Just Moved Into Our New House

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I have mentioned that we were building a house.... don't think I provided a lot of details yet.  We just finished building a small (I mean ^_small house - 30 sq meters) We built it extra solid to try and block out noisy neighbors, so far so good. We could have built a little cheaper but it would not have been as solid.  My wife insisted on a back door so we lost a wall in the kitchen area.  I wanted more counter top.  Oh well.  I drew a simple picture and pretty much let them do what they wanted. 

 

The cost for the house was almost exactly what they gave as an estimate.  About p120,000 in materials and half that for labor (contract price).  It is on Melane's uncle's land.  Since I cannot own, I did not care if it was in her name or his... and free land... is... well free.  The "basic" house was about 90% complete. I added a lot more to the price by adding windows, a ceiling, a nice cr, floor tile, paint - you know "optional" items.  So the grand total was about p300,000 (around $7,000 USD). 

 

We are in the middle of adding a front porch, or sala.  I was calling it a patio but was told a patio is the pavilions at the cemetery, so now I just call it a front porch ha ha  The house is 15 feet x 26 feet.  The front porch is 15 feet x 10 feet. In price comparison - the main house was p300,000 and the porch, which is half the size of the house, was under p10,000 ha ha.  Bamboo/nipa is much cheaper than cement.   When finished it will have a sliding bamboo door, lattice work bamboo walls, and a gravel floor.  Keeping it simple.  I want the dart board in there... but she does not - she wants the TV out there... we have not had that fight yet ha ha...   Only about p4,000 in materials, the rest is labor.  Did you know the sheets of nipa are only p4.5 each?  10 for a dollar?!!  Crazy.

 

I posted a dozen videos of the construction if you care to see any.... https://www.youtube.com/user/Tukarama/videos (my channel is not monetized so I hope it ok to share it??) Here are some pics, if you would rather just look at pics  :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jack Peterson]

Here are some pics, if you would rather just look at pics   

 

 

 

 

JP :thumbsup:

Morning All :morning1:

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Yes, the board is regulation height.  Also, the board & backboard are easily removable to store out of the weather :)

[Jack Peterson]

Yes, the board is regulation height.  Also, the board & backboard are easily removable to store out of the weather :)

OK Tim! but I hope you have a His and Hers "Oche" if she is anything like my Wife. Should you use her Oche you could pin the tail on the Donkey from her Line  :hystery:

 

JP :thumbsup:

[lyno 47]

A very nice abode Tim ,I hope you win the argument.

[BrettGC]

Nice place mate, love the location too. 

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I like it so far.  Been here about 3 weeks.  First electric came in at p1,200.  Not sure how much of our time was covered on that - waiting for our first full month.  I expect about p4,000 a month.

 

I went to a birthday party the other day at a friend's house (local).  OMG I was amazed!  His house was crazy huge, and his lot went on forever.  The patio we were on was bigger than my house.  (he had at least 5 patios - one on it's own island!).  His bahay kubo has a tiled cr floor, western toilet, and shower!  I love his pool.  It is small but has a pump to make a current so he can swim  "laps".  It is like a water treadmill.  He even has a pond stocked with catfish, and another pond stocked with tilapia.   Wonder what his electric bill is? 

[sonjack2847]

Very nice

[OldUgly&Cranky]

i check out your youtube channel tuka you have a lovely home there and myself i like the yellow also congrats to you and your wife !! :thumbsup:

 

O-U-C :thumbsup: :cheersty:

Edited September 9, 2015 by OldUgly&Cranky

[chris49]

We got free land from mother in law. Gina's share. But no Deed of Sale, something that could crop up later.

We spent 250k with the tiling, but after cementing the walls we did not paint. Same size as you, just under 5x5 metres=25 square metres.

The patio verandah is there unfinished, but we are about to start Phase 2, we put the foundation of course in the beginning, and the walls, so we will add the roof, 4x5 slightly smaller than the main house.

Phase 3 is another extension in front. Car parking and a sort of Nipa hut but with cement posts instead of bamboo. Labig (thatched roof)

Phase 4 is the kitchen extended to the back, but it will be later.

Phase 2 to be completed before the baptism 7 November.

As with Tim, in a province and not in a city, if you have land you can do this using 100% local materialsand family labor. You need 2 builders who know what they are doing, the family provides the support like carrying materials, mixing cement and generally being around.

We usually provide basic food for the family. So while the workers are here just expand that so everyone eats lunch, even me and Gina. Then a few bottles of coke with a snack twice a day. 350/day for the laborers, nothing except food for the family. Per tradition at the end of the week you give out a few bottles of gin and they do their Filipino thing after getting paid.

In this system you try to set a time limit eg our first house was built in 3 weeks. We previously built an separate CR (60K) with septic tank in 6 days. You do this to minimize expenses. So enforce those targets. EDIT: actually 12 days, the excavation and blocking and cementing the septic tanks was in addition to the 6 days building the CR.

Edited September 9, 2015 by chris49