Design and Construction of house-Queries and replies

PLAN OF THE HOUSE

Query

Dear Thomas Sir,

I am Johnson writing you from Dubai. I am in the very beginning stage of preparing a plan and happened to go through your blog.

An architectural firm from Trissur is working on my plan and they have just sent me the preliminary plan.I here by attaching the same . I  would like to have your consultancy service for fixing a best & and a very cost effective  plan for my plot.

My plot is in Puthuppally Kottayam Dist.Please advise me, How can we go ahead in accomplishing  the above?

Johnson

My reply

On going through plan sent by you I could make out few defects in it.Some of them are the following:

1.For an East facing house both Gate and Car porch should come at Northern half of the frontage.Here car porch come at South side

2.For an east facing house,Kitchen can be at South East(Agni Konam) or in your case it will be better to go for the second option position of Kitchen,North West.North East is Esaana Konam which is ideal for Pooja room and well and not good for Kitchen

3.For a modern Kitchen Store is not required.It is a mere waste of space as Modular  Kitchen will be designed to have storage space separately  for each item used in Kitchen arranged in a manner convenient for house wife to reach for while working in Kitchen instead of old fashioned Store which is nothing more than a dumping place.

4.U shaped stair case is out dated and old fashioned.It leaves lot of un utilisable dark space below.Present trend is to convert Stair case in to a show piece with carefully designed cabinets underneath which can be used either as display place or storage space.Also Vasthu require climbing of stairs from West to East(In this case East to West)

5.At entry to house immediately after a small Foyer a wall comes blocking entry passage.It is highly inauspicious.

6.Toilet at South East corner  is not good  as per Vasthu

It will be better if I can visit your site and redesign the plan of the house

Basic Plan of the house will show positions and dimensions of rooms, other living spaces, doors and windows

We will be preparing this Basic Plan in AutoCAD software and you will get a pdf copy by email within a week of site visit.

Based on mutual discussions this plan prepared can be revised and reviewed and changes accepted by our experts can be incorporated in the plan.

This is the most important document for a house construction. A well-designed plan by a qualified professional with good experience in designing and building houses can give you better facilities, appearance and lesser cost of construction.

Basic Plan for the house will be prepared after site visit,taking into account following:

1.       Information provided by you on your needs, desires and hopes for the house.

2.       Vasthu aspects

3.       Traditional Kerala Architecture features

4.       Modern Architecture features

5.       Structural Engineering aspects to reduce cost of construction

6.       Kerala Building Rules

7.      Features of site and surroundings

I require detailed write up from you on what all you require in the house including your dreams for the house.

Our technical knowledge in the fields of Architecture, Structural Engineering and Vasthu will be used while designing your house.

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION

Query

Hi Mr.Thomas,

Got your details from Kerala architecture.com.

Am planning to make a( traditional-modern mix) house in a small plot of land of 4 cent with in a budget of 7-10 lakhs.The land  is reclaimed field in Anchal,Kollam.

i would like the house as small as possible with a hall ,kitchen and front room as ground floor and 3 bath attached shoe-cabinet type bed rooms on first floor(Some what studio-type).

Please advice

Sajith V Pillai.

My reply

What you have sent is not an Engineering or Architectural plan of the house

At best it can be treated as expression of your imagination about plan of your house

Building a normal house of three bed room with a budget of Rs.9 lakhs will be practically difficult.Even if you have only Rs.9 lakhs with you now it will be good to start construction now with a well designed plan of the house prepared by a qualified and experienced Architect.A good design of the house can save you lakhs of money and provide you better facilities with better space utilisation

As cost of all inputs of house construction keep going up everyday,it will be foolish to wait for having entire money estimated to reach you.Even if you can do only foundation of house now,do it now.Tomorrow will be costly.Housing loan is available without much difficulty now offering long term repayment options.If required we can help you on that also

Design and construction of house-Queries and replies

Review of plan prepared

Quote

Dear Mr.Thomas,

Please find the floor plan, site plan and electrical markups and vasthu corrections (not much changes, except few sizing and over all area) ..

Hope and believe this will help you to review and give your valuable suggestions and guidance on the attached plans .Based on this we will proceed further to next stage of scheduling a site visit and further steps..

FYI – We like follow cost effective, natural/eco friendly but classic-traditional-elegant- approaches with innovative and modern techniques.

John.

My reply

On Vasthu,you seem to have consulted typical Kerala ashari who go by wrong ideas and Chuttalavu which has no mention in any of the authentic Vasthu books

Even positions of rooms they follow are different and wrong

For example South east is Agnikonam ideal place for Kitchen.North east is Esaana Konam ideal for Pooja room and well and definitely not good for Kitchen or Bed room

You have bed rooms at south west and North west which are good

For an East facing house,gate and car porch should come at North half.Here car porch comes at South.I do not understand why a passage is given from car porch to house

Even though bed room sizes are quite big,two bed rooms sharing one toilet with two separate doors  is simply foolish and ridiculous.You could have added Dress and Toilet even by reducing Bed room dimensions thereby giving more utility to bed space

Lot of space is simply wasted and there is not enough space where it really require

I do not know why you require a stair from inside for a single floor house

Rest of the comments I can make after a site visit.

Clay tiles  for floor and Hollow Blocks

Quote

Dear Thomas:

Happened to read your excellent informative blog and had questions -  Clay Tiles and Clay hollow bricks.
I am yet to start my house construction. I live in Tripunithura.

Clay Tile Flooring
I was thinking about clay tiles for flooring and many folks discouraged me(same story - fungus, slippery etc). But after reading your blog, have some confidence.

http://www.kapindiatiles.com/flooring.htm
In this page, I liked the 2nd picture flooring. Is that clay tiles too? 

Hollow bricks:
http://www.kapindiatiles.com/bricksforwalls.htm

Planned to do hollow bricks for my walls. Got discouraged when my  contractor said anyone, especially robbers, can easily slit through exposed hollow bricks. Is this true?
Actually I was thinking of using hollow bricks and then plastering both sides. Would I still get the benefit of heat reduction if I use plastering ?
Also can I can cut down time as well as cement usage if I use clay hollow bricks instead of traditional bricks?

Pricing
If you can please give more details on following or provide a contact person and number, that would be helpful.

I would like to get more details on pricing and transportation etc..
I live in Tripunithura and from where can I get these tiles and hollow bricks?  From Trichur, I guess?

Tiles:
What is cost per sf? What could be final cost(approximate) per s f including additional works required (acid wash, urethane etc.).
Also are skilled workers available? where are they located?

Hollow bricks:
My engineer says I need 20 inch walls. That said, what type of hollow bricks do I need? I also need roofing bricks.
Please give an idea of cost per block, transportation cost and details, availability, how soon you can ship to Tripunithura etc. After how many days can I get the bricks?

Please provide details or a contact person with number.

Thanks
Thomas

My reply

Clay tiles do not get fungus after proper polishing.Clay tiles laid on my office  flat roof eight years back are still without any fungus.Clay tiles are not slippery like ceramic or vitrified tiles

What you have indicated are Kurudy clay tiles used for  construction of walls and even as filler for roof concrete.There is no harm in it having hollow inside and no thief can open it easily.You can use these blocks or solid /hollow concrete blocks for construction of wall.Semi wire cut bricks though costly are better for construction of walls from the point of strength

Heat inside house can be reduced by better design by a well qualified experienced Architect who can design a house with better ventilation and easy flow of light and wind

Cost of tiles will have to be checked up with manufacturer/supplier

No body uses 20 inches wall for house construction.For load bearing walls 20 cm thickness is sufficient.For partition walls,10 cm walls can be used

Building Permit

Quote

Hello Mr. Thomas.

Thanks for allowing me to post a question. I am constructing a home in Kothamangalam that comes under Panchayat area. My home is just less than 3000 sq.ft. I am building only one floor and has some plans to build upstairs for rental in the future. So my questions are -

1) Do I get a separate building number for my upstairs unit? The stair case has direct access from outside as well as from the ground floor unit.

2) My Architect says that I need to leave 4 ft width for my stair case as per new regulations in cochin area (he is from cochin) when I make that as a passage to the rental unit. so he think it might get extended to panchayat sooner. But I am not happy giving almost 8 ft for stair case room. Do you think this will be an issue for me in the future?

3) If I don't get a separate number, then I don't need to worry about the staircase width rite? I don't need to give any approvals to rent out my upstairs unit if its part of same building number. Does it has any difficulty in getting a separate electricity connection and all?

4) If I get 2 building number for the same building, will I be avoiding the luxury tax (3000 sq.ft+)? <3000 for first unit and ~1000 sq.ft. for upstairs unit.

Please provide your valuable suggestions.

Thanks
Eldho

My reply

1.You can get a separate building no for upstairs if that is an independent dwelling unit.You will have to show ground and upper floors as separate dwelling units in completion plan or simply inform Panchayath accordingly if your house s under construction are in panchayath area

2.Outside stair can be kept in clearance space as per building rules and hence you do not have to leave extra space for it.

3.If you get a separate building no for both floors,you can get separate Electric connections

4.When you have two building no's panchayath tax will be less for both house units

House construction work after plastering(Interior works)

Quote

Dear Sir,

My house construction is going on in Changanacherry,Kottayam( dist.)now the plastering of walls is going on,this is a 2 storey building,I would like you to do interior design including kitchen and bed room cabinets,wardrobes etc.,please clarify the details you need from my side

hope to see an early reply

Regards

Krishna Kumar

My reply

We can take complete Interior work for the house which include following

1.Plumbing work with expert workers from Cochin with latest technology inputs

2.Electrical wiring again with our expert workers

3.Putty work before painting

4.Enamel painting/polishing/wall painting

5.Interior wood work like modular Kitchen,cupboards etc.

6.Furniture work with hand carving if required

7.Flooring and toilet wall/floor tile laying with latest trend designs/patterns

8.Landscaping work and any other related work

It will be beneficial to you if I can visit site,take measurements,assess work already done and suggest improvements and check vasthu compliance

Please send me plan of your house in pdf  clearly marking directions and positions of roads

Right now we are doing similar work for another house at Changanassery for which work up to plastering was done by somebody else.Plumbing work is in progress there

House Construction in Kerala-Queries and replies

COST Of BUILDING HOUSE

Quote

Dear sir,
I want to build a single story house consisting 100 Sq.ft. in Harippad Kerala. Please let me know approximate amount will be incurred only for building

My reply

For building a house first step is preparation of plan of house.Then using Engineering estimate method it will be possible to get approximate indication of cost

There is nothing like a square feet cost of construction.I have written a lot on this in my blogs.Read more

Assistance for  Project work

Quote

Hello Thomas Viruvelil sir,

I am into my 5th year, B.Arch and I am a student from SPA Hyderabad.

Your work is interesting and of great help.

I am greatly interested to work on a Heritage Hotel, and I am doing my prelim. studies on this subject. It would be of GREAT help to me, to have valuable inputs from you regarding this.

I am so interested to know if there are similar projects to work on and study; and to have a nice experience,of the subject.

I am in search of "suitable" buildings "old and traditional" which fit into the slot to develop through an adaptive reuse. Had gone through the GOVT.rules about classification of Heritage hotels, and realised I need to have a building aged before 1935 or so for a project like this.Hope that you guys could help me with this aspect at the earliest.

The other topic I have in my mind is a "Heritage Homestay" for the tourists. It would be nice if you help me out with possible sites and which are suitable for such a development. And even more helpful if i could get some inputs about any old homes or palaces that are going to be renewed or converted to hotels. :)

I wish to have some valuable inputs regarding this.
Waiting for a positive response.

Nikhil Dev VN
Student.
5th yr.B.Arch. SPA JNAFAU HYD

My reply

It will be better and more meaningful if you can visit Cochin for effective interaction with me and  during the visit I can suggest buildings that can meet your interest for specific study

Assessing soil condition

Quote

Dear Mr. Viruvelil Hormise Thomas

My name is Gino Itty George. I am currently designing a house in Thottackadu, Karuckachal, Kottayam. My client wasn't able to procure sufficient details of the site and I am a bit worried. What would be the soil condition of that place? He says he has rubber plantation nearby. Will the site have Laterite soil or Alluvial soil? And in each case what type of foundation would be applicable?

Waiting for your reply.

Gino

My reply

I need to visit site to give you  my assessment on the site conditions

Info On Mankara,Palakkad

Quote

Geenius.a  has sent you a link to a blog:

sir,thank you 4 your info.can u kindly give some information about mankara a small village in Palakkad.

Blog:  Kerala Architecture.com
Post:  Kerala Architecture
Link:  http://viruvelil.blogspot.com/2008/07/kerala-architecture_17.html

My reply

I have not visited Mankara and hence I am not familiar with the place

What is special significance of Mankara as far as Kerala Architecture is concerned?

House modification and interior work at Cochin

Quote

Dear Thomas,

I am Jos John, your classmate in Trichur Engineering  college. During the year 89 we met each other when you came to o/e/n Mulanthuruthy when I was working there. Now, I am working in Doha and coming for one month vacation From June 29. I require some modifications and interiors after checking the Vasthu of the house and quotation  to do the job. Now, it is locked and nobody is staying there. Please reply.

Jos J Athanikkal.

Senior Project Manager(E & I)

GALFARAl Misnad Engg., & Contg., WLL.
Doha, Qatar.

My reply

I have to visit site before I can comment on what can be done on the house to improve utility and appearance of the house

New house construction at Trichur

Quote

Dear Mr Thomas:

Please accept my compliments for the great service you render to people like me with no knowledge or experience in building homes.

We have a plot of land admeasuring 5 cents near Trichur (Kerala). We wish to construct a single-storied house (with foundation strong enough for another floor in future) admeasuring around 1,000 sq. ft. or so - 2 BHK) at an estimated all-inclusive cost of Rs 10-11 lakh at 2011 prices.

I will appreciate it if you kindly let me have a couple of suitable designs with dimensions, features and cost (where applicable) at your early convenience and oblige.

Thanking you and with best regards

Dr KSB Nayar, Ahmedabad

My reply

Design for your house has to be specifically designed to meet your plot conditions ,requirements and budget

Any other plan of the house prepared for somebody else may not suit you.I prefer to visit site and discuss with you in detail on your needs for the house before attempting to design your house

Cast iron gates,Interlock tiles and Landscaping design and guidance

Naturally you need not just the house but the gate,compound wall and landscape around the house to look impressive modern,convenient and comfortable.

Cast iron gates with better design and quality

Our associates at Cochin manufactures best quality cast iron gates both movable and opening type with better design by our team of experts. We can supply these at anywhere in Kerala

Interlock tile laying for your compound in front of house

Interlock tile laying with attractive designs can be arranged by us with our associates manufacturing these tiles at Cochin. Laying also can be arranged by us anywhere in Kerala

Also by visiting your site we can properly advice and suggest a better land scape to make your surroundings of house look elegant , comfortable and convenient

Look at some pictures

For price and other terms write to us

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Ferro cement septic tanks, water tanks

 

Our associates at Cochin manufactures quality Ferro cement concrete septic tanks and water tanks for more than 20 years now. These products have exceptionally good quality. Absolutely no complaints even after tens or twenty years of installation, comparatively cheaper compared to traditional brick and plaster septic tanks which get damaged very fast with tree roots breaking walls within a few years of installation

We will arrange supply anywhere in Kerala with excavation and installation directly by manufacturer and with technical guidance from our experts

For details and order to supply and install, write to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Queries and reply-House design,construction

Small house for vacation

QUOTE

I have been surfing the net and found your blog. I read all questions and your answers and I understand that you do your work with sincerity and perfection and  that is the reason I am writing this mail to you. I have a plot in Kalady which is 2000 sq.ft in area. Also there is a dilapidated old tiled house. I do not want any big construction to be laid in the land as I am planning to use the space for growing plants(herbal medicines and vegetables). I want to live in a house, even it is going to be a hut, but in a calm, green and healthy environment without much luxury and advancements in terms of technology. I need a plan whereby I want only two rooms apart  from bath and toilet. The two rooms are just a big hall and a kitchen. The big hall should function as living room and bed room. To avoid outside people I will also go for a sit-out in the front portion. The house should be a typical Kerala type tiled house though very small. It would be great if it is planned esthetically having in mind the olden days. It should give  the feeling of a home rather than a house. I am planning to bring big social activities living there and hence it is a dream-project for me. Hope you would understand my intention well. The most important feature I am looking forward to is construction of a perfect pyramid for meditation and concentration purpose. Please let me know whether we can proceed with this project. If you reply this as a possible task, I shall send you the plot details.

Best Regards,
CHITHRA RAGHAVAN
Watch your thoughts; they become words,
Watch your words; they become actions,
Watch your actions; they become habits,
Watch your habits; they become character,
Watch your character; it becomes destiny.

My reply

Your dreams are good.A site visit is required first to study site conditions and to think how best your dreams can be converted into a plan of the house.From there we will move on step by step to reach your dream house

Interlock bricks for  house construction

QUOTE

I'm Ajith from Trivandrum. I went through your websites, seems appeal to me, I'm planning to build a home in near future, what's your opinion about homes built using interlock bricks?is it a good option? Expecting a reply from your side.

My reply

In my opinion interlock bricks are more suited for compound wall.In Kerala climate with continuous rains for more than 8 months it is better to plaster at least outer walls.

To reduce cost you can use solid concrete blocks instead of  brick

Queries and reply-House Construction

Extension to existing house

QUOTE

I am having a one storage house and I would like to add one more storage.My house is of 1200 sq feet and I would like to add the staircase from inside the house.I like to have two bedrooms and a hall.Is it possible for you to give me details about the maximum expenditure that I have to put on

I do not have the plan with me now as i am in Pune.Is it possible for me to know how much will be the maximum expenditure that i have to put according to the market today.I will see whether i could get the plan.

Anul Ramesh

My reply

Lack of awareness on House construction related matters make you think that some one qualified and experienced may be able to give cost indication with the information provided by you.House construction or extension is not that simple

In fact it will be very difficult to assess or estimate expenses that can be expected for a modification/extension work as defects in construction of the original building will be known only when we attempt to do extension work.

A site visit,preparation of drawings of existing and proposed modification and preparation of Engineering Estimate will give you some idea on expected cost.Basically you have to first decide whether the extension planned is essential.Get expert advice on feasibility and usefulness of extension you are thinking of.May be an expert can guide you better on this.If you feel that the extension work is essential and viable after consulting a professional,you should not delay the work.Tomorrow cost can only go up making your plans un reachable

Building House in farm land  at Mala

QUOTE

Have plot in mala. Interested in building house of 1500-2000 sq. ft. Can
you give me ideas as to cost and designs.  For 2 people, no children,
to be used on part time basis. Large rooms desired and small 2 bedrooms
for guest. Even a small plunge pool, 10-12 ft. on back deck. Live in us
in architect designed house and love it.  Can you help? Await your
reply. 

Everette Crotts,

johns island, .
USA

UNQUOTE

I have visited this plot in an interior location away from Mala.There is no proper road reaching the plot even from a small panchayath road.About 30 cents of land with lot of Jathi trees reaching high yield condition.USA based Mr.Crotts has spent money and purchased this land about an year in the name of a school teacher  staying nearby.For all practical purposes the local teacher is using and having land as his own.According to neighbour he will get about Rs.80,000/- per year from Jathi trees.
Mr.Crotts who spent for purchase of land has no legal right on the land as per records.So I advised him not to spent any more money in the land.Place is not ideal for use to put up a vacation house.Cutting down Jathi trees in plot for construction now will be foolishness

So I advised him to sell the property at higher market value prevailing if his local teacher associate is willing to co operate and hand over proceeds of sale to him

Changing Flooring of the house

QUOTE

We have been living in our twenty year old house and its flooring is done with red oxide. Now I am planning to put tiles on the floor and the total area comes around 1000 sq.ft. I am looking for a medium budget plan. Can you give me the cost of ceramic tiles and granite tiles separately for my house? According to your opinion which one is best suitable for my house.

  Also can you give me the cost per square feet for chipping the floor, cost for laying tiles and the material cost(means cement, sand etc.) separately?

Waiting for your reply.

Regards,

Harikumar

My reply

There is no need to chip off existing floor.You can use tile adhesive instead of cement sand mix(mortar) to fix tiles.It is better to use anti skid tiles with better  strength,elegant colour and finish costing about Rs.70 per sft.Both NITCO and Johnson are manufacturing these tiles now.NITCO is calling it as Naturoc tiles

Construction queries and replies

LOW COST HOUSE

QUOTE

Dear Mr.Thomas,
 
II have a 5.5 cents plot of land near Mangalore. For the past couple of years, it has become an obsession to build a small traditional type house  of 1100 to 1200 sq.ft on a small budget - 8 to 10 lakhs at the most - using durable but cheaper building material.. Red oxide or Kadappa flooring instead of granite , use of lime mixture instead of concrete etc. I  accidentally came across your blog when I was doing research on the net to realise my dream. Could you advise me if it is possible to build such a house within the budget I have mentioned?

Thanking you in advance,
 
Best regards,
Vishwanath

My reply

Many people have this thinking that by changing flooring material cost of construction can be reduced.Most important cost reduction can be achieved only if you can get most appropriate plan of the house meeting your requirements,budget,avoiding wastage of space and with proper engineering and professional guidance from beginning to end of construction at every stage.

Yesterday I went to visit a house under construction at Thiruvalla.Plan of the house is simply hopeless with wastage of space, improper planning and everything done in a hopeless manner.Plumbing and Electrical work are done by some one who do not know anything about latest technology in these areas ..No professional guidance and every bit of work is done in a manner resulting in colossal waste of money producing inconveniences improper quality and much more.No body can do anything to improve that house construction which might have spent more than a crore.Owner of the house has called me to suggest improvements at this final stage.I said I am helpless to do anything or suggest anything at this stage .

All these simply because owner of house did not bother to get a qualified experienced person to get most appropriate plan of the house and professional guidance during construction.A contractor who have taken up the work on square feet basis has done the work with a simple objective of making profit.No proper structural or architectural design,No plumbing ,electrical expertise used.Finally entire money on construction is simply wasted resulting in a house about which man who spent money can only cry for ever.

If you ask him probably he would not have paid anything to an Architect or Engineer.Square feet cost  contractor would have given that attractive offer of free plan and no professional charges.By saving those pennies he lost pounds in plenty.

Unless I know what exactly you need in the house,prepare the plan of the house there is no way to predict cost of house.If you have only Rs.8 lakhs with you let your Architect decide what you can get with that Rs.8 lakhs.If your requirements for the house cannot be met by spending Rs.8 lakhs ,you should be willing to arrange house loan.Postponing construction due to lack of funds now will only lead you to a situation where construction simply will not be possible due to continuous price rise.

MINIMALISTIC DESIGN

QUOTE

My queries are on Minimalistic Designs.

I am staying in Bangalore, and here i had a chance to visit some of the apartments. I saw the usage of Glass walls, Ceramic fritted glass splashes and glass shower enclosure
Are these available in Kerala?
What is the estimated cost?

I liked it as it makes the room modern and spacious.Especially when it replaces the walls around kitchen, dining room and main hall with glass fitted partitions.

near Kannur i am constructing a new house.

I have found a design from internet and modified a bit. It does not have the details but would like achieve something like that
I am attaching it.
For the partitions i am looking forward for glass walls or stuffs like that.
Please send me an update about the design.
I have a land about 14 cent.

Sharmila

My reply

As a professional with experience in the field I cannot recommend or support your piece meal attitude like taking plan from a website,modifying it by yourself and enquiring about interior part House construction is not that simple can give proper guidance and suggestions only if I can visit site and study the matter in detail

I can give detailed report after visit

It will be difficult for me to advise you without studying the case in detail

Partition walls can be done with material other than brick or similar material.Again this has to be decided by the Architect to suit the work after considering every related aspects.Hence I cannot comment on suitability of different type of materials for partition walls in your case

BUILDING APARTMENTS

QUOTE

Hi Mr.Thomas,

My name is Robin and I am planning to build a house/few apartments.. The Plot is 20 cents in Kattappana.Within 2 KM. May I know whether I can build 6 apartments in 3 floors in that plot..Otherwise I may have to think about building a house ..

Pl let me know..Robin Thomas

My reply

See,I cannot give a proper answer just by reading few lines sent by you.I have to visit site,study site conditions and about your budget limitations if any.Then only a reply  can be given

Queries and replies -House construction

ROOF CRACKING AFTER TWO YEARS

QUOTE

Dear Mr Thomas,
 
I am Col.Ganapathy retired from the Indian Army and recently got a old house in a village called Aylur next to Nemmara. I got the roof done and this is my second year and it has developed two cracks. Can you suggest the best method by which I can seal this leakage. This is a independent house, not attached with any village houses.
 
Thanking you
 
Col.A.R.Ganapathy

My reply

Concreted roof developing crack after two year  can only be due to improper reinforcement work and improper laying of  reinforcement and concrete.Nothing much can be done to improve structural stability of concrete roof at this stage.As a temporary solution,injecting of chemicals to seal gap can be tried.Check whether agencies doing similar work available near your place

To comment on exact nature of the problem,I will have to visit site.What I have written above is based on my assumptions on problem faced by you and it cannot be a proper professional reply to your problem

CHECKING UP PLAN PREPARED BY LOCAL MAN

QUOTE

  I will introduce myself and my dreams. I am a computer hardware and software business man in UAE, having very nominal profits. I believe the concept of Nalukettu and the landscape will always provide positive energy. Because of that reason I finalized with this concept.

I am staying in a village known as Karikodu around 30 km away from Ernakulum town and I have 1.5 acre property lying in 4 cuts.  From the main road, one panchayath road towards down. If we come through that my plot is on our right side along with the panchayath road. This road is from north to south. I am planning to built my home facing towards the road (east) and it should be little far away from the road.

There is a local designer done the site visit and made a plan according to that. But its much expensive and not come up to my  views.

I like one economic plan similar to below mentioned which I am sending just  for your reference.

Checkout below mentioned plan, which I created with my ideas. According to this plan there is 2 car Porch. And in the upstairs I need 2 bedroom and balcony on top of the side car porch. 

SHIJU

My reply

Your local person may not be quite qualified and experienced.Preparing best plan of the house is the most critical part of house building

Builders prepare plan of the house mainly considering profitability and such a plan also may not be suitable or the best possible for you

In the plan sent by you there is a bed room at South East.As per Vasthu it is not good.Stair case is provided with old fashioned arrangement of U shape which creates wastage of space and it also avoid stair case becoming a show piece in the house.Positioning of stair inside also will cause darkness in the area, As per Vasthu there cannot be toilet at south West.Considering all these a revised plan is required for you.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE FOR AFTER STRUCTURE WORK

QUOTE

I am a NRI, working in Saudi Arabia.

Currently I am constructing a 2500 Square Feet, two storied residential house at Changanacherry Town near Railway Station. I had given a contract to construct the structure only, and the work is progressing well and is expected to be completed by the 1st week of March 2011.

I am looking for a professional (architect/designer) who can assist me to accomplish the remaining work which are listed below.

How can you help me? are you interested? please let me know by return email as soon as possible explaining clearly your terms and conditions.

Shaji Rawother

Saudi Arabia

My reply

I can act as consultant for the works indicated by you and also provide our workmen if you require our direct involvement for the work

It will be good if I can visit the site and assess work already done and suggest improvements/modifications possible at this stage.
I will guide you on work to be done and will give you options based on latest trends and technology at minimum cost

House renovation in Kerala for US based NRI

QUOTE

Hi Mr.Thomas, accidentally saw your website and was impressed. I  have a question for you. I have a house in Mavelikara that belonged to my father and the house is  in good condition. However there is some work needed on the house. We are settled in U.S. and do not have reliable relatives in Kerala to guide us. So your website seemed like a Godsend. If we proceed with you are you able to see and estimate the amount of work and budget needed to upgrade the house. This house sits on a very small plot and my only goal is to make it livable for vacations without much upkeep. Do you have regional subcontractors or branches that can help you complete the work  in Mavelikara? Hoping for a reply,

Elizabeth

My reply

I cater to mostly NRIs who have practically no one to take care of their building related affairs and I keep them posted with info and pictures through blogs specifically created for a particular client and site

I will have to visit your house at Mavelikkara, take measurements,study in detail.Then I will advise you how we can go about it.I can send workers and experts from Cochin if required for doing the work

Queries and reply-House Design and Construction

NEW HOUSE DESIGN

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I’m looking for a four bedroom (2+2 up&down) home plans & elevations:
 
-          All b/rooms are with attached bathroom+dressing area.
-          Kitchen + W/A
-          Family living with Dining area
-          Between 2200 to 2500 Sq.ft
-          Budget Rs. 30 to 35 lakh.
-          Location: at Tirur – Malappuram dist.
 
I would appreciate if you could send me a reply immediately in detail, since I’m planning to start the works from April/May 2011. 
 
Shameer Babu

My reply

House design and construction require professional assistance and guidance.Plan will have to be designed specifically suiting your plot,requirements and Vasthu factors related to your plot.Just any House plan and Elevation will not suit your requirements and plot dimensions and other parameters peculiar to your plot

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION AT KOLLAM

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Dear Mr. Thomas,
Myself, Lal, accidently come to your website. Can you please tell me about your office location and address in Kollam if available. Dou you construct home in Kollam district for 15 lakhs budget home?
Regards
Lal

My reply

We do not have office at Kollam.In fact such an office is not required as our Cochin office can handle work at Kollam
We can do design of house and if you can get local contractor we can give complete details and monitoring of work.At present cost level you can probably construct a two bed room house with Rs.15 lakhs

BUILDING A HOUSE AS PER PICTURE SEEN

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Dear Thomas,

My name is Jose Rathappillil, residing in Florida, US. I am thinking of building a home in my ancestral property, which is located at Kalloorkad, Kerala. The kind of house I have in mind is a two storied, traditional with modern amenities, with 8-10 bed rooms & about 5-6000 sft. This house will be situated at the north - eastern corner of a 5 acre property. The home site will have about .75 acres & facing north. This site has road frontage on its northern & eastern sides.

I will be visiting Kerala in early May & would like to meet you & discuss about this project. If you are interested please let me know. I am also attaching a picture of a house which I have found in the news paper. I very much like the design of this house.

My reply

Trying to build a house similar to picture of house you have seen in a website is fine.But what if you can bet a still better design and better house?

Your requirements,budget and plot conditions need not necessarily match with the picture of house you have seen.Even Vasthu factors will change from place to place

Hence it is always better to design your house from beginning after a site visit by me

CHECKING PLAN PREPARED

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Dear Mr. Thomas,
 
I am constructing a house in Kannur Dt.  The drawings are attached.  Plot 1 is our land in the sketch.  Your kind advise on the plan will be highly appreciated.
 
Saleem P K

My reply

On a quick check,I can make following comments
1.Car porch at South East is not good as per Vasthu
2.Bed room at North east not good
3.Stair case are light is covered with that outside toilet
4.One bed room alone at Ground Floor is not good.Keep the bed room at south west side
5.Spiral stair case and court yard will add to cost
6.Court yard open only to Sit out portion.It should be visible to living and Dining
7.Toilet near bed too small with 150 cm width
8.Ladies room is too narrow.Make it bigger convert to Family Living area
9.With that large sit out you do not have to waste space in front of drawing room.Merge it with living
10.With modern modular Kitchen you do not need Store.Add it to Kitchen
11.Bed room size too small for such a house
12.Dining room is far away from Kitchen.It will create difficulty
Over all I think the plan is highly improper and will lead to wastage of your money if house constructed like this.

I can give you a revised plan which will reduce cost and increase utility

CHECKING UP PLAN AGAIN

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Dear Thomas,
Please see the attached drawing and the plot details.
 
I want to keep the house under 3000Sqft , so there is no car porch ,
The porch is planned to be built later beside the house.
Also, I had wanted all rooms to have good sunlight and air flow.
 
Do you think, the plan is a good one or require changes ?
 
Aji Kumar

My reply

Plan require not simply few changes but total revision
Even though drawing quality is good professional design and Vasthu compliance are missing.For a three bed room house,you do not require 3000 sft.By properly redesigning the plan,you can get better design with lesser cost of construction

COST INDICATION REQUIRED

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As i emailed u before we  need a 2000 sq feet house , includes  car porch , veranda , lounge, dining area , prayer room (small), modern kitchen, working kitchen, store room, veranda out side kitchen , 4 attached bed rooms -2 in each floor

Upstairs 2 bed  room , a family space, balcony  , could u please tell me how much is the cost if u will design and build a house for us, waiting for your reply

Resmi

My reply

All that requirement cannot be made within 2000 sft plinth area.You will have to go for at least 2500 sft
Cost can be worked out only after preparation of plan of the house
Where do you intend to construct house?
First step in construction of house  is preparation of Basic Plan of the house
Site visit  before preparing plan will be better though plan can be prepared if you can give complete measurements of all four sides of plot, directions of each side and positions of roads near plot.
If you are interested, I can give you charges for site visit and Basic Plan preparation fees