ins and outs of what is allowable and proper to ensure you’re not caught out during any future conflicts with your residents. 

Pay particular attention to the clauses that outline your rights and responsibilities. Having a full understanding of how late payments are managed, how inspections work, or eviction timelines can empower you to act on less desirable occupants if required, while remaining confident that the law is on your side.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting your property to be lived in the way you would treat it. It would be wonderful if every renter used area rugs and never scuffed a wall, but your lease holders are human, and your property may not stay pristine after years of use. It can be tempting to add detailed clauses to your lease to prevent any deterioration of the living spaces, but you should research the legalities for your local area to see what’s reasonable/

For example, it may not be legal in your jurisdiction to deny pet applications without just cause, but you may be able to charge a ‘pet fee’ to cover any potential damage caused by the animal. 

3. Be smart and responsive about property repairs

Landlords are responsible for ensuring their properties are safe to live in, and that it is up to code (according to your local regulations). Being responsive to any concerns raised by the tenants will confirm for your tenants that you are willing to uphold your end of the lease, which makes them less likely to cause avoidable problems for you down the line.

While it may be tempting to hire the first repair service who returns your call, make sure you call around and get multiple quotes when things need fixing. Finding the best value service and building a relationship with the owner will save you a treasure trove over the years. Consider having a repair fund for emergencies so you’re never caught out without the funds to uphold your legal duties as a landlord. And, if you’re aware of bigger maintenance issues, weigh the cost of frequent ‘patch’ fixes vs spending more upfront for a full repair, which may save you money in the long run.

4. Find the right property manager

If you choose to hire a property manager to look after your investments, do your due diligence and shop around. If choosing tenants is important, choosing the person who’ll be interacting with them is doubly so!  A good property manager will provide you with regular reporting and clear communication, and will be able to take you through established protocol for any tenant-related situations that may arise.

Ask prospective property managers for references, request detail around their processes and communication practices, and get a live demonstration of any online platforms they use. This will give you a good idea of how they do business, and what kind of asset they will be to you. 

5. Protect your own wellbeing 

Resolving issues stemming from tenant management can be intensely stressful, particularly if multiple properties have issues at the same time. It’s critical that you set boundaries and give yourself the space to enjoy your life outside of property management. After all, isn’t more freedom the reason you became a landlord?

Consider protecting yourself with landlord insurance to take some of the immediate stress away/ You could be covered for loss of income in the event a property is without a tenant, malicious damage caused by problem lease holders, or even your own personal property if you have some stored in your buildings. 

Some states allow a landlord to require renters. If this is allowable in your local region, it’s a great option to add an extra layer of protection to your property, without upfront costs to yourself. 

All the insurance in the world won't give you quality time back with your family. Set business hours for yourself and make sure anyone who may need to contact you knows they can do so within those hours only (barring emergencies). The world won't collapse if you’re not notified about that dripping tap until morning. Setting boundaries with your occupants or property manager will create the work-life balance you’ve been striving for!

6. Get your filing right

You’re already aware of the importance of protecting yourself with iron-clad lease agreements and various insurance, but all the documentation in the world won't help you if you can’t actually locate it! 

A common error made by inexperienced landlords is failing to create and maintain a no-fuss, intuitive filing system that allows you to find what you need, fast. Electronic filing systems are, undoubtedly, the best option as physical filing systems are prone to being lost, or fire or water damage. However, a mix of electronic and physical is advisable as the possibility of cloud-based storage systems failing is also something to be wary of. 

Keep your documents clearly labelled, in appropriate folders. You may have one folder for each property, for each tenant, or even for each property manager. Whatever you choose, make sure it works for you. 

Takeaway 

Being a landlord can set you up for lifelong financial security and day-to-day freedom from the traditional 9 to 5. Keeping in mind and utilizing these tips are the first steps in creating a solid foundation on which to build your property empire. Get the basics right, surround yourself with a quality team of management and maintenance professionals, understand the law, as well as be completely aware of your and your tenants’ rights, and you’ll find yourself enjoying a comfortable life that is free from the stress that comes with poorly managed properties.