You might have been wondering what it takes to build a new house. Or perhaps, you’re being inquisitive about timing in this regard. Well, this may just be what birthed this article idea.
While you are asking yourself how long it will take, it may come as a rude shock to you that you’re not alone. This publication has learnt from research and building industry stakeholders that there are many people who desire to build their own houses, just like you.
Below are however factors that determine the time it takes to build a new house:
● Land
Building Engineers and contractors have argued that it’s common for most people who intend to build their houses, to forget about site preparation. Prior to the slab being poured, your block of land will need to be flattened, levelled and stabilised. And the time to do this depends on some factors too, like -whether your block is situated on a slope, has highly-reactive soil, or needs rocks and trees removed.
So, in order to utilise your timing well, when purchasing a land, it’s always important you get a builder’s opinion, as some blocks are more expensive to prepare than others. And in the cases you’ve already chosen or purchased your land, a quick site inspection by your builder will yield a much more accurate sacrosanct.
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● House design
Research has it that larger or more complex homes take longer periods to build. So you are thinking about how long does it take to build a new house? Well, it depends on what is to be designed by a building engineer, the design of a structure sometimes determines how long it will take to build. For instance, while a single-storey home with a standard design usually takes 4 to 6 months to complete, provided that there are no unforeseen delays, a multi-storey or custom home usually takes a little longer.
● Weather
Heavy rain has always been the prime enemy of home builders. And it doesn’t matter where you choose to build. For you to determine how long it would take to build a new house, the weather has to be put in mind. It’s however important you know that some days, there might be building delays because Mother Nature will occasionally spoil the party. In this instance where building delays are imminent, it’s not because builders are afraid of getting wet, it’s always because many of the home-building tasks simply can’t be undertaken in the rain. For example, concrete foundations can’t be poured during heavy rain, nor can holes be dug in saturated ground without the walls caving in.
● Unplanned changes
In this case, the scheduled period of which builders are expected to complete a building can get entirely blown out because, during the building process, the clients wanted some changes that were initially not planned. Post-contract changes and variations should be avoided once you’ve selected your design, as these will extend your build-time.
Builders’ sentiments
Kelvin Ikedieze, a building engineer, said there’s no specific period for house buildings. According to him, only in selected cases can a builder project a particular time for the completion of the project he’s contracted to do.
His words: “A lot of things happen in the process of developing or building a property. Things like climate change, crisis, and sudden change in the building plan by the clients, are some of the many factors that delay building projects.”
Corroborating Ikedieze’s claim, Leye Awonuga who’s a building contractor, explained that it’s important to project a particular time of which a building project will be completed but it’s most times unrealistic. “While you want your project to be completed by a certain period, you should have at the back of your mind that anything can happen, such that there will be delays,” he stated.
