Common residential construction mistakes and how to avoid them

Building a new home is an exciting venture. It is also an expensive undertaking as well as many opportunities for making mistakes. Experts share how to ensure that your new home is practical, cost effective, energy efficient or even fit-for-purpose.

Building without a plan
Always  get professional house plans. According to Herbert Zziwa, the communications manager at National Building Review Board (NBRB), regulation’s, section 34(1,2) of the Building Control Act, 2013,  stipulates that no person shall not carry out a building operation without a valid building permit issued by a building committee. 
Apart from being in violation of the law, building without a professionally designed plan increases chances of making expensive mistakes and delays. 

“Do not make the mistake of assuming that because you know what you want, you will be able to implement it properly.  Every good builder will tell you, it is absolutely essential to have an extremely detailed set of plans. These plans act as an ‘instruction book’ for all of the contractors, sub-contractors, workmen, plumbers, electricians and flooring specialists among others. It is absolutely essential that the plans are accurate, up to date and are being referred to at all times,” Zziwa says.

Cutting edge design 
Simon Peter Kazibwe, a design expert notes that many architects and designers are interested in producing the most cutting edge designs. This is done selfishly because the more cutting edge the design the more money the project will generate and more publicity it will attract. 

However, unless you are creating a show home, you will need your home to be less bespoke and more practical.  Instead, look for an architect who will provide a plan that addresses your particular needs and is suitable for your type of land. 

“You might have come across sprawling family homes that have little or no useable outdoor play space or those with floorplans that are inconvenient.  It is therefore, important that you take your current lifestyle needs into consideration, but also any changes that may be on the horizon. For example, is there a possibility that your family will be expanding? Do you have children who may have different needs? Your design should accommodate all that or be able to easily change function and use over its lifespan,” Kazibwe suggests. 

Excessively unique materials
Look for materials that are that are readily available, easily understood by builders to construct a home that is comfortable, safe, durable and low-maintenance for decades to come. Materials such as concrete and steel are just too expensive, unsafe and not easy for anyone to work with.

 Experts reveal that steel is a carbon-intensive building product that comes at significant cost to the project in terms of time, money and is bad for the environment.

 “Using steel requires specific engineering design and detailing, builder estimating and procurement of steel fabrication, detailed shop drawings (designed, drafted and triple checked), delivery and cranage, site welding and installation. Also, steel is difficult to modify on site if the design changes so there will always be delays in case what is available is the wrong size,” says civil engineer Ronald Atwiine. 

Using unfamiliar products
Do not be blinded by eye-catching aesthetics, especially those that will require unusual materials or novelty ways to be used. 

“Ambitious architects will recommend products because they want their project to stand out even if the products are manufactured without consistent dimensions, making installation time-consuming and wasteful.
 In addition the people tasked with installing these products are usually expected to quickly erect them, rather than to install them in a detailed way with care and precision. 
 This will have to inflate their pricing to cover their overheads, risk and time,” Atwiine notes. 

Instead of risking with new and unfamiliar products, whose procurement and installation are difficult and their warranties and performance uncertain, choose quality products that are straightforward and cost-effective to install and that will last for decades. 

Choosing the wrong team
Choosing the right contractor can be a tricky decision as the wrong ones can impact the entire construction process including budget and the overall finished product. The right contractor will help with purchasing and sourcing all the materials, finding and the contractors, applying for permits and consents as well as managing the entire project. The right contractor has the comprehensive understanding of the process meaning less expensive mistakes. 

 “When building a new house everyone’s goal is to save money, nobody wants to pay more for something than it is worth or get ripped off.

 However, when it comes to choosing a contractor, cheapest option may not always be the best. Sometimes contractors will provide extremely low quotes to get the job, but you have to ask yourself how are they able to do this job for such a low price? Do they pay their workers poorly encouraging a poor level of workmanship? Are their workers unlicensed or inexperienced? Are they using cheaper construction materials? If it seems too good to be true then it probably is,” Kazibwe says.

Ignoring the environment
One of the biggest mistakes people make when building a new home is forgetting to factor in the surrounding environment. This can mean the difference between a warm, sunny, quiet home and a home that is an unpleasant place to live. Always think about the direction your bedrooms and living room are facing and how much sun they will get throughout the different times of the year. Positioning the house to maximise sun exposure is key to creating a warm healthy living environment.

 Also, think about the neighbours and existing homes does your living room facing into their bedroom? Does their two-storey home mean your living room will be in shade most of the day?