⌛ Builder Quotes

PatO, looks great... I assume all DI-members are invited for the house-warming party :D (heard rumors about he food-source )

I most likely will never build anything and will stick to my rental policy, but I saw that now a few times in buildings.... Why are the window grills inside ? That burglars break windows first before they see that they can't go inside ?

 

We put the window grills inside for aesthetic purposes, might look like a prison if on the outside and the high walls. Plus we have green tinted windows to match the tile roof and add a little sun block.

I agree with a rental policy as a less expensive way and that was in my retirement financial plan until I met and married Crislyn and wanted to give her a home for the rest of her life which will hopefully extend far beyond mine...

We may have the house blessing/house warming before we move in, I guess that is a Catholic way, not much furniture to put in the house anyway. Of course a few folks from the forum will be welcome, the 'food source' offered to help out

 

Thanks for your answer, that's very interesting. That would be exactly the reason for me to put it outside, as it would be my house and the last thing I want to see is jail-windows the few hours I am inside the house.
When I am on my veranda, I look into my garden and not at my house. While inside I look many times at windows.

 

Different strokes for difference folks. That's one of the benefits of living in a multi-culture environment and enjoying the way others see things different than you, no right, no wrong. Maybe when you see it first hand you will have a better appreciation of inside vs outside or after a few SMBs not be able to tell if they are in or out :-)

 

thats more than true, I saw it also at G's house and was wondering... well at least when I drink inside I won't be able to jump through the window (and i had very bad experience after at party when i was 16... don't ask) :o

 

Built My Own

I am just completing my house in Valencia. I was also quoted 18,000 per sq mtr by several contractors but I found the price high and the quality of the houses they built to be mediocre. I ended up building myself with advice from some friends. My house came to about 13,000 per sq mtr and the quality of materials and construction was much better than the houses that the contractors had shown me. Of course, I had to be at the construction site everyday and I had to be really clear on exactly what I wanted. If you build yourself, you will have to realize that most of these workers have never seen the kinds of houses we have in or countries and will not understand our reasoning for many things.

It turned out to be an enriching experience and I am proud of the result. I had mostly good, hard-working, honest workers and I felt bad letting them go at the end of the project. I have been able to find work for some of my better workers, one of them is just finishing an addition at Casablanca Restaurant on the Blvd and a couple of the other laborers have been doing the footings etc for another house up in the mountains above Valencia. If you are interested in taking on the project yourself, PM me and I can put you in contact with these guys and also share some of my "lessons learnt"; areas where I saved money and areas where I lost / wasted money. I also know somebody (that I find honest) that could help you find a lot here in Valencia.

Steve

 

Steve, great job and congratulations! Sound like you not only cut your costs significantly but had a rewarding experience. Can you share some of the ways you cut costs, for future home builders. Did you use wood or steel to support your roof and what kind of roofing did you use? Did you have to backfill any of the lot? Did you put a wall around your lot? How much concrete did you use? How long did the project take? Again, impressive work.

 

P18,000 to P20,000 per sq mtr is quite high, I think. We finished our place in March at a cost of under P12,000 per. Quality is very good (not the best, but very good.) If you're interested, let me know.