Dear Kuya Eugene
Everybody is dreaming of building his own house. And for me and my husband, that’s our ultimate goal. He’s working as a seafarer for a couple of years and I think we have saved enough to start building our dream house. We have three kids and we’re planning to build a house enough for our family to move around. But Kuya, I honestly don’t know where to begin with. All I have with me now is the plan of having a 2-storey house with 3 bedrooms, a spacious living room and an adequate kitchen, a garage for our car and a zen-inspired garden. I hope you can give me some words of advice on the do’s and don’ts. I need the steps and the process of building the house that we’re dreaming of. Thanks for your time.
Angelie
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Dear Angelie,
Who has never dreamed of building a home? Some dreamers really go to work. How much is the cost of building your own home? The more money you have, the better your chance to be able to build a detached house. Do not expect a palace if you have little to spend; less money also means more concessions to be made.
There are several ways to obtain a building plot. Maybe you have relatives who own a piece of land where you can build your dream-house? Otherwise you will have to buy a lot somewhere. Since for building a home, you are obliged to turn to an architect. He will translate ideas into drawings, but also he will check the actual condition of the lot. An architect can also help you to find construction companies or contractors. All architects, a noble profession, have their own fee. Do you go directly to the cheapest or also look very critically at the reputation of the architect? Prefer a slightly more expensive one than an architect you do not trust. It does not make much sense to an architect who specializes in modern buildings to design a traditional Filipino home. Therefore search on the Internet and library for examples of architectural styles.
Make an inventory. Sort your stuff and see if it is really critical that everything in your room is there. You really need all those boxes of books? In the first instance put only the stuff that you use daily or weekly. Rubbish you can always pick up later, if you have space. Make a list of stuff that you still need. A minimum inventory consists of a bed, a desk and a cabinet. Everything else that fits in your room is a bonus. Ideal furniture does not have to be solid and make sure you can pass through or under it.
Buy practical and affordable furniture and other things. In one afternoon you can shop your whole room together from the blinds to a brush. You just want something special, or you have little money to spend for your room? Go to a second-hand-Market and retail outlets.
Just because there is no mandatory course about interior decoration, people learn with trial and error. What is more common that people do not feel completely at ease in their homes without knowing exactly why. Interior Architects say that you have to realize that at almost every point a choice can and should be made.
After the floor, it’s the walls and the ceiling's turn. The furniture, furnishing and lighting comes thereafter. Do not buy not a standing lamp with the idea that the color of the walls has to be the same. Lighting, although certainly not be underestimated, may be the last to be done. The light plan is much more flexible than for example the location of your furniture. If you decide to go past things like decorative objects and paintings on the wall.
Sometimes there is a conflict between what is good and what is practical. Obviously you are practical, but the attitude towards beautiful things is also a practical usefulness of housing. That can sometimes outweigh another small practical advantage of accessibility. The art of making your home attractive is the installation of atmosphere, without your personal taste that dominates. Bring therefore atmosphere in your home by making small adjustments. If you are in a modern, light home, then you get more by all unnecessary accessories right away. Look also at what you find enjoyable, and if the atmosphere that you want to create you prefer, you can convey much better.