Free Consultation,22,April,2013

Elevations for houses recently designed by us

Three dimensional Elevation for house designed by us for USA Based NRI at Angamaly ,3300 sft with four bed room attached,Office room,Home theatre and all usual common facilities.

Three Dimensional Elevation for four bed  house 2400 sft for gulf based NRI at Ettumanoor

Design and Construction of house

Query-1

Dear Mr. Thomas,
My name is Muthu.I'm from Kannur district and currently working in UAE. I've read many of your blogs and online interactions and found them very informative and interesting.
I'm planning to build a house in Kannur and would like to get your architectural professional Service. Kannur being away from your office location, I presume it wouldn't be possible for you to inspect the site before the design or supervise the construction at later stage. However, I would like to check with you if you can help me get the plan/design drawings and an elevation for the house.
I can send you the site map with directions and all my requirements through email. I need to know the professional services you can offer me in this case Basic Requirement: 2 storied 4 bedroom traditional Kerala style house, approximately 2500 sq. ft..
Appreciate your time and valuable reply.

My reply

We can design a house for construction anywhere in the world.There is no harm in me visiting site at Kannur.But due to distance it will be better to restrict visits as much as possible.If you can provide me outer dimensions of all four sides of the plot clearly indicating directions,position of roads near plot and details on your requirements of house,we can design the house for you.Later we can also give detailed architectural and structural engineering drawings ,instructions and guidance through out construction of the house

Query-2

Hello,
I am looking to build a house of about 1500 sq. ft., 15 lakhs estimate in Calicut. ( if possible a 3 BHK house). Please send me some good plans.

Akshaya

My reply

Square feet plinth area of the house to be built and cost cannot be simply fixed like this by you.At first you have to discuss with a qualified experienced Architect on your house construction planned.Tell him what all you require in the house as facilities.You can also indicate your budget constraints if any.Let him decide on what can be done to meet with your requirements and budget.

House construction is not that simple to go and buy so much square feet  of house at price fixed by you.It involves hundreds of materials with increasing cost and different type of labour.Without assistance and guidance of a good professional,non professional contractors will simply cheat you to make maximum profit for them using your ignorance on quality of construction and technical details on construction technology

Query-3

Dear Mr. Thomas Viruvelil
Greetings to you. My Name is Subin  and I am working in Ethiopia. Please find
herewith the House Plan of mine with Area of 1250 Sq. ft. and is in 5.5 cents. Now
I request you to give me exact figure of Construction cost in square feet in the
interiors of Trichur As I have not got enough time to enquire about the
Price and market changes as I was on leave for 20 days only. I Think the Price
varies from Rs.1000-1600 in the interiors as it was also informed by the Local
Contractor (Construction) only. It was finally agreed to construct @Rs.1500/- per
square feet. As my earnings are meager now the amount seems to me in a higher side.
You are kindly requested to advice me in this scenario that the construction cost
of RS.1500/- per square feet is admissible / justifiable or not. And if it is more
kindly advice me how to get rid of this.
Your kind consideration on my above request will be highly appreciated. Hope that
you will see in to this matter seriously and reply me soon.
Waiting for your reply.
Subin

Query-3

Dear Sir ;

I was reading your expert opinion http://www.keralaarchitecture.com/Architectural_guidance.aspx which helped me to understand the do's and don'ts in constructing a good house. I have small doubts which i need to consult with you

1) You have mentioned that we need to first estimate on the structure part , will this structure include flooring, electrical points and fittings ,kitchens initial fittings like slabs,etc.

2) I was approached by many contractors and many have a fixed cost per square feet.Will I get item wise description on the items which they are going to use.Most of them are not mentioning on the materials included in the sq feet . Can you please share the detailed format on the list of materials used so that I can ask them to fill and submit.

Appreciate if you can revert back with your views. Can you please share your number to have a quick chat with you.

Regards;

Prakash

Query-4

My uncle's house is being constructed in Kalady . Its almost finished. When I enquired, he said that clay bricks are easily available in that area, costs about Rs. 4 to 5 per piece depending on the time of the year( during rainy season the price goes up).. I have my cousins ,uncles in the locality. My wife's house is also in Angamaly. As per conversation with all my family members, they can buy and provide the materials for construction and also monitor the progress as they live close by. Please let me know in detail about your interest in taking the contract of building the house (materials will be provided) or supervision/guidance/site visits as necessary. I would like to know the details of your fees for the services in advance. My intention is to complete the work with the minimum time possible without affecting the quality.

Justine

My reply

I have made enquiries about red clay bricks.At present they are available for delivery at Angamaly at Rs.5.6.But as time passes cost will increase gradually as bricks are manufactured only during Jan Feb in every year.As brick in stock get sold they will keep on increasing cost of brick.

Solid blocks are manufactured using concrete material without reinforcement and hence manufacture goes on through out the year

When we take up construction directly we insists on arranging both material and labour for the structure part up to plastering

After plastering for Electrical,plumbing,Flooring painting wood work etc. we advise the client to buy the right material and arrange labour.In case client entrust the purchase of material at that stage we give the client both technical support and better price due to our contacts

Arranging material through your contacts during structure stage will demand presence of your person who has knowledge of building material and contacts to arrange materials at short notice at site every day as the workers who will be working on rate basis cannot wait for material to come as it suits the person concerned.

If we do not directly involve in construction we will give all detailed drawings for construction(both Architectural and structural engineering drawings) as required at each stage at charges which will be informed to you in a package offer.We will also charge for each of my visit to site for giving instructions to workers and to monitor work.

It is observed by experience that workers not directly engaged by us will not bother much to follow our drawings and instructions properly which will demand more labour costs for them as a labour contractor will always try to reduce labour inputs to save his cost.Quality of construction will only for lip service as his prime motive will be profit and nothing else.

As a reputed professional organisation ,even though we also work for profit,we ensure that the best professional practices and quality standards are ensured in quality of material used and labour practices.

If your relative have simply engaged a labour contractor and arranged material for his house construction( if the relative is not a qualified experienced building professional )the contractor might have misguided him to ensure his profit at cost of quality of construction which will start showing up in years to come.

In case you are very particular about getting work done on labour contract by your relative arranging material,there is no point in taking Engineering Estimate from us as it will have no relevance.If you are not going for Bank loan,a formal estimate from a professional is not required even for bank purpose.

When we take up construction directly we do not charge separately for all architectural/structural engineering drawings required for professional work . My site visits as required for work will also not be charged separately.

Plan of the building is only a starting point of drawings required for the house.Just by using this plan and Elevation no contractor can build house as planned by us as the design is different from usual house construction done by non professional contractors which unfortunately form more than 90% of house construction in Kerala mainly due to ignorance of house owners about need for professional design and monitoring through out construction

There is no such thing as fixed square feet cost of construction.Each contractor does construction in a manner which suits him.His only objective is to make profit.As no two contractor does construction in same manner you can never compare so called "square feet cost" given by contractors.When you construct house without plan from a qualified experienced Architect without using detailed drawings and continuous supervision and instructions from such an expert you are bound to be cheated by the contractor in every manner

No professional body or govt has fixed cost of construction as so much rupees per square feet.Cost of construction for each house will differ from place to place,depending upon design and also depending upon contractor.One contractor may use about 1000 Kg steel for concreting 1000 sft roof of a house.Another may use only 400 Kg of steel.When 400 Kg of steel is used problems will start coming up in the building after some time.I have seen contractors reducing height of house to save money as customer will only bother about square feet plinth area.Every effort will be done to use inferior quality material to increase profit of contractor.He will also try to use short cut methods to reduce labour cost which building owner may not notice.

In short entrusting construction to a contractor on square feet basis is the best way to have the worst built house for you.

If you also do not have the best professional design for the house,you will start noticing defects in design after house is completed.At that stage even the best Architect in the world cannot help you to solve defects in design which you might have obtained at “low cost “and  felt proud of your smartness about it!

Building Materials

Query-1

Dear Sir,

Please suggest as I am planning to lay my flooring,what do you suggest for the entire floor to be tiled with Granite tiles or Vitrified tiles(Which is better and why?).For sit out and stairs I am planning Granite slabs.

Kindly suggest.

Manish

My reply

Granite and marble are out of trend,slippery and costly.You can use much better antiskid tiles of Nitco or Johnson at lesser cost with the latest trendy designs

Query-2

Sir, can i use solid cement blocks 6'x8x12 ''for two storied building construction?is is need support by pillars.local units use chips ,quarry dust and metal sand for making blocks.

Joseph

Query-3

Dear sir,
I would like to build a house with 2 bedroom, living room, kitchen with
attached bathroom. Recently i came to know about a construction
company which provides solid bricks.  Is anything wrong with
building a house with these solid bricks?

My reply

There is no harm in using concrete blocks properly manufactured with proper curing.quality of construction is more important

Building rules ,Real Estate Assistance and guidance

Query-1

I was reading on your website about Legal Verification and Documentation when selling/buying a house. I would like to speak with you in regards to a house my mother is trying to sell in Trivandrum. I currently reside in USA so there is an issue with time difference but I would really like to get more information on the formalities and possibly hiring a lawyer.

My reply

Reply me with specific queries.We have our Real assistance team which can take care of verification of legal documents of properties,preparation of legal documents and follow up with related govt offices.You can expect professional reliable services from us

Sashidharan

Query-2

JUST FOUND YOUR BLOG ON INTERNET , REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.

SIR I WANT TO KNOW THE DETAILS ON LUXURY TAX , IS IT TRUE THAT ITS RS 2000 PER YEAR PAYING IN ADDITION TO THE BUILDING TAX, (<3000 SQ FT)

SO IS THIS LUXURY TAX ANOUNT FIXED RATE OF 2OOO RS ?

PLZ NEED YOUR OPINION ON THIS.

THOMAS KOSHY

My reply

It will be better to check with concerned official at your local authority office.I do not think it is a big issue in house construction as you seem to get frightened about

Free Consultation,11 April,2013

Clearance space and Building rules

Query-1

Hi Sir,

I am writing from Trivandrum, planning to build a 3 floor house in my 3.75cent.the private road is covering 2 side of the plot and it is ending in 20meter, can you please tell how much setback i have to give in both side adjacent to road and also the other 2 side..

Query-2

Jay has left a new comment on your post "Building Permit":
In our residential area, there is a commercial building that is currently has ongoing construction, in the neighboring plot of our family home.
This has been a nuisance as debris and dust from the constructions fall into our compound. Despite having spoken to the site engineer the workers are not careful. Our compound wall and wall fencing has been damaged and we have concrete debris damaging our building A/C unit.
Is there any legal action that we can take to ensure, they pay for damages or repair damages?

Query-3

Hi sir,
I have a 10 cent land which is a farm land. For about 15 to 20 years there has been no farming activity and have few coconut trees. There is a tar road in front of the land. The surrounding land were converted to plots and mine is the only unfilled land left. Please guide me how i can convert it to a plot. Recently heard that govt had put an order against land filling etc. Your guidance is very much appreciated

Ben

Query-4

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Building Permit":
Dear Sir,
I am planning to do extension work of my existing house which was built 20 years back. At that time there was no building rules. As you mentioned above my house has a main road frontage and it is just 2 m away from my sit out. Because of modification I want to modify my existing sit out by keeping the 2 m as it is and widen to the existing car porch which lies on the same line of my sit out with continue roof slab.
Now what i want to do is to extent the sit out up to the car porch which is already having slab. All i just want to build a foundation in the car porch and a pillar. And of course I want to demolish the existing sunshade and arch in the same.
Please tell me whether I could get permission for the extension. I heard that 10% modification we can do at site which is not mentioned in the approved drawing..
Your prompt response will be highly appreciated

Jo.

My replies

1.It is better to contact concerned official of your local authority with specific details of your plot like Survey No and location details to know applicable clearance required

2.You can complain in writing to your local authority office about disturbance by nearby construction,if they are not willing to avoid disturbance to you while constructing.As a neighbour you may have to adjust with some disturbance as you also may require their co operation in future for your construction work

3.You will have to contact your local authority office with specific details of your plot.They will guide you on this

4.There is no such 10% modification/deviation from approved plan possible.Before construction you normally will have to obtain approval of building plan in areas where prior approval of plan is required.Every where in Kerala,you will have to construct as per building rules.Deviations from approved plan which are within building rules provisions are possible and will have to be regularised with a Revised plan or completion plan duly signed by a Licensed Engineer/Architect

Building Materials and Construction methods

Query-1

Sir,
I intend to start construction of my residential house in few months time.I am from West Bengal .My house has being designed by a qualified architect.This house will be of RCC columns and beams.In this part of country everybody construct walls with clay bricks .There is hardly any user for concrete hollow bricks.With lot of difficulty I have a found a manufacturer who makes concrete hollow bricks.When I proposed my architect with the proposal of using these type of bricks , he didn't object but was very passive in his approving my idea.
Since I don't have any way to seek the help or feedback in this part of country, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this bricks .
Please help me with the answers of following query.2.) The mason seems to suggest , I will need to cut the bricks where the length and height will not match the brick size.If they are cut, will not the strength of the bricks reduce. Similarly I will need to cut the bricks on the face to make concealed wiring possible.Also plumbing may require making holes across the bricks.
3.) Is there any chances of water seepage possible through these bricks.
I hope you will enlighten me with your knowledge .I will be eagerly waiting for your reply

Query-2

My name is Libin and I am a Mech. Engineer working in UAE. Now I am planning to build a two story home in Muvattupuzha. After checking my land the engineer advised me to conduct a soil test. In the test report they recommended me single bulb pile.

My land was filled with soil 12 years before at a height of around 3 meter. To meet the existing road level I filled an additional height of around 2.5 meter. After talking to one of the engineer in my company he designed a raft type foundation. Attached you can find the detailed plan with column details,Soil test report and the foundation we designed. When I calculated the pile foundation cost I found out that It is too expensive. One of my friend told that sand Piling will be an option you can adopt.

Please advice me on this issue.

 

Query-3

White space has left a new comment on your post "Teak wood-use in Kerala house construction":
What about the readymade wooden doors available in the market. Are they comparable with teak in terms of strength & durability

Query-4

I have got the plan of my House ,elevation and submissions drawings done by a local architect in Trivandrum and I am waiting for Engineering estimate which will be prepared by their approved contractors. Can you provide your services to review the engineering estimate and advice if I should go ahead to establish a Building contract based on the estimate. Also I would like you to review the Building contact and caution me for inclusions and exclusions.

Please accept my apologies for not approaching you for the plan. The only reason for that was there was a mutual reference in between.

Now I want to take a consultation before signing the contract.

Jhunu

Query-5

Dear Thomas Sir,

I am Constructing my Dream Home in Trivandrum. Basement is Finished. Total Sq.ft. is 1938.

its a Contemporary Style, Single Store, 3 bed room house. Now i am confusing to select which type of Wood is better for Doors  & Windows (what is your opinion for selection of "Violet wood"? is there any problem to select "Plavu" ? what is the Difference between "Anjily" & "Plavu"? I dont have any Own Tree of "Plavu & Anjily".

I am Very Thankful to your Valuable Reply.

Ajith Nair.

My Replies

1.There is nothing wrong with solid blocks.Every building material used can be good or bad depending upon how the manufacturing is done.If manufacturing is carried out by adhering to quality standards as per desired technical specifications,building material will be of good quality.While designing and constructing a house try to consult same Architect/Engineer from beginning to end instead of conducting a survey with any one you come across and following  “free advices” given by any body.

2.Here again even though the person who builds the house is a qualified Engineer(May not be familiar with construction field) just like any one without proper educational back ground he goes on collecting bits of information from any one he come across.

Building design and construction should not be done by conducting such public opinion surveys.First of all most important part of house construction is to get appropriate design for the house from a qualified and experienced professional.Just by passing a course in an Engineering college that too with out dated syllabus without any reference to current technology used,one do not become an Engineering professional.At best the person get familiar with some vocabulary and introduction to some topics.Architect/Engineer experienced in building design and construction studies every day through out his career facing new problems and solving it.Wealth of such experience will have to be used by you for design and construction of only house which you may construct.

I have come across several cases where the client seems to think that being the person who spends money Architect should simply draw plan as he says and agree to whatever he says.In fact such people treat a professional Architect as a mere technician to do whatever he says.You can always express your views /desires for the house to the designer.But after understanding your needs and budget constraints if any a professional Architect will guide you on all aspects of building design and construction from beginning to end.

Lots of people think that Plan of the house is not important and any one who can draw in Auto Cad is good enough to draw plan as he says.Less fees for plan makes it more attractive! By refusing to pay few thousands to a good professional you are in fact wasting lakhs of your money and by the time you understand defects of the plan,structure of the building will be completed leaving with a house about which you can never feel proud of.A professional architect can visualise every bit of your completed house during plan stage itself.Of course minor changes can take place during execution.But you will not be able to understand importance of plan of the house till structure of house is completed.So even though money is yours,allow a professional to decide on how the house has to be designed and have continuous guidance from him through out construction instead of trying to get public opinion on every aspect of house design and construction

3.Like any other building material,you will have to be careful about Door and window frames and wood used for construction.There are very few commercial agencies who give importance to quality.In fact it is our own mind set/nature which result in low quality product/services.Every body would like to cheat other person and make profit.Even a buyer wants cheapest rate/cost and simple talk of quality is enough.For better quality product/services better price will have to be paid.When you insists on getting low price/rates quality will have to suffer even though supplier will talk of his non existing quality just to please you.

4.Once you have got the design and Estimate done by some body else,if we review it,we may ask for total revision of plan.Engineering Estimate obtained by you may not meet with our design or standards.Unless you are willing to pay for revised design/Estimate there is no point in wasting our time on it as we cannot do design or estimate free of charges just because you have paid for it to some other agency

Construction contract terms are some thing which you enter with some body else as per agreement reached between you.There is no standard terms of contract acceptable to all.In fact if you have 100 contractors ,method of construction followed by each will be different.Quality standards will be different and hence there is no pint in comparing rates and terms of one contractor with the other.As the building owner try to get lowest rate,contractor also tries to get maximum profit from whatever payment he gets from you.Quality and proper Engineering are only for lip service of the contractor.Contractor will have to compromise on quality to ensure his profit as building owner will not be willing to compensate for him for continuous cost increase during construction and to provide better quality construction with professional design/drawings and guidance

5.Local wood like Anjali and Plavu are good for use for door window frames and Mahogany can be used for shutters

Labour charges and labour issues

Query-1

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Free Consultation #Kerala House Construction":
Greetings,
I am building a house of around 3000 sq ft in Calicut. I bought all the tiles for the house (80cm X 80cm). Could you please provide me a quote on how much will be the usual rate per square feet to lay the tiles. As I am away from India, I don't know much about the present wage.
Thanks in anticipation
Praveen

My reply

There is no such standard rate as each tile laying person will be doing it in his own method of doing.Each area has got differing demand and supply of workers doing a particular type of work.If you are abroad it will be better to have an experienced professional to guide you on construction from beginning to end of construction

Construction cost

Query-1

Soumya has left a new comment on your post "Queries and replies-House design,construction ,rem...":
Sir,
I wants to add one simple attached bedroom to my house and i have 1 lakh rupees. Is it possible.
Soumya

Query-2

Dear Mr. Thomas,

Quote your Lump-sum price for the Constriction of the building/home as per the reference of attached drawings. Your Quote have to cover all the area of buildings which is mentioned in the drawings and exclude all wood works. (All Doors & Windows only).

1. Material Qualifications: As per the standard. (Looking for your suitable Proposal)

2. Scope of Work: Construct entire home without wood work.

Quote your best price as per the attachment and revert as soon as possible. If you have any more further clarifications feel free to contact me.

Arun

Query-3

Hello Sir,

I have seen your blog.. The info you provide is extremely useful.

I would like to know about the cost of boundary wall construction cost in Kerala for 30cent land. Only three sides needs to be constructed,one side wall is existing.

Is id advisable to give on contract basis or on daily wages.

I would like to get your valuable reply on my house plan attached.

Please note the kannimoola portion is vacant as per plan. The room near kannimoola is guest bedroom. On first floor,top of this guest bedroom ,is a toilet of the first floor bedroom.

Pls advice, can i keep the southwest portion vacant as it is ?

Regards
Ziyad.S

Query-4

Soja has left a new comment on your post "Flooring for house-options":
I am planning build a house with maximum low budget. I need your suggestion on it. Following are my specifications.
1. Cheap 2. Good looking 3. Cooling effect 4. Less maintenance
Please suggest me

My replies

1.Without preparing a plan of the proposed house and deciding on what all material to be used,there is no way of simply guessing cost.If some one says so,it is not correct.

2.Here again he is asking for a quote.Building construction involves hundreds of materials and  different type of labour.Without a site study and detailed discussions on material labour specifications discussions even Engineering Estimate cannot be prepared.As different contractors will follow different standards how can you simply collect quote  from different persons and compare? House construction will have to be given more serious thought than buying a product from market.

3.Boundary wall construction cost can be worked out only after visiting site and taking measurements.Cents is only area of land and do not give information on length width and height required for foundation and wall above

It is better to have your Master bed room at South West corner of the house.Engaging laborers on contract basis or daily wages depends upon specific case.

4.First of all,you have to get professional design for the house and then follow professional advice on construction.There is no other way to get what you want

Building Design

Query-1

Dear Thomas,
I am happy to see your free consultation program and appreciate your mentality for a proper guidance.

In fact, I am in plan for building a house. Please find the house plan attachments.

Kindly advise me on the positioning of rooms/kitchens are okay based on Vasthu.

It will be grateful to have your valuable guidance.

Kindly find my plan attachments for your reference.

My reply

There is not much possible to do by commenting on a plan.May be direct discussion with the owner of house and the person who prepared the drawing can help if you really need my advice.Otherwise allow us to redesign the plan if we find it not up to the mark

Free Consultation,20,February,2013

Architectural Guidance

Query-1

Dear Thomas Sir

I am Shaji, from Kannur working abroad. I am always going thru your blog and getting bunch of knowledge. Many thanks for sharing these information and ideas.

Planning to construct a home at my village in Kannur

I would like to do this with expert consultant like you , do you have any office in Kannur or any good recommendation from your friends circle ?

Or can you provide me online / telephone consultation. Please let me know your suggestions and consulting fees

Shaji

My reply

I can design the house anywhere in the world

Most important part of building a house is to get the most appropriate professional design.Let us start with it

I will require dimensions of all four sides of plot,directions of each side,position of roads nearby and detailed write up on what exactly you require in the house to be built

Query-2

Sir,
I am an architecture student from Bangalore (Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Architecture) and i am working on a case study related to architecture in warm and humid climate. I found this site very interesting and would like to study a traditional house and its design details in terms of climate, plans , sections and mainly the passive/ natural cooling in the traditional house. Its impossible for me to study the house myself due to time constraint and was hoping to get a little direction and help about particularly one house ( traditional) .

Pallavi

My reply

Without visiting the house to be studied you may not be able to do anything

You can visit our Cherthala House pictures of which are given in my Face Book profile if you can plan a visit to Cochin for as many days as you can afford.I can help you to the extent possible.

Query-3

Hello,

We have a requirement to build a stone farmhouse near Bangalore. But we do want the home to have a Kerala look.

We are looking at about 5000 sq. feet.

Wanted to inquire if you do such projects so that we can take this further

If not would you please be able to suggest some contacts who can help us out with this

Tushita

My reply

We can design house or any other type of building for any place.Direct construction by our team is something that has to be decided after finalisation of initial drawings and after considering many other aspects also

Even though a site visit before starting design will be preferable,we can start working on the initial plan of building on getting following details:

1.Outer dimensions of all four sides of plot  clearly marking directions like East or West

2.Positions of roads nearby

3.Detailed write up on your needs and dreams for the house

4.Budget limitations if any

Query-4

Dear Sir

Was reading your blog and thought of asking you, the Burma Teak wood is it bad or good, and what is the expected price for the same, what would be the expected price for local teak special teak wood from Nilambur.

appreciate your reply,

Query-5

Dennis has left a new comment on your post "Teak wood-use in Kerala house construction":
I need 85 Cubic Feet of Wood, can I know the price of one Cubic Feet of Teak wood Nilambur costing.
regards
Dennis Antony.

Query-6

Dear Sir
I have read your article on teak wood and it is giving information to the public.
Only thing is , you have commented that Pingoda is not suitable to Kerala climate and condition, but now days it is very common and all contractors are recommending the same.
Since Teak is not available like in the past, Burmese teak has come in picture. What do you think about the same
Baju

My reply

Burma Teak is imported teak.It do not have good grains and finish like Kerala Plantation teak.It is available at comparatively lesser cost in Kerala.Also as the logs are quite thick and of uniform diameter,wastages will be less.Naturally all commercial manufacturers using teak wood prefer to use Burma Teak

Pingoda is commonly used by contractors due to economic considerations as it is available in large uniform diameter shaped logs and hence wastage will be less

I am not a trader of any building material and hence I cannot give any price for any material used for construction

Construction /remodeling of house

Query-1

Ann has left a new comment on your post "Kerala House design and Construction:
Sir, I have recently bought a twenty year old house (1BHK) which covers almost 10 cents and has a surrounding area of another 10 cents for further construction. I am planning on a budget of maximum 10 lakhs and would like to increase the number of bedrooms by 3. would like to know if that's possible with the mentioned budget if I am not looking for a very luxuries. The flooring of the house is red oxide and is built with hollow bricks. Also suggest me cheaper options for better flooring.

My reply

Even though this message has reached me nearly twenty days back,I could not reply due to non availability of email.So instead of typing out your query on blog or trying to talk to me over phone(I may be in the midst of work at office or site and may not be in a position to listen and reply to you properly),please always write to my email id given below.You will definitely get a better faster response

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Just by hearing that you purchased an old building and you intend to add three bed rooms to the existing house,no body can tell you how much it will cost

In my case, I have to visit existing house,study conditions of the building and surroundings,take measurements from site and then I can give a plan for the proposed modified house.After this plan is finalised,we can work out expected cost using Engineering Estimate methods

Query-2

Sir,

I have a plan to build a two story house with interlock bricks.

Kindly provide me the advantages and draw backs, if any, of interlock bricks.

Mathew

My reply

Like any other building material,interlock bricks also have advantages and disadvantages.Trouble with most people going for house construction is that

1.They think they have all the wisdom required to decide on how the plan of the house should be(Of course you can clearly spell out what you need in the house.But definitely not on how to design)

2.They think collecting bits of information on many aspects of house construction from different sources and deciding /selecting by self is good enough(Architect/Engineer is not some one who will push up your cost of construction.They will reduce your cost of construction and will give you better utilisation of space at lesser cost)

3.They think all house designers and all contractors do the same work in the same manner(No two contractor or even professional is similar or equal in capabilities)

I would suggest you leave choices of materials of construction to your Architect who will select most appropriate material to suit you considering all aspects

Query-3

Sir,

Deeply appreciate your support on the architectural front. I attach the plan of my house in Kollam. The diagonal lines show the current structure and it is almost 13 years old house with an outside the structure bath/toilet. Now we have decided to extend the house with an attached toilet/bath on the northern side of dining room . Seek your invaluable suggestions on this in a strict budget of Rs 9 lakhs.

My reply

Extension/remodeling of a house can be done only after careful inspection of existing building by an expert.Lots of people look upon remodeling/extension as a cheaper alternative to have better facilities in the house.In most cases original house construction might not have been done with proper architectural plan and by design itself there can be serious flaws.While attempting to remodel,old structure will pose serious problems .Cost of remodeling cannot be assessed well as even an expert cannot understand defects of older construction fully

Query-4

I am having a doubt about constructing slope roof

one method making slope concrete roof slab and pasting tiles on the slab

second method is casting horizontal slab ,making slop by fabricating channels and iron structures and laying tiles

among above which is good,can you please tell advantage of one over the other

My reply

In my opinion,it will be better to do slope roof concrete and lay roof clay tiles over it.But you may not get expert concrete workers to do slope roof well.That is the reason most concrete workers suggest you to do flat roof concrete and then do slope roof using steel fabrication.This can only cost more.

Building rules/Boundary dispute

Query-1

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Building Permit":
Our house is 30 meters inside from road and this 30mtr x 2mtr passage or way was bought by us and this passage is leading to our house only. on both side of this passage our 2 neighbors. The neighbour on left side already has boundary wall for the entire length of this passage build long before. Now the right side neighbour decided to built boundary wall for the entire length of this passage. They have marked the area such that the width of our passage remains 200 cm. But the left side neighbour has told us that while they were building their boundary wall they have left approx. 30cm and built the wall. That means we will get a total width of 230cm. But right side neighbour are going to build the boundary wall by leaving only 200cm width for our passage.
I would like to know what we can do in this situation. I don't want to spoil the relation with our neighbour. I just would like to know whether we are entitled to have that 30cm which was left by left side neighbour and is there law supporting this. And how can we prove this to our right side neighbour and solve this issue. Please help.
Your favourable support will be appreciated

My reply.

If your left side neighbour has really left 30cm extra for your passage,it can be ascertained by measuring land in possession of left side neighbour.You can get any qualified Engineer to measure  land and check the status or to be more convincing to your neighbour you can get people from concerned village office who will have authentic sketch of plots with them to measure and mark exact boundaries of plots concerned.That way you can resolve the issue without straining the relationships

But if the right side neighbour is trying to take undue advantage of the situation,nothing can be done to avoid unpleasantness.

Query-2

Respected Sir,

extent of land 1.96 cents in municipal area

Measurement north - south : 9.10 meter; East - West 8.75 Meter

moved plan leaving front open space 180 Cm, North 100 Cm, south 90 Cm East abutting with NOC. plan sanctioned permit issued. (Permit for construction North - South 756 Cm East West 696 Cm.) due to reduction in land, for the construction as per sanctioned plan reduced the area of construction from 756CM to 720 Cm and from 696 Cm to 680 Cm providing southern side open space at 60 Cm. revised plan submitted. southern neighbour moved petition stating statutory distance of 90 Cm not kept hence violation. (the attempt of Compromise with neighbour failed due to his adamant attitude and unbearable conditions) Authority issued stop memo under Sec.62. this being the position please let me know is there any violation of building rules? rejection of plan and permit is sustainable or not? Your valuable suggestions to get over from the situations is highly appreciated. Hope you sir will do the help and needful in this regard

My reply

As I do not have relevant documents to verify or I cannot visit site and check up on the matter,I can only suggest you to discuss the matter in detail with concerned official of local authority concerned.There is no reason to suspect that local authority will proceed against you against rules.I think they will explain to you whether your construction is as per rules or not and will suggest a way out 

Query-3

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Building Permit":
u said that the person having plot less than 3 cent is having concessions what al r they?

My reply

Please contact concerned person in your local authority office

Vasthu aspects

Query-1

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Free Consultation,3/12/12":
Hello, i have a 7 cent almost rectangle plot which has 2 side road ( north and east ) which is 4 feet in width. I have third entrance which is 10 ft. width in the south west corner of the plot that is only can be used as a car/vehicle entrance. Could you please tell me which direction of phasing of house will be better in my plot according to vasthu.

My reply

Facing East will be the best option as per Vasthu.Second Choice can be North.In your case as the vehicle can enter only at South west corner,facing east will be better as distance from vehicle entry to front side of house will be less

Query-2

I am planning to buy a flat in Hyderabad. It is 3 bedroom flat and the builder has confirmed it is VASTU complaint. I sent the plan to one VASTU consultant in Kerala. As per him the room measurement and Kitchen measurement are not as per VASTU. I would like to know if there are any such measurement that we need to follow.

My reply

Flat builders normally do not follow specific measurement pattern for rooms followed by old Asaris in Kerala.Hence if you want to buy only such flats,it may be impossible to buy a flat in Hyderabad

Free Consultation,18,February,2013

Architectural guidance

Query1

Dear Mr. Thomas,

What are the prevailing rates for architects in Ernakulum, my architect is quoting Rs30 / sq. ft..

Dr Mohan

My reply

There cannot be any fixed  universal rates for architectural services.Each Architect is different in qualifications and experience.also capability varies from person to person depending upon his exposure to works of different nature at different locations.

For example I have direct exposure in designing and building more than 200 houses in different locations and designing many more buildings.Each new work brings up new challenges. Problems encountered and solved will increase my capability while designing a new house.

Query-2

Respected Sir/Ma'am,

I am a final year architecture student from Aayojan School of Architecture, Jaipur.

I saw your website www.keralaarchitecture.com today. I read all the features of Kerala architecture mentioned on the website and found them very interesting and useful.

I am doing interiors for a jewelry showroom as a part of my academic curriculum and I have chosen Kerala Gold Jewelry as my product and am interested in giving the showroom Kerala-style interiors.

It has to be in 400 sq. ft. area. Now, since I don't have much knowledge about the interior style of this region , can you please help me by throwing some light on how a typical Kerala styled jewelry showroom should be.

Your help will be really appreciated. Please share some knowledge with me in this respect.

AASHIMA 5th Year, B.Arch (I.D.) Aayojan School of Architecture

My reply

I don't know how you are going to do it without even visiting a typical Kerala Jewelry shop.I cannot work out your assignment for you and mail it to you.If you have any specific query you can ask by mail or even by phone

Query-3

Hello Sir,

I am an Architect working in the gulf. I am designing few houses in Kerala being abroad i am not much aware of the rates in Kerala. I have listed below a few questions if you could reply to.

1. what would be the estimated cost of construction per sft without any finishes like flooring tiles, hand rails, switches and paints.it would be helpful if you could give me an idea of labour cost separately also.

2. The houses mostly designed are with double height spaces do we have to calculate with same rate/sft in the double height area or can we exclude this area from the total sft when calculating.

3. can you help me with the rate for medium rate poly carbonate sheet cost/m2.

Expecting your response.

Don Thomas.

My reply

You are a Designer or a Contractor? Each contractor work out his cost based on his way of doing construction and no two contractor do it in the same manner.So there cannot be anything called a square feet cost of construction applicable anywhere in Kerala for any soil conditions,any design or any type of finishes and for any period of work.

Normally design of the house is done by professionals in a manner which will reduce cost of construction while trying to utilise every bit of space inside building in the most appropriate manner avoiding wastage of space.Appropriate design is the most important cost reduction method.

While preparing Engineering Estimate giving item wise costing,even though quantity can be calculated using engineering methods unit rates are always arrived at based on data on cost available with a contractor considering also his method of doing construction.This method of construction varies from contractor to contractor and the most important guiding principle for a contractor is maximising his profit and definitely not ensuring best quality of construction and engineering standards

Query-4

Hello Mr. Thomas

I saw your details through Kerala architecture. Thank you for providing lots of useful information about home building

I wonder if you take a project ,on the basis of complete execution of project ,from design to land scape, what percentage will be your professional fee?

Kindly let me know.

Saji

My reply

We do not work on percentages.We start systematically from development of Basic Plan for the house to providing complete detailed drawings for working,Site supervision and guidance.In some cases we arrange our own workers and construction management.In other cases we act as consultants giving drawings and guidance include monitoring of work at site and ensuring quality construction as per Engineering standards.For details write to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Construction of house

Query-1

Hi Sir
I am Renjith, just want to know , we got 1acre of land purchased 30 years back, that time it was agriculture land,
and in document its same, but we had filled that land with soil and kept coconut tree all around that time itself(25 year back)
now we are planning to build house and sale, i want to know can we do that, or if any new rules came, can u give me clear
idea about it, hope you will reply

My reply

You have to approach concerned local authority with Survey No and other location details of your property and check up about construction of house allowed in that plot.Possibly they may refer the matter to a committee.Committee after visiting the plot will take appropriate decision

Query-2

Dear Mr. Thomas,

I have gone through several blogs on various architecture topics written by you. Really appreciate the kind of effort that goes into it.

I am aware that you hate replying to queries if details are not provided. Being naive in this field, mine is a very basic query!

I have 11 cents of land and I intend to build a small 3 bedroom house in traditional Kerala style. Would it be possible to build such a house on a rectangular plot (narrow front of 17 meters), while leaving decent space in front and two sides of the house for landscaping?

Thank you in anticipation of a reply.

My reply

Why should you start with a negative assumption that a 17M frontage plot will not be suitable for building a three bed room house? You can comfortably build even a single floor house with three bed rooms in that plot.Instead of trying to assume and take decisions on your own,get professional guidance and assistance in design and construction of your house.

People are happy in spending lakhs of rupees on payments to building contractor.Even if they take excess money even for poor quality construction is okay for them.But paying few thousands to a qualified person with rich wealth of experience in  designing and building hundreds of houses is something they hate.It is considered as waste of money!

Query-3

I have seen your designs Duplex villa elevation 3500 sq. ft. luxury villa, 4 bedroom luxury house design, flat roof luxury home design. modern villa design 2100 sq. ft. home and like them (ALL BIG SIZE), i will select any 1 of them after your suggestion and then i will contact Kerala home design.

i want to know that how much minimum plot size should i buy according to the above mentioned plinth area which will also have small lawn which will be good looking in totality?

please reply a.s.a.p. because I'm going to buy a plot in this week.

i want this to be built in Uttar Pradesh.

Aslam Khan

My reply

Design of the house is done to suit your plot,requirements and budget and definitely not the other way.Before finalising on your plot purchase,please go through link,Architectural Guidance in our website

www.keralaarchitecture.com

and if possible get an experienced professional to assess the plot for suitability of house construction on technical aspects and Vasthu aspects.

Query-4

Dear sir,

I am in the process of building a 2000 sq. ft. house at Edappal. I would be thankful if you could suggest some ways and approaches that can be adopted to to reduce the heat build up inside the house and to keep the inside cool.

Ajith

My reply

If you want to reduce heat inside your house to be built,first and most important step is to get a professional design from qualified experienced expert.People seem to think Plan of the house as something any one can draw.Whoever gives it for very little cost seems to be the most desirable designer! Very few people have the expertise to understand implications  and meaning of those few lines drawn.Even they will be able to understand defects and plus points of plan possibly after completion of structure of the house.But that will be too late to do anything

Even after getting a good professional plan of the house,you require continuous guidance,directions,detailed drawings and supervision of work being carried out by contractor .Don’t simply believe sweet words of contractor who has only his profit as the  interest.Your Architect will guide you not only on reduction of heat inside house but on many other aspects of house design and construction

Dear Sir,

I am Jose  working in Istanbul (Turkey)

I am planning to build a House in Kannur. I am attaching the Plan here.

Could you please tell me that. How much the minimum land area is required for that house

and how much will be total cost of Construction including Materials

Please don't avoid this mail.

My reply

Simply taking plan or other drawings of a house from any website  will not help you at all,however impressive it may look.

House design and construction is not a silly affair.It is one of the most important investment in your life possibly taking major part of your earnings of a life time.So you have to get expert professional guidance to spend your hard earned money in the most appropriate manner to save your money and to get best out of your investment

House design has to be done by an expert considering features of your land (both technical and Vasthu aspects),your needs for the house,budget and other aspects.Don’t start with a plan of the house taken from a website and land in trouble later

Query-5

Hello Sir,

I have seen your blog.. The info you provide is extremely useful.

I would like to know about the cost of boundary wall construction cost in Kerala for 30cent land. Only three sides needs to be constructed,one side wall is existing.

Is id advisable to give on contract basis or on daily wages.

Ziyad.

My reply

Without visiting site,taking measurements of all sides of plot , getting information on material cost and labour charges prevailing at site,no one can tell cost of constructing a compound wall with the information you have given

Query-6

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Free Consultation,15/12/12":
Dear Thomas,
I am having a Rectangular Plot of size 74 ft. X 55 ft., in Jammu J&K. Now i want to construct a 3 BHK house with car garage in it.
kindly advise how can i approach you and further details you will require from me.
Faisal

My reply

Such messages to blog without an email id prevents me from replying.Instead of typing on blogs as comments email your queries directly to my email id

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Write to above email id.We can design your house not only in Jammu and Kashmir but anywhere in the world 

Building rules and clearances

Query-1

Hello sir,
I have a property in front of vattakkayal in Kollam Sakthikulangara. This is municipal area . Will i get sanction to construct house there ?

Lissy

My reply

You have to check up about it with town planning dept. of concerned local authority CRZ act restrictions will be applicable for a plot  facing lake/river or sea

Query-2

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Building Permit":
I am planning to purchase a new house consisting 1100 sq.ft. with total area of 10 3/4 cents land. this is in panchayath area. kindly advise what are the documents required for registration of this property. this property is in Palakkad district, Ottapalam .

My reply

Go to our website

www.keralaarchitecture.com

and click on link Architectural guidance.You will get required information

Free Consultation,15/12/12

Construction Material

Query-1

Dear Mr. Thomas,

I was going through your site and found it as very helpful and interesting.

I wish to use sheet for roofing.Which is the better material to use for roofing. What are the things to notice when using sheets. Thank you very much for your time.

Priya

My reply

There is no point in seeking bits of information on different aspects of house construction from different sources and trying to take decisions on construction features and details yourself.It will be like trying to decide on medicines for your sickness by yourself

House construction is indeed a complex affair.Leave the decisions to experts.That will get you better features and will reduce cost of construction

Real Estate Assistance

Query-1

Dear sir

I am based out of Kerala.

I am interested in getting my properties sold as quickly as possible.

could you please advise me how you can help me in finding a proper customer and realise reasonable

Gopinath

My reply

Real estate scenario is a bit dull these days with lots of sellers and hardly any buyers.Real estate agents nearer to the locations of the plots may be able to help better

House Design

Query-1

Hello Thomas,
I happened to see your webpage http://architectkerala.blogspot.in/ I would like to appreciate the effort you are making in helping people in the area of house construction. All your replies have correct points and it helps people like me a lot. It reflects your inner quality and attitude towards the life. Simply awesome!
I am constructing a home at Trivandrum and have already entered into a building contract with a construction company. They are in the process of getting the plan sanctioned by corporation. What I need is a good Elevation plan for my home. My house plot is not a square plot and that makes be difficult to choose a plan. I read your reply where you have said, you should not copy an elevation from another home and try to fit into your house plot. I understand that clearly. I am attaching the location sketch of my plot I purchased. Please let me know if you will be able to help me in making a good elevation for my house. We have designed a home plan that I am attaching with this mail. I would like to hear your comments.
The plan I have attached is the final plan for me. It would be great if you have any advice.
Anil

My reply

Elevation for your house depends upon two important factors

1.Plan of the house.If you have to get a good Elevation,while designing plan this factor will have to be considered.Elevation is actually a projection of plan in the height direction.You cannot get a good Elevation with any plan

2.It also depends on what type of work concrete workers doing the work can do.If I simply draw something and if they do not know how to do it,what is the use?

Plan you have sent is definitely not the best you can use for your plot.As per Vasthu,east facing house should have car porch and gate at Northern half of front side.Here it comes at southern part.East facing house  can have Kitchen at North West.Here you are putting Kitchen at Front side and there are so many other defects in plan.We can do a totally different plan which will also give you better Elevation.

Query-2

Dear Sir,

Please send me the pictures of houses you constructed already, so that I can opt some choices from that.

Let me know the budget range for the same too

Sudarsan

My reply

A Plan of the house to be constructed has to be made to suit your plot dimensions,surroundings,Vasthu considerations specifically related to your plot,your requirements and budget limitations if any

Looking at pictures of houses we designed and built for somebody else is not going to help you in any way.Design of house starts with Plan of the house and definitely not from Elevation of house

I need outer dimensions of your plot in meters(all four sides) position of roads nearby,direction to which proposed house will face to start working on plan of the house.Only after Plan is finalised and soil conditions of plot is ascertained we can start working on expected cost of construction using Engineering Estimate methods.Going by guess cost is not going to help you in any manner

Construction Cost

Query-1

Dear Thomas,

My name is Samuel, I am always reading your blog in internet and I would like to ask you a query regarding house construction before I proceed with the same at Trivandrum.

total of 1681 sq.ft. plinth area. Double Story building. As I am in Gulf now I don’t know the exact rate per Sq.ft in Kerala.

Can you please advise me how much the current approximate cost per sq.ft in this area.

Your reply in this regard will be highly appreciated.

My reply

After reading my blog writing continuously you are asking me for square feet cost construction! I think I should stop writing in that case

Can any one tell cost of one single material after one and a half years? No.If so how can any one exactly predict cost of constructing a house which may get completed after one and a half years which involve hundreds of materials and different type of labour?

Cost of construction depends on at least following aspects

1.Design of the house: Different designs call for different quantities of material and labour.So Design can increase or decrease design.An experienced expert can help you by giving a cost effective design while giving better facilities in the house and minimum or no wastage of space

2.Location of the house:Construction materials cost less at some locations and high at other locations.For example almost all construction materials are comparatively cheaper at Cochin in Kerala.Some materials are cheaper in some other locations.

3.Soil nature:If you have a stable original land,your construction cost will go down as you may not have to go for costly designs for foundation

4.Controlling wastages while buying materials and proper planning of labour:For this you need assistance and guidance of an expert.People generally tend to buy construction materials without seeking help of an expert and it results in wastages and cost increase due to lack of material purchase planning.Improper labour planning may result in re work and dismantling during construction which will push cost upwards

Square feet cost is a term generally used by non professional contractors to get work from you.None of these contractors have completed construction within that promised rate.Builders quote very high square feet cost which has nothing to do with actual cost protecting their profit margins in spite of any input cost increase that may happen during project execution

Free Consultation,12/12/12

Building rules and clearances

Query-1

Hello Mr.Thomas,
First let me appreciate you for the time you are sparing to answer
questions which are a lot helpful for the people those who wish to
start their home construction.
Since long I am working in Abu Dhabi, not aware of building codes
and setbacks in Kerala. I am staying in Irinjalakuda in a residential
area. Recently our neighbor plot got building permission for a 4 story
building with 14 residential flats. My left side will be their rear side, our set
back from boundary is around 1.2 m with a projection of around
45cm for rain water protection. First up all I would like to know whether
is it allowed for a commercial building in this area and if so , what will
be the setbacks all around.
If you can help me in this regard, I will be so grateful.
Once again congratulations for your brilliance and knowledge you are sharing with people.

Krishnakumar

My reply

You can straight away give a written complaint to Town planning section of your local authority"suspecting violation of Building rules by the apartment builder as the person sharing a side of the said property"

Local authority will definitely take action if and only if you give a written complaint quoting your Survey No and Building No

Query-2

Ajith has left a new comment on your post "Building Permit":
sir ,i have a plot 1.20 are in a junction having 8metere panchayath road on frond and left side, PWD had already taken 13 meters for the front road,and tarred on it's entire 13 M width. now i want 2 reconstruct the building in the above plot,what are the exemptions applicable 4 plots 1.20 are. from where i can 2 take the frontage distance ? from the tarring edge or from the 8m point? please help me

My reply

I can only talk to you based on general provisions of Building rules as applicable.In your case it will be better to approach town planning section of your local authority with specific details of your land location like Survey No to get the clarifications required.

Query-3

Shaji has left a new comment on your post "Free consultation on Kerala Architecture,Vasthu an...":
My question is related to access way to our plot. Our plot is approximate 100m from the panchayath road. We have to go through between two plot of different owner. My question is that what is the maximum width we can get as way to our plot.

My reply

I do not understand why you have purchased a plot without any free passage to the plot.If you can negotiate with concerned owners of plots leading to your plot,you can possibly get a three feet width passage to your property.

Query-4

Sir,
i have doubt about the building rules
i have rectangular plot with roads on two sides size is around 5.5 cents
how much meters will i have to leave from the road to wards the building
is it from the edge of the road or from my wall

My reply

In normal case you are supposed to leave 3M from border of your property near to the road.Better check with Town planning section of your local authority with specific details on location of your plot.

Cost of Construction

Query-1

Sir,

I am Rejitha residing at Kollam , We have only 10 cent land ., now we decided to build a house with 3 bed room and 2 bathroom inside with a budget below 8 lakhs. sir is it possible in the present situation . kindly give a reply

My reply

Building three bed room house in single floor in your 10 cents land will be less costly.But without preparing a Plan of the house and knowing other cost inputs,I can only say that Rs.8 lakhs will not be sufficient.It may cost around Rs.20 lakhs and if you do not start construction immediately cost can only go up making your dream house simply a dream forever

Query-2

Hello Mr. Thomas,

My name is Laali.  (basically from Mumbai), I saw your blog a few days ago and was interested to know more about construction of a home in my native.

I thought since you are an experienced person and you are into this business, would take your advice and suggestions as I proceed to start the construction by Apr next year. My budget is quiet low (5 lac) and I have made a small plan myself which I thought I would share with you (please find attached the same). I do not have any professional contacts there but I have a dream to complete this project for my loved ones, but the only constraint is money.

There is a total of 35 cents and I would like to build this house on a carpet area of 1500 sft. in Kollam, Karunagapally. I would like to know the various cost associated with the construction & how it can be reduced. If this construction can be completed with the money I have, and if you can help me with information required.

I would be grateful to you!

My reply

What you have sent me is not plan of the house.May be it is your way of expressing what you think of plan of a house.Plan of a house will have to be prepared by  a qualified experienced professional using appropriate software

With Five lakhs rupees you can possibly build a small single floor house with one bed room,Kitchen,Hall(Just a guess)

 

Design of House

Query-1

Dear Sir,

I know you are very busy but still hope, you will be able to spare a few moments to reply to this mail.Currently I am working in Saudi Arabia. I am constructing a house in Kannur, the details of which are as under. I would like to know its suitability related to Vasthu Shastra. Also kindly let me know how we measure the total sq. ft. Do we need to take the measurement of all the rooms or is there any easy method for doing the same? A carpenter had corrected the plan before we start our. construction.

Would you kindly let me know on this please?

Murali

My reply

I have not received your plan as attachment.Plan is the most important drawing for a house and it cannot be simply left to any one to do as they like as a wrong plan can make you  loose lakhs of your money and problems that can never be rectified

For West facing house,you can have south West Master bed room,south East Kitchen and car porch at Northern half of front side of house

Query-2

Hello Sir,

My name is Deepa and I am working as administrator in a private firm.

I am gone through articles published in your website and found it really informative.

Actually I am planning to construct a house in Trivandrum in a 6cent plot.

I have prepared a rough plan with the help of a friend who has done diploma in this field.

I am sending the proposed plan with this mail. But I want to know whether I can reduce the total area in any way.

Could you please suggest ideas so that I can reduce the total area to 1000sq.feet for a single storied building.

My reply

Plan sent by you do not seem to be the best possible plan for you.Plan of the house is the most critical drawing for a house construction.Only experts who are well experienced in designing and building houses can give you the most appropriate plan for your house saving you lakhs of money,providing better facilities,better utility for space inside house and better design.

As per Vasthu,South East bed room will be harmful.Living room in this case is too narrow.Court yard is not advisable for such a small house.Stair case is not properly designed.Toilets are too narrow in width. Better totally revise the plan and we can do it for you.

Query-3

Dear Mr. Thomas,

Please see attached my house plan and the garden plan. Green coloured areas are Free space (Chips or normal sand for water drainage and flowers). Remaining all areas covering with tiles. Planned for a landscaping garden also with amoeba shaped pond. Please advise

My reply

Plan of the house do not appear to be that prepared by a professional using appropriate software.Go for professional design and services and do not simply go by self prepared drawings for one of the most important investment in your life.You can of course tell your designer what exactly you would like to have for the house and surroundings.

Query-4

Dear Sir,

I here by attached a plan of my home. Please check the plan and i am waiting for your valuable suggestions. I have a budget of 15 lakhs only. Please give me a better solution.

Raneesh

My reply

Major defects are

1.Very little light and ventilation in central living space,Dining

2.Stair case by the side of only light giving wall in Dining will prevent light and ventilation

3.Drawing room size insufficient

Better revise the plan totally.If you want we can do it.

Three bed room single floor house may cost around Rs.20 lakhs

Construction Materials

Query-1

Sir

I very much happy to heard about your establishments through your site. I am from Kollam and working at Saudi. My home is under construction and i wish to layterracotta tiles in floor. But I am doubtful about its quality( manufacturing from pure clay or not), surface finish, and how to polish it. I saw in your add with photo of a bed room floor you made. Sir can you share the availability of material (if possible means in Kollam) and laying details. Its a help for me.

Ajith

My reply

Clay tiles available now are of better quality with good finish.Some of them are available even with polishing by the manufacturer

I am not  aware of any specific manufacturer in your area and it is also not proper on my part to recommend any specific manufacturer of a product.

Query-2

What is your opinion on using steel doors instead of wooden doors for all exterior access? I have recently seen lots of advertisements of such doors that ensure more durability, safety and strength.

Paulose

My reply

Even if you use steel doors which may cost more,it can be opened with modern technology available to thieves.Hence I suggest you go for good quality wooden door frames and shutters.For all exterior door shutters you can add steel bar system now available to enhance security.I have used such locking arrangement readily available in one of my recent construction.

Free Consultation,5/12/12

Building rules,clearances required

Query-1

I am Joji  from Cochin I had some doubt regarding the house construction. I brought 5 cent land (square plot) . There is one pocket road in one side of my plot, so while making plan for the house I have to take a 3 M gap with the road. I would like to know there is concession for 5 cent plots? And Can you please suggest me the suitable size of the house (single floor with 3 bed attach) that can I make in 5 cent with these regulations..

My reply

There are relaxations in clearance space to be left while constructing house for plot area,3 cents or less only

Query-2

Please let me know the distance to be set apart from a river for construction

Additionally can we use the set apart area as car porch or outhouse or is it to left plain

Hari

Query-3

I have 3 cents of land one the side of river in Trivandrum only 6mts from the side of river. How to construct a building with clearances. Any Govt. exemption required for the clearances on all sides

Bhattathiri

My reply

As per CRZ Act,you have to leave 50M from river and lake for construction.Exemptions possible are having a building on the same line which existed prior to 1993 or a road in between.For exact details as may be applicable in your area,contact concerned person in town planning section of your local authority office

Query-4

Sir,
I've 15cents of plot at Trichur Corporation area. From the main road, there is a sub road having width of 3.200 M to the plot. I wish to build an apartment at there. Is 3.200 M accessibility is enough otherwise what papers has to submit to get relaxation. Pls. advice .
Regards.
jayadevan

My reply

Contact town planning section of local authority office(in your case Trichur Corporation) with Division No and Survey No of the plot.They are the competent authority to clarify your doubts as in addition to KBR provisions local authority can impose further restrictions and conditions

Construction cost

Query-1

I'm a Chartered Accountant, based in Kollam. I'm planning to built a
house on my plot of 7 cents. I would like have a simple single storied
house but spacious, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.Before proceeding ahead with my plan i would like to have an estimate
of the cost of construction as per the standards now. I want only a
very rough idea of the cost so that i could make my plans accordingly

My reply

Rough idea of cost which some one may give on guess basis is not going to help you in any manner. Cost of hundreds of materials used for house construction and different type of labour is going up fast almost everyday.In this situation,once you have decided to go for construction go in to construction without delay with professional design and guidance from experienced professional from beginning to end of construction.If you do not have sufficient own funds,go for housing loan which will be financially a better option for you rather than delaying construction and spend more money later for the same house.

Query-2

I am planning to have a house at around 1000 sq., feet in two story. I want to reduce cost at all possible way without compromising quality. But, luxuries can be avoided. Most modern cost reduction techniques can be adopted wherever possible like, roofing, partition walls, staircase etc. Here I am quoting some suggestion to express My ideas. Car Porch can be built separately with corrugated sheet roofing on pillars,

Kindly let me know the cost approximately, to have a 3 bed house at Palakkad.

Girish

My reply

Guessing cost without site visit,without plan,without Engineering Estimate will be like telling a lie.House construction is not that simple to predict cost by reading few sentences on your requirements.Technology is never based on  guessing

Query-3

I am planning to construct a 1200 s ft. house at Haripad, in Alleppey district.
I am having 30 cents of land in road side. I want to know the approximate cost
to build the house. My plan is 3 bed room having 2 attached bath room and one
common bath room, One hall, sit out,car porch, one kitchen and a small store
room.In the the hall only we prefer vitrified tiles and in other rooms normal
tiles preferred to reduce cost. One room preferred in the up stair. What will be
the approximate cost for such a house.
Expecting a reply
Jagadeesh

My reply

Three bed room two floor house with reasonably large rooms and other living spaces cannot be 1200 sft.It will be more in plinth area.Any way only after finalisation of plan any one can exactly tell square feet plinth area.There is no fixed square feet cost of construction as you believe

Query-4

Dear sir,

I saw in the net regarding the Dream home , you are making very good plan and

designing also.

I will introduce myself my name is Ann from Dubai. I want to know some information regarding Dream home.

I am planning to buy one small plot  4 cent I don't have big budget.

If i want to make one house at least 1750/- sq.feet . Total how much it will come.

If you can give me some idea , I am planning to do , can you help me sir

My budget is maximum 15 lakhs to 20 lakhs this it will workout or not

please give me the reply.

My reply

It may be possible to build a house within that budget.Without any data no one can predict cost.Even the plinth area of the house will be known only after an experienced professional prepares a plan suited to your plot,requirements and budget constraints if any.Golden rule in house construction in Kerala is to start construction activities without delay once you decide to construct house.Obtaining professional design and guidance throughout construction will help reduce cost and will get you better facilities in the house at lesser cost.
Other issues

Query-1

Dear Mr. Thomas,

We have a flat in Kochi and when we finally move in, we would like to do some remodeling work of the interior. This is in the future but what has happened is that the person living in the flat below ours started some work in his flat and the person living below his flat stopped the work saying that he was getting disturbed. Now I hear that he is taking the matter to court.

I am sure that there must be some guidelines about the time when you can have work done; say from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm or something like that. Or is it dependent on the goodwill of your neighbors? Please advise.

Verghese

My reply

What you refer to is a legal issue and I am not competent to comment or advise you on it

Query-2

Sir,

I am a NRI plan to start a business in Kerala.Me and my friends are interested to start a construction firm.In this stage we only dream about this.Please advise us how to start a firm and what should we do and whether is there any scope in this field or any risk will come which we cant afford in any stage etc..etc..,We have investors with us.We need a good fame as well as career in this field.Our investors obviously need returns only.Here we have many contacts also.So pls help us how we start this and related to this...Waiting for a swift response.

Zesham.

My reply

Our Consultancy division can guide on this and help you set up your business from beginning guiding you on all aspects of commencing business including legal and statutory issues,providing marketing guidance also.Please write to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

and fix up date and time for direct discussions