15 bags of cement, 500 blocks for foundation: How to build your house in 5 steps

Despite various arguments in recent weeks about a house not being a good investment, owning one is still a big achievement for many who are always at the mercy of whimsical landlords.

It is understandable that setting out on a building project could look like an enormous task for Nigerians, especially salary earners.

Taking one step at a time, owning your home could become a reality with strong commitment. In this report, Legit.ng, will be looking at some steps to take towards achieving that. The steps are for those who are already land owners.

1. Cutting and clearing

As simple as it sounds, weeding and clearing your piece of land is the first step. Get a good labourer who can do the work for you. Cutting and clearing a plot of land could be as high as N10,000, depending on your location.

You may also need to uproot trees if there are any on the land. You should note that this comes at a different price.

2. Get your plan drawn and approved

Before your set out to build, know your community or state laws and how to seek approval. Approach an architect and get your plan drawn. Your building blueprint will give direction to your builder. The reason why government approval is important is to avoid issues with the town planning ministry.

You do not want to have your project fall foul of the law when you have sunk in money.

3. Foundation of the building

After clearing your land, the next big thing to work on is the foundation. It is the most important part of your building. When Legit.ng spoke with a seasoned builder, Gbenga, in Ibadan, he gave extensive details of what is needed for a three-bedroom family building, and they are as follows:

500 blocks (estimate of N280 per one)

1 load of sand

1 load of gravel

15 bags of cement

4. Paying your laborers

Before getting those materials, it is necessary you conclude your negotiation with the builder. For Gbenga, he said he charges N80,000 to get such a foundation done.

Your builder's price may be different depending on your location.

5. Be the supervisor

You know you are a salary earner and you are trying to manage your resources as well as possible. So, you will have to be your own project supervisor.

While being the supervisor, ensure every bag of cement is accounted for. You do not want people pilfering from you.

Now that your foundation is done, take a rest and strategize on when to take it from there. The next big expense will come when you want to roof.