Owning a house is a significant milestone for many people. However, the process sometimes feels daunting due to the high cost of housing and limited financing options.
The changing technology has, however, made it possible for people with low budgets to construct decent houses. This article focuses on how you can construct a 2 bedroom all en-suite with less than Sh1.5 million.
In order to cut construction costs, it is critical to plan out the procedure before beginning any job. The planning phase should include a budget restriction and techniques to stay within budgetary constraints.
Construction materials account for a huge chunk of a construction budget; therefore, this is the first area you need to be clever to cut costs.
You can employ the trick of using precast panels as an alternative to the brick walling system and a hidden roof to cut the roofing cost.
According to Alex Thiru, a real estate project manager, a standard two-bedroom house measuring 79 sqm by 850sqm can take about 70 panels and between Sh350,000-Sh400,000 for the overall walling cost inclusive of labor cost.
”The structure alone without the finishes cost below Ksh 1M,’’  stated Nick Muema of Property Noma.
Thiru, who planned the construction of a two-bedroom precast house in Gikambura Kiambu county, notes that the finished house shouldn’t go beyond Ksh 1.5M. Thiru used a hidden roof which helped save on timber costs.
”For the ceiling, it was a bit expensive because of the timber, which has been a bit expensive currently. But evaluating it with the other designs, it saved us a cost of about Sh300,000 when you include the timber and labor,”
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”For the total cost of the project, we had budgeted an average of Sh1.2 million, and currently, we are done with the third phase, and the house hasn’t even got to 1 Million.”
Precast concrete wall panels prices depend on the company you are buying from. The wall panels for popular companies, such as Global Precast Panels, go for about Ksh. 1350 per square meter, while the slabs retail at Ksh 4200 per square meter
According to HPD Consult, a real estate firm in Kenya, using precast technology, a builder can save up to 90 percent of the time taken to put up a similar project using conventional construction methods while saving costs by up to 30 percent.
