Building Methods

[TheMason]

I installed two ceiling fans on the front porch. You can just see them in the photo. I don't want to build more houses. You get burned out from the experience. There are no steps into the house or anywhere on the lot. Just in case I become confined to a wheelchair someday I will be able to roll from inside the house out to the gate. (knock on wood)

Thanks for posting the pics and floor plans. Your place is pretty nice. I especially like the extra land you have around your house. I see a lot of houses here where the footprint is very close to the lot size. I did notice one unusual thing though. Your house is one of the few I've seen without bars on the window. Edited January 28, 2009 by TheMason

[Mik]

I have a seven foot wall around our 2000sqm compound (not that it would stop a badguy). Our portion is 1200sqm, the remaining 800sqm is for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who have two houses. So there are always people around and I am home 99% of the time. My wife's father is retired PNP intelligence and people around here respect him. He still carries a gun so that might have something to do with it too. :th_thholysheep: My in-laws are good people and the neighbors who are distant relatives are alright too. It's fairly safe in this area.I didn't want to buy a tiny lot in a subdivision. It's nice to have a little elbow room.

[johnrxx99]

This is a third world country for reasons that are not specifically related to GDP . :th_thholysheep: There are people here that can do quality construction but they are very hard to find usually working for some big outfits like Ayala or " out of the country " . Concrete here is another matter . There are at least one or two companies US based that are using better quality concrete and rebar supported in some Philippine locations . In fact many of the newer structures designed for expats here in Cagayan De Oro are basically prefab walls and support with rebar . You just have to find the source which unfortunately i do not know firsthand .But them again this being a volcanic chain i doubt i doubt if rebar would save the day shoild the big one come . :SugarwareZ-015:

My wife and I are considering building a home here, but I have serious concerns about the quality of construction we would get. I live in Baguio and earthquakes do hit here. We'd likely be on the side of a hill so an earthquake is likely to destroy a poorly built home, not just damage it. Aside from my own home collapsing, I'm also concerned about somebody else's house sliding down the hill.If we do build here, we'll likely rely on references from family, friends, and neighbors to locate our builder. We've already ruled out a couple of companies based on the condition of houses in the neighborhood. So, when having a home built, how do you know if they are using quality construction magterials and methods? I have no experience with construction and don't know what is and is not a good way to do things. Does anyone know of a good, basic book that shows the layman how to determine if things are being done correctly? Are there certain things to look for in the blueprints or design of the house?

Make sure you get a good architech/project manager. There are a few around. Do not scrimp on the design and make sure you inspect previous examples of the contractors work.Do everything through the project manager but check some of his proposal out here. Mike and a few others have built their own places and while specifications can go a little over the top (lol) best to listen to more than one side.Good luck.