Over budget is very a common problem when especially falls true when building a house. There are a million ways to save money and also to spend money when building your home. When comes to save money you have to be aware of what’s important to you, and where you can save during the process. In this article, we are going to share how to save construction cost while going through the right construction process to build own home. Here are some related articles for reducing building cost; Self Sustaining Homes, Autonomous and Green Building Design, Advantages of Using Renewable or Alternatives Energy.
If building or designing budget goes over budget, what do you do? Do you throw the design completely and start over? Do you put the project on hold until you come up with more money? Or do you try to reduce construction costs during the design process when it’s very easier, very convenient and less expensive to move walls and change details? Answer is very clear, do research and try to find most sustainable way reduce construction cost. There are various project management theories exist today addressing these competing constraints about reducing cost and how to make them workable during the whole building process from design to finishing. The easiest and simple way to understand is the Project Management Triangle. This easiest way is a visual concept that illustrates how time, money, and quality of a project relate to each other. It is also called as the Iron-Triangle, Triple Constrain or Pick 2.
Here is the best way to interpret:
- Quality = good. You can get the project done well (good).
- Time = fast. You can get the project done fast.
- Money = cheap. You can get the project done cheaply.
Remember that you can’t have the project done well, fast, AND cheap.
09 Best Tips to Reduce Construction Budget
If you’re not careful, you might end up overspending on a project that could have been done in a fraction of that budget. Here are some tips you can use for reducing construction cost on your next architectural undertaking
- Try to find economic building plots: This one of the best and first Tips, buy a large lot with a friend or family member that can be split into two smaller lots. This tips will save large amount of construction cost by sharing the plot cost with someone else (preferably someone you don’t mind having as a neighbor). You may be able to get a great building site for a reasonable price by economic plots.
- Simple is the ultimate sophistication: Avoid complicated designs and try to be minimal and modern. Modern minimal designs are more unique, beautiful and sustainable. Keep your design simple with a rule-based syntactic “Simple is better”.
- Try to Build small and tall: Build smarter with space. Smaller house multi-use spaces. Build small and tall or Multi storied construction. Keep it simple, and remember to not design for additional floors if not required
- Try to Use space effectively: Cutting square footage from the bedrooms and living rooms won’t achieve the same effect as eliminating the same square footage from kitchens and baths. Certain rooms cost more to construct. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually smaller but the most expensive rooms. They have the expensive stuff: appliances, cabinets, countertops, tile, fixtures, plumbing connections, and electrical and lighting hookups. Contrast this with empty rooms that have simple finishes like bedrooms and storage rooms and you can see how these spaces can vary in cost.
- Use Sustainable Materials: Another smart way of reducing construction cost for your project is by being very choosy with your materials. Around 60-70% of your budget is comprised of the materials. Try use recycled materials because its more green and sustainable. This cost computation can be drastically altered if you limit your choice of materials to vernacular and totally indigenous. You can also opt to buy reclaimed materials. The up cycling would be eco-friendly and add more character to your project at the same time.
- Don’t focus on cost per square foot: The cost per square foot calculation will actually increase if you try to reducing overall square footage to reduce costs. Don’t let this discourage you. No matter what you still have to have a kitchen, bathroom, HVAC system, water heater, etc. The costs of these expensive items now get distributed over less total square feet which increase your cost per square foot calculation.
- Value of using a professional: If you’re building the home yourself and you are not an experienced builder, you are taking a significant risk with one of the largest assets most people ever own. Builder and architects have knowledge regarding codes, material and rules
- Try to Use Simple method and materials: Often, the more you know, the more confused you get. The more options you find out about, the more money you’ll think you’ll have to spend to ‘get it right’. Use same flooring in all the rooms, same tiles in all the toilets, this reduces wastage and save cost due to bulk buying and optimization on labor input. The fact is about that if a product or system is commonly and widely used across the industry and across the country, there will be more people providing it and so therefore naturally be more competition on price
9. Try To use new Technologies: You optimizing cost by using new technologies for buildings. Try to use sustainable technologies and green technologies. These types of technologies are better for environments and also save your construction budget on a large scale.
- GFRG
- Porotherm smart bricks
- EPS Panels
Always remember: It’s always more cost-effective to make changes during design phase before concrete is poured and walls are framed. Not only does this make for a more affordable house construction process, it also saves you from investing a lot of time and money upfront on a design that you later realize is over-budget.