scrubbedexpat120

Hi,can anyone tell me if they know of a builder in Canlaon Negros Oriental,as ime building a Bungalow there,thanks Frank.

mikek1

Hi Frank,

Sorry I cannot reccomend a Builder in your area. We are having a House constructed so perhaps I can give you some advice. I would reccomend you use the services of an architect to draw up the bungalow with all the electrical , effulent,plumbing specifications. The achitect Will then engage engineers to detail and approve the sructual , electrical requirements etc. When you have the full working drawings it would be best to get a minimum of 3 quotations to get an idea of how much the construction would cost. Quotations will vary so it a good idea to analyze each one to have some idea what is realistic.Interior fittings, doors, windows, sanitary ware, tiles, roofing,etc.etc. will have a massive difference on price to the Final cost. Good quality fittings are expensive.
An architect will specify the specifications of the construction materials required. To aid you certain material prices are provided on the internet, and you would be adviced to check and compare them with any prices quoted.Also go to a local DIY store and price up doors, sanitary wares, windows etc to have an idea of cost. The cost for your construction will depend on the size of the bungalow and more importatly the finishing specification. The old guidelines used to be about 15-20k per square meter, for finished construction, however that figure is not realistic anymore due to inflation and added labour costs.
Good construction companies are not easy to find, and as a General rule, if thay are good they will not be cheap. When you do find a company make sure you have a contract drawn up, and only pay by stage payments.
One thing to bear in mind......construction of a property either self project managed or use of a construction company Will not be headache free !

scrubbedexpat120

Hi MikeK1,thanks for your advice,ime hopeing to self manage the project,like you said i can see many headaches but hopefully all will beok.

mikek1

Frank,

iIt took us nearly 6 months to agree a Final design. We used an architect whose Father owned a construction company who were our first choice for construction. Unfortunatly thay could not undertake the Building due to the distance from their location. The architect assisted us in every aspect, including the kitchen layout, garden layout, and interior design. Apart from that we ordered every concievable finishing product directly from China. This involved endless emails requiring specifications, measuement, and individual drawings of windows, doors, kithchen layout, staircase, fitted wardrobes, en- suite layouts etc. This work was undertaken by the architect because it involved so much work, and was beyond my capapbilties.
A good architect will be able to price up your construction within a small degree of error. A good architect is highly reccomended.I dont know How long you have lived in the Philippines, but you must be aware that without proper guidance or experience it could be very trying. We have a German friend that has project managed himself the construction of his House. He has had numerous problems.........labour not turning up, poor workmanship,supply problems, and an unintended over budget price.
Best of luck !

Raffin

Frank2, I recall the last time you posted here you were bound for Pampanga. You have to be on the spot in Negros full time to self manage If you engage a builder being there most of the time would be highly recommended. In the current situation travelling is an issue, especially if cases start to increase in the area you are coming from, as they may if you are still based n Pampanga. Whatever your location I think your first thought to find a builder was the right one .All the better if you can regularly supervise.
Canlaon is a medium sized 4th class municipality. Around our part of Cavite places like that have one or two small subdivisions. Look around them and elsewhere to see constructions, talk to new owners if possible.

Stokkevn

One word of warning, do not employ any family members for the building. Two friends have made that mistake and found out they were over-paid, under-worked and tried to boss the non-family members around using the 'I'm a relative' card which caused friction.

scrubbedexpat120

Hi Raffin,thanks for advice yes i will be there all the time,as we are moving to Canlaon this month.

tropicofcancer

Advice here on a previous thread:
How much does it cost to build a house?
As you will see, I used an architect. Who oversaw the whole project. He personally inspected the previous days work, every morning. Also made surprise visits! On call for problems. The house is now twenty years old. Deep foundations and solid, with a tiled roof. I recommend the metal ceiling supports, now available.

scrubbedexpat120

H,thanks for the advice.

Raffin

One more tip someone in our subdivision used successfully and one we should have used. Tell the builder you are going to withhold a certain amount on completion for a few months in case of issues like collapsed steps, which we had. He told us the builder concerned was very quick to come and remedy the problem. If he objects find another.

scrubbedexpat120

Hi,yes thats a very good idea,thanks again.

David Mashael

Hi Frank2
I have built 2 houses here and have learned a lot in the process. It is essential to employ a reputable builder, architect and engineer. You will need proper drawings, specifications etc, in order to get a building permit. Try to see houses that they have already built and give them a thorough inspection. If possible try to use a builder that lives locally, so any follow ups are easy. By and large the general construction will be straight forward, but the devil is in the details. Make sure that they use termite poison when laying the concrete floor. I didn't know that termites can bore through concrete, they can. Most of the problems will be with the plumbing, electrical and finishing. Plumbing and finishing is clear to see any mistakes, electrical isn't so easy. Make sure that you install a good earthing system and use RCD's for shock protection. I couldn't find these here so I brought all electrical items with me, Panel Box, MCB's, RCD's etc.

scrubbedexpat120

Hi David thanks for your advice.

Stokkevn

In addition to David's valid points I had to teach my builder how to lay tiles. Their system is nearly flat concrete and place the tile on top and stand on it, resulting in about 90% non bonded tiles, make sure they use a toothed tile pallet/trowel and push the tiles down with a 5mm gap for floors and minimum 3mm gap for walls

scrubbedexpat120

Hi,thanks again for the advice,looks like ive got a lot to learn,ive seen alot of places hear i often wonder how there still standing.The work alot of them do is not good.