Haripad House,nearing completion

Compound wall and gate with different style based on traditional Kerala Architecture and modern architecture elements.See pictures:

Front Main door in teak wood with hand carving using features of traditional Kerala Architecture with excellence in hand carving.See pictures:

Stair case with hand carving in Kerala Plantation teak wood.The best you can get with traditional glory of Kerala Architecture.See pictures:

Front views of the house

This 3000 sft plinth area house with four bed rooms and all usual features of a modern house is also pleasant in external appearance with richness of Kerala Architecture features.Once,hand carved teak wood charupady is added to traditional Poomukham,this house turns out to be another unique work of Architect Thomas Viruvelil.A house you can be proud of being an achievement in your life time and almost a dream house,come real.

If you would like to have a similar dream house,contact

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

9388701702,9388701707,9388701700

See few pictures of front views:

 

Hand carved teak wood Stair case with a difference,Cherthala House

Cherthala house designed and built by us has a special hand carved teak wood stair case.You cannot see a similar stair case any where as each of stair posts are carved by our expert craftsmen in the form of a tree.See the pictures:

If you need a similar or a different type of hand carved stair case for your house even if it is not designed and built by us, write to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call

9388701702,9388701707,9388701700

All those years of study,research and hard work do not mean anything?

It is nearly twenty years since I started designing and building houses for my clients in Kerala. During these years I had been studying closely with utmost attention on details about house design and construction. I have done several experiments, attempts, trying out ideas, developing new ways of doing while studying and questioning old established ways of design and construction. In fact it was a long journey of study, research and development. What I am today is mostly due to this hard work over years almost fully dedicated to the profession.

I have also tried communicating with lots of people in different parts of the world through my blogs trying to create awareness of need for professional design, involvement and guidance from beginning to end of constructing a house in Kerala. I knew it is tough to change mindset of Kerala people who still have the feeling and belief that a local mason without any formal education or training is all that required to design and build a house.

One thing which surprises me a lot is, people still ask me about Engineering college which I studied as if those four years is the only period in my life when I got all knowledge for being a professional in building construction. I quite often smile or laugh hearing a question like that. In fact those four years I hardly studied anything. May be a few vocabulary in technical jargon. Nothing more. May be building up few friendships which in later life do not mean much. Those four years were an attempt to get through those exams somehow or the other, rather than a determined quest for learning and developing knowledge in Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Art related to design and construction and Vasthu.

I do not know why people still think that those years in college are the most important part of learning. On this aspect there was a funny incident in high court of Kerala recently when a Judge asked a lawyer how much VS Achuthanandan studied in school. Lawyer replied: “Possibly up to seventh standard” Judge then offered to teach legal procedure to “ignorant “VS. His reply when this matter was brought to his attention is similar to my ideas given earlier:

”I have studied for 70 long years in the school of world interacting with people. No one can give a better education to me”

A successful professional is not produced by any engineering or other professional training schools/colleges. It is the result of determined efforts of the person to become a successful professional. In this process, no chapter is left out of study. No copying of assignments is done. No cheating in exam hall is there. No favour from any teacher is required.

A good professional try hard to win full marks for his study. He does not want to miss even one mark. Because, he is not trying to convince some one about his capability and efforts. He is doing it to satisfy his own mind trying hard to reach perfection and no compromises are acceptable in that process.

#Spiral stair case in Mahagony wood:Cochin house project

We, at Viruvelil Group of companies specialises in designing and building houses in Kerala with glory and fine nature of traditional Kerala Architecture.

We simply do not build houses to compete with those contractors fighting with each other quoting square feet rates of construction. We design and build your dream house with all goodness of traditional Kerala Architecture using latest technology in Architecture and Structural Engineering

Houses designed and built by us are designed to comply with Vasthu requirements fully to ensure that you get a peaceful life in the house with prosperity caused by Vasthu compliance

Every bit of your house is designed and built with expertise gained by designing thousands of houses in Kerala and building directly more than 200 houses in Kerala with each client treasuring the unique house designed and built by us for them.

We do not treat stair case of a house as something to be hidden in a corner of house with U shape which gives a dark area underneath which cannot be used in any manner. Instead we keep stair case as a central attraction and display portion of your house as each of our teak wood stair case  are made for you  specially  hand carved by our expert craftsmen with all the glory and traditional excellence of Kerala Architecture. Look at some of the stair cases done by us.

Look at spiral stair case done for a Cochin house project in Mahagony wood without hand carving. This stair has a sort of balcony in between while you climb stair up

You can also have such stair cases designed and installed at your house even if house is not designed and built by us

Contact us at

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call us at

9388701702 or 9388701707 or 9388701700

See pictures

#Kerala Architecture:Hand carved teak wood stair cases with traditional look

We,at Viruvelil Group of companies specialises in designing and building houses in Kerala with glory and fine nature of traditional Kerala Architecture.

We simply do not build houses to compete with those contractors fighting with each other quoting square feet rates of construction.We design and build your dream house with all goodness of traditional Kerala Architecture using latest technology in Architecture and Structural Engineering

Houses designed and built by us are designed to comply with Vasthu requirements fully to ensure that you get a peaceful life in the house with prosperity caused by Vasthu compliance

Every bit of your house is designed and built with expertise gained by designing thousands of houses in Kerala and building directly more than 200 houses in Kerala with each client treasuring the unique house designed and built by us for them.

We do not treat stair case of a house as something to be hidden in a corner of house with U shape which gives a dark area underneath which cannot be used in any manner.Instead we keep stair case as a central attraction and display portion of your house as each of our teak wood stair case  are made for you  specially  hand carved by our expert craftsmen with all the glory and traditional excellence of Kerala Architecture.Look at some of the stair cases done by us.I will start with Irinjalakuda house stair case which is centrally placed in a 4000 sft plinth area house.Stair case acts as major attraction of the house

You can also have such stair cases designed and installed at your house even if house is not designed and built by us

Contact us at

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

or call us at

9388701702 or 9388701707 or 9388701700

Irinjalakuda house stair case pictures

Free Consultation,25,October,2013

 Topic 1:House Construction

Query-1

I made a house 2000 s feet,I have to plan laying full granite,please advise how much it cost and more used colors.

Kumar

My reply

Present trend is to avoid use of granite and marble for flooring as much more attractive tiles with lesser cost and with anti slippery properties are available.If you need advice on flooring and other finishing works of house, please get back to me to vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Query-2

My name is Sony ,currently working in Saudi Arabia.  I

I am planning to build a small home in , Pathanamthitta District.  My plan is a small home of maximum 1500 Sq. Ft. built up area.  I prefer a small home because of the future cleaning maintenance cost & problems.  Moreover, i think,  for a small home i can use good quality materials for plumbing, electrical accessories and a good interior works also.

As per my plan, 03 Rooms (with 02 attached bath) a kitchen, work area, common & family living space, in this 1500 Sq. Ft. area.

Could you please advise me an approximate cost per Sq. Feet separately for the Structure, Electrical and Plumbing works with normal standard materials & specifications, to finalize the basic plan size for the home.  I know that you can't provide an exact cost without any details, and this cost is just to decide on an area to finalize the size of the home only.  

I plan to proceed on a plan, after deciding on a final area of the building.  This is important for me because i don't like to go for a home loan and i would like to make it on cash payment basis.

If you can provide me a vague idea of the cost involved, it will be of much help for me in this primary stage.

Sony

Query-3

My house work is going on...it is 2000 sq. ft. including car porch. 3bedrooms attached, one common bathroom, living dining etc.'we have given it on contract basis for 1600 per sq. ft. It will be around 34 lakhs...wish to know whether this price is too high?
My reply

Three bed room single floor house may cost around Rs.30 Lakhs(Guess Estimate).There is no such standard square feet cost of construction applicable anywhere. Each contractor in Kerala build house in a different manner to suit his profit and no two contractor build in the same manner with same quality and specifications. Even the Architect will know plinth area of the house only after finalisation of Basic Plan of the building.So how can you predetermine plinth area of house before preparing plan of the house?

Query-4

I own 18 Cents of land and want to build a 10 storey building and a space for commercial property. The plot is in rectangle shape 23 M X 35 M . The 23 Meter is facing the road and the 35 Meter is on either side.
Looking forward to your comments on whether this is possible and how much estimate would I need to mobilize on a budgetary basis to start with the plot.
Ben

My reply

When you plan to build a ten storey commercial building it is a major project which require expertise and assistance from building professionals

It is better you first contact a good Architectural firm who will have all kinds of experts in Architecture,soil testing,structural design and professional construction management.On our side we can  act as this professional agency for design and construction management.We can be contacted at email

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Phone-9388701702

About clearance required for the proposed building from nearby roads and allowable plinth area for construction in a floor you can contact town planning section of your local authority with specific details of plot like Survey No and Location sketch

Query-5

I like to build a house with maximum cost effectiveness.From certain articles i have read that by using old materials like brick and wood we can reduce cost of construction.Is it effective?What percent of total cost can be reduced by that ?

Anil

My reply

As per Vasthu,it is better not to use old building materials used in old houses as such parts are likely to bring bad effects of old house to your new building
.Even if you go by engineering standards old building parts might have crossed its life to a great extent and hence they are likely to get deteriorated when compared to new materials used

Cost reduction can be brought in to building design and construction by following advice of an experienced building professional who can guide you properly after considering all aspects in a professional manner

Topic 2: House remodeling and extension

Query-1

Myself planning to renovate the house and add a room to the terrace side of house . The ambiguity is the type of roof to be used for extension , whether we will b in need of RCC slab or is there any alternative to it keeping in mind the difficulties for doing it (i mean the RCC work ) .would like to know whether truss work with false ceiling will help or not .so that the work is quick and less headache compared to RCC and will it be apt for our climatic conditions and heat insulation properties
reply will be much appreciated !!

Vaikundanathan

My reply

Renovation and extension of existing house is a tricky affair.Compromises in quality and structural stability of the building  done by the previous builder will be the major problem faced by the team of persons who attempt to do remodeling or extension of existing building.In all probability,house owner will be unaware of the problems as previous builder would have used all the nice words he knows to talk of quality of his construction even while trying hard to make profit in his construction contract while also trying to adjust to the limited funds available as per contract in the face of galloping cost of all inputs.

In one typical case where I did a remodeling and extension of a building done by a non professional contractor only after I started work on the building house owner came to know the following;

1.Height of walls are one feet less than usual wall heights of building which he never bothered to measure and check while taking care of only “square feet plinth area”

2.Height of doors were again one feet less and quality of wood used were inferior even though it was promised to be “best quality”

3.Quality of construction was very poor

4.Architectural or structural design of the building never even thought of

As unexpected problems will crop up while trying to do remodeling,cost cannot be estimated correctly and all estimates can go wrong

In view of these and more problems one may face while trying to do remodeling/extension,please ensure that the building to be remodeled is inspected thoroughly by a well experienced building professional and take his views on these aspects:

1. Whether the remodeling/extension considered by you is worth proceeding

2. Possible cost implications  at least on a guess basis without going through Engineering Estimate methods

3. What exactly can be done on the building without costing too much

In this case,I can only suggest remodeling/extension work possible only after visiting and studying existing building.You can call me on 9388701702 or email me

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Query-2

We bought house in Thiruvalla.  it need some renovation. Is your company  undertaking such renovations. or can you suggest somebody who will do such works and are reliable.  Mammen

My reply

We can take up remodeling/extension,interior wood work and design and supply of interior furniture for the house,landscaping with professional quality and best workmanship.We can also arrange traditional hand carving work for interior and furniture for the house

Query-3

Sir, I am renovating my family home which is a traditional Nalukettu. We are planning to lay "Clay tiles" on the floors. We are doing it so as to get that traditional look. Would appreciate your opinion on this.

Kamal

My reply

There is nothing wrong in using clay tiles.In fact it is better and healthy as clay tiles are environment friendly.After laying tiles,apply anti fungal polyurethane coating to prevent tiles getting affected by fungus growth over it

Topic 3:Vasthu compliance

Query-1

How can one identify a Vasthu Expert? All proclaim that he is an expert?

Vasutan

My reply

Interesting question! You can get good books on Vasthu.Read them and get basic ideas on Vasthu.This will help you to avoid getting mislead by those who claim to know Vasthu without actually knowing much

Query-2

My bedroom is in the Agni kone and I am facing terrible illness after marriage. Please advise me what is the remedy.

Megha Agarwal

My reply

Using South East room(Agni Kone) of the building as bed room can create lots of problems.Avoid using that room as bed room and convert it as Kitchen.It will give you better life

Topic 4:   Building Permit

Query-1

i already constructed a house,i left 5m from panchayat road and front side there is one pocket road around 20 meter long.it is private road.From that road i left only 2meter.And behind the house, corner of work area (only corner) i left only 1 meter.I am staying at panchayath area.Expecting favourable reply.

My reply

To me ,it appears to be fine.But your local authority is the right agency to check and confirm compliance with building rules

Query-2

I have got a building permit from Trivandrum Corporation on 2010 January to construct a two storey total 1500 sq.ft. area.
My construction was done very slowly due to financial reason. Now 2013 September completed my house. But I didn't extent my building permit.
Now I am planning to submit my house for assessment to get TC number.
Shall I submit this as normal, or there is any penalty will come due to expired permit, if penalty is there, how I can avoid that.

My reply

If the building is constructed as per building rules,there cannot be much problem for you.If any penalty will be charged for not getting extension in building permit in time has to be decided by the local authority only

Query-3

I am from Kasarcode dist.I had purchased a flat in Kasarcode for which i have not received the building number yet.

There is some case going on with the building owner due to which the building number is delayed.

I have sold the flat and would like to know is there any problem on doing registration process to the new owner to whom i sold my flat.

The building owner has promised that as soon as he finishes the case he will issue the building number to all the flats in the 5 storey building.

My flat does not have Electricity meter.Is that because of the court case.?

In short i would like to know is there any problem in going ahead with the sale of my flat.I mean registration to the new owner buyer.

The building owner is very helpful and cooperative gentleman and my friend.

Kindly advice

Sanjay

My reply

It is not wise to buy an apartment or any type of property unless and until all legal documents are found proper and satisfactory by a legal expert and  construction found good enough to buy by a building expert

In your case I think title of the property is in dispute and it is not wise to invest your money hoping that documents will get cleared later by the builder.Without approval of the building by the appropriate local authority(numbering of the building as you refer to),Electric connection and water connection cannot be obtained

Query-4

hello sir my self Jestin from Trissur dist. .have only one property (5 cent) in my name in an agricultural area ( padam).but there is no agricultural work carried out for many years.can i get permission to construct my house over there.please give your advise .

Query-5

Want to ask you something: I have a 18 cent land which I bought an year back. In the deed, it is mentioned as land, but in the possession certificate, it is 'NILAM'.

Query-6

I have 25cent land, before it was agriculture land . Now I have plan to construct a house and I don't have other land.
Please give legal advice regarding this matter.

Vinayan

My reply

As a first step,you have to apply to local authority for building permit.If the documents related to plot show it as agricultural land,matter may be referred to a committee by local body for taking appropriate decision.You can present your views before committee for a favourable decision

Free Consultation,23,October,2013

Topic 1:House Construction

Query-1

Hi sir

My name is Denson .I am working abroad I have given a contract to build my house 

Now foundation works are going on

The soil there is almost black in color and don’t seems to be strong enough

They dig to 3 ft. and put some rock pieces to 6 inch and on that they put crusher sand and add water to fill gaps .they informed me that this will make the foundation stronger 

After that they started the rubble works till the ground floor 

Now they are filling it up with the soil from the foundation to fill the gaps in the rubble work 

But I expect them to use crusher sands as per your blog 

I have already asked him about this and he told me this is the normal way and I don’t have to spend extra for this 

Now they are planning to build a concrete belt at the ground level 15 cm thick and 45 cm wide with iron bars and start pillar at each corners

And again continue to build the dry pack rubble work to 2 ft height above ground level 

Please explain me if this technic is ok or not 

Thanks in advance 

Regards

Denson

My reply

Design and Construction of house is one of the major investment in the life of majority of people.Some how a wrong impression has gone deep in to minds of people in Kerala that there is a fixed “square feet cost” for house construction irrespective of nature of land,design of building and location.

Due to this any person trying to build a house seem to think his smartness is getting the lowest “square feet cost” from the contractor without knowing what exactly should be proper engineering standards and quality aspects of house construction.If some one can get plan of the house without spending anything that also is treated as “smartness”

Only a qualified experienced building professional can get you good design after studying carefully site conditions,measurements and your needs.A good design can give you better facilities at lesser cost.Amount you spend for getting a good design is never a loss but it will get you better value for your investment in house.

Starting from developing proper design for house,you need continuous drawings,design details and instructions of a good building professional till completion of the building.You should not leave Engineering specifications and details on construction to the mercy of the contractor who is eagerly waiting to pay back to you for forcing him to accept lowest “square feet cost”.Whatever you may try or think ,contractor knows how to make profit.But in the process your investment will be at risk as quality and engineering specifications are likely to be compromised.

Query-2

Dear Thomas,

I made a villa through a reputed builder sometime in 2007 and invested around 40 Lakhs and within 4 years leakage and poor quality started surfacing.

After seeing the buildings in Europe that are constructed in 1875 or early 1900 still strong, wonder how can we get construction of that quality or at least a house with its base infrastructure holding for at least 50 to 60 years for next generation, unlike to fix every 3 years or so that too on the basic construction itself.

Please advise whether any such construction companies or contractors exists in Cochin who strive for quality in his work and not trying to make maximum profit by keeping compromise in quality.

I am thinking to have a plot and build two townhouses and need some advice from you based on your knowledge about market, peers who are good.

My reply

Keralites look for a contractor who will construct house with "lowest  square feet rate" and not with good quality and with engineering standards to ensure structural stability. With price increases almost every day ,contractor will be forced to  compromise on quality and Engineering standards to protect his profit.

When I tell people that there is no such thing as “square feet rate” applicable everywhere irrespective of soil conditions,design of building and quality standards,people talk to me as if I do not know anything about house construction.I get phone calls simply telling me to give cost figure over phone for the building they plan to construct.Without any data if I do not tell cost,then I am supposed to be ignorant of house construction!

We do not build apartments. We design  mostly villas and take up execution directly only in cases where we are fully comfortable with the client as most clients try to put the contractor in to trouble also

We can start design process and we will take up direct execution only if we both  feel comfortable. Construction wherever taken up is directly monitored by me

Our company do not take up many housing projects at a time.When we take up the work we ensure that all Engineering standards are maintained and quality and structural stability is never compromised for maximising profit.Even when we may loose money,we try to keep up our reputation.There is not even a case of quality problem in more than 200 houses directly  designed and built by us  so far.

Query-3

Dear Mr. Thomas

I got your details from the net..we are planning to build a house in Ernakulum .land area 10 cents. our plan 2825sqt  double story  house.or 2600 sft built up area in Ground floor area. This land we need to piling (this is paddy field). . I  want to ask single story or double story is  expensive. If this 2825 sft full in single story what would be the contraction coast. if it is double story  what would be the contraction coast.How much is now good quality work per sft charge .if our plan 1975sqt in ground floor and 850 sft in first floor or 2825 sft in ground floor which is the cheaper. I need your advice please get back to me all the details.

Mrs. Rajan

My reply     

Even an experienced Architect will know square feet plinth area of the house only after Basic Plan of the building is finalised. Then how can you pre determine square feet plinth area without even initial plan for the building?

10 cents is only 4350 sft and built up area possible depends upon outer measurements of four sides and positions of roads nearby as you have to comply building rules applicable .

Foundation design can be decided only after soil test data is available especially if the soil is weak. 

Query-4

Dear Sir,
I am writing this mail to clear one important query of mine.
I purchased a house 7 years back with the flooring completely done with granite.
Around 4 years back, I noticed that the stone in the ground floor started to develop minor cracks which later lead into pits.
On seeing this I consulted a granite sealer company and applied the sealer for the entire ground floor.
Now 3 years later, the floor is developing pits and showing signs of decaying.
The kitchen granite floor which had comparatively less problem is also now showing the signs same as the other rooms.
To my wonder, there is no problem in the first floor.
I would like to get your reply for the following doubts.
1. Granite is heard as lasting for life long, then why this problem is due to?
2. Is there any remedy to rectify the problem, if there is, will it last long?
3. Is it possible to do any repair for the kitchen which shows minor cracks?
4. If replacement of granite is required, can I do with Granite again or some other option?
5. Which is the other best options which I can rely for long years?
Kindly reply for my queries.
Looking forward for your reply.
Rachel

My reply

I can make a comment on the problem only after a site visit to check and assess the matter. During the visit I( can also comment on other features of the house and Vasthu compliance of the house

Based on the information given by you I can only make guesses on the problem and cause for it

In all probability, floor before laying granite might not have been properly compacted and floor concrete done properly. Due to this granite might break whenever there is contraction beneath. That may be the reason why such breakage is not happening in first floor.As I told you earlier this is only a guess and for finding exact cause I need a site study

Query-5

I have one land which was purchased 8 years ago which is soft clay land. Surrounding two sides of the land there is paddy field 2.meter below. I would like to construct double story building (2900 s ft.). I approached a 25 years experienced (non professional) contractor and 10 years experienced architect. They suggested to construct 22 columns for this purpose and  also the beam with 1.5 meter plinth concrete. My question is whether this foundation is enough to hold the structure or column should be till the top floor.

Biju

My reply

Both opinion given by those whom you consulted are wrong and are without any basis. A real professional will make such recommendations only after obtaining sufficient data to arrive at a decision. These two gentle men have made guesses and suggested foundation again based on their guesses. In the case of soil with suspected weakness in strength you will have to conduct soil test at points suggested by an expert. Soil test data should be given to a structural engineering specialist to suggest and design proper structural engineering design for the foundation. He will also require Architectural design of the building to decide on appropriate foundation design for the building.

A house is one of your most important investment in life. Do not attempt to do it based on loose comments of so called "experts" which you may come across.

Query-6

  I saw an advertisement  about a builders in Trissur in a magazine. They are not a big group. They build house for a very low of 4-5lakh.They are saying its some modern way of home making. I remember the name is some institute  or some thing like tat. con u just help me out from tis. if u saw tis mail please reply

Mohan

My reply

House design and Construction is one of the major investment in your life. Do not attempt to do it based on vague ideas given by some one

Query-7

I have no idea about the cost of constructing a house, but want to build a two storey house In this regard I just want to know what would be the approximate cost of the building 

Alex

My reply

Cost of construction house can be estimated only after site study, study of your requirements and after preparing Basic Plan of the house with these data

Query-8

I plan to construction 1200sqft double story home in Trissur district. I have a one land 25 cent before it was agricultural land .I don't have a other properties .how I can proceed construction activities please send me legal formalities

Vinayan

My reply

Apply for Building permit with your local authority. If the land in records show as paddy field, they will refer the matter to a committee comprising of Agricultural Officer,Thahsildar and local authority Engineer. The committee after visiting plot will take appropriate decision

Query-9

Dear Mr. Thomas

I am a dentist based on Thiruvalla working in Saudi.
I have read many articles from your web and like your prof approach.
Went through many homes u constructed too through pics on web.
I am planning to construct a home in Thiruvalla and hope u can carryout the task with ease with your vast experience and manpower.I wish to construct a single storied home

My request is another. My resources are fixed and limited.I need a home within 2500sq ft.My budget shall be around 40 lakhs Can u fulfill my ambition if we start the work at the earliest? No one can start a project without knowing the budget unless he is immensely wealthy.

Kumar.

My reply

Plinth area of the building  can be known only after finalisation of plan of the building. Just by knowing possible plinth area of the proposed building no professional can guess cost. Square feet cost is a non professional term used by non professional contractors to canvass business

Any Engineering project can get an estimated cost only after basic design parameters are available. You are asking me to predict cost without any data thinking that there is something called 'square feet cost of construction" applicable any where without even time boundaries. I have been telling through my blogs that it is a wrong concept

As of now I can give only a guess estimate for a 3 bed single floor house. It can be around Rs.30 lakhs

Cost depends to a great extent on proper design giving you more value for your money and land available. For getting this benefit you need services of a qualified experienced person

Topic 2:Land Purchase in Kerala

Query-1

Dear Thomas,

I would  like to know the land price in Ayroor which is in Kozhencherry, People are trying to mislead me with false values and I came across your site and thought if you could help me.

I have a 10 cents plot which my father inherited to me and since I am not staying in Kerala, I am not aware of the present value of the plot.

Cybs

My reply

Best option before you will be to try and act as a buyer instead of seller.Then you will know at least a slightly exaggerated cost of land .Your actual cost will be between this buyer cost and seller cost

Cost of house construction and usual queries on house construction

 

Lots of people are confused about cost of constructing a house and even on how each structural part of the house has to be constructed.

I do understand that most of the houses in Kerala were constructed by local contractors without much of a design of the house. Person who construct the house used to think that being rich enough to construct a house, contractors or construction workers should simply follow his instructions and wishes and they can only talk and advise him in a manner pleasing him. This procedure was fine as long as house construction was comparatively cheaper. Now house construction has become a costly affair and every effort should be made to minimise cost and maximize utility of each built up area. Again availability of experts with knowledge in house design and latest techniques and trends in house construction is slowly changing the scenario. But still house owners find it difficult to seek informed advise of the experts and quite a few of them expect the expert to follow their ideas even when it is wrong and harmful to the person who spends money.

I used to joke with my clients that I can harm their interests simply by keeping quiet and not correcting their wrong ideas on house design and construction. A true professional is not the one who simply obeys and agrees to all wishes and ideas of the client. In fact a true professional should make the client understand what is good for him with the available resources like funds, land and other parameters of plot which cannot be changed.

I get quite a lot of phone calls from many people almost every day seeking information on various aspects of house construction and definitely not much on house design. I also get quite a lot of mails mostly as anonymous comments on blog entries seeking information. Whenever I get mails directly to my mail id given below, I try to reply directly. For anonymous comments to blogs, I can only reply through these blog entries. Naturally replies get delayed a lot. My email id is given below:

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Most people think that house design can be done by the most important person in the process, the house owner. Quite a lot of people degrade an Architect or building professional to someone who should draw plan of the house as he is told by the person who spends money for the project. In my view an Architect should talk in detail with the client to understand his needs and make him understand what all can be done by optimum use of limited resources.

Somehow or other people tend to think that there is a fixed “square feet cost of construction” irrespective of location, nature of plot and design. Without even preparing a plan of the house they fix up on their own expected square feet plinth area of the house and ask me to tell the cost just by knowing square feet plinth area of house guessed by them. Let me ask you few questions:

1.Have you found out even two contractors who construct building with exactly same specifications, method of working and technical details?

In most cases these non-professional contractors do not care about technical specifications, engineering details and try to build the house with as little materials and labour to save their profit. I cannot blame these contractors for trying to compromise on quality and structural stability of the building. In fact owner of the building force them to do these compromises. In a situation where cost of hundreds of materials involved in construction are going up almost every day and labour is turning out to be costly and not available with each passing day, what else contractor can do to protect his profit?. I have never seen a building owner who is happy about contractor making profit. In fact he will be happy only if the contractor makes losses. At least that is the Malayalee way of thinking.

Only if two contractors are building house with same quality standards engineering specifications you can compare their so called “rates “This never happen. Then what is the meaning for this “square feet rate”? Material and labour required for same plinth area houses will change with design and specifications to ensure quality of construction. How can rates for those different design different specifications houses with same plinth area be same?

2. Are you insisting on a qualified experienced person checking up construction at each stage for protecting quality and engineering standards? It never happens. Contractor will be the first person advising you” not to waste money on that Engineer”

I have enquired with many contractors why you still quote a square feet rate knowing very well that it does not mean anything. They always reply that without quoting such a rate (knowing very well that it has no meaning),they will not get work!

Again people ask me by mail and by phone calls details of construction specifications like what steel bar to be used, what depth required for foundation, what no of piles required .These questions cannot be answered just like that. As owner of the house, you are not supposed to decide on engineering details simply by making enquiries to whomever you meet in your everyday life.

An expert in house construction should guide you through out house construction from concept development to finish of the house. Contractor should be given work only if he is willing to follow drawings and instructions of a good professional who will protect your interests and not that of the contractor.

Only a professional experienced in house construction can advise you what is good for your house construction considering all technical aspects and data's carefully

NEVER GO BY OPINION AND FREE ADVISE ON HOUSE CONSTRUCTION BY THOSE WHO MEET YOU AROUND YOUR LIVING SPACE INCLUDING CLOSE RELATIVES.

Always ensure to get qualified experienced professional advice. More experienced person will have more exposure and ability to guide you properly. Even a fresh technically qualified person is of no use as our education system never produce professionals capable of handling jobs

I would prefer your enquiries directly by email and better not by phone calls. My mobile no is

9388701702 and email id

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

Free Consultation,16,Sep,2013

Property development for sale of Villas/House Construction

Query-1

I am looking to construct houses on a total square plot of 85 cents.
Can you kindly please send me portfolio of constructed properties ideally 3/4 bedroom single and double story starting from your lowest budget to maximum 14 lakhs per property including materials and labour.
Please kindly state approximate prices per design and timeframe for completion.
I am ideally looking to construct at least 15-20 properties.
My other option if anyone is willing to offer this, is to construct flats with no upfront money but at the point of completion and sale. Property is roadside and has road access on three sides. If you are willing to do this please send me samples and prices.
Awaiting your reply as I am looking to start either project this year.
Rita  

Query-2

Dear Mr. Thomas

Could you please advise the average construction cost for a 4 BEDROOM Villa with best quality of materials .If possible kindly confirm the tentative  rate per sq.ft for shell and core ie for only structure with inner/external plaster. I intent to construct a villa near Perumbavoor(Ernakulam Dist/Kerala) with inbuilt  area of 2500 Sq Ft .

I also request few more valuable tips to be taken care

Sunil

Query-3

Sir,

I would be appreciated your help in following issues:

1. In a rocky area what kind of foundation is required, like depth, concrete belt for both under and top, etc. 

2. How much time is required to cure the foundation to construct further. 

3. What is the better and economical material for wall construction of a house local stone/brick/concrete block.

4. Is there any monetary benefit when we provide materials from our own source. 

5. Any guess on total cost of a house of  1600 Sq ft in double storey with an average finishing.

I will be grateful your expert opinion and view.

Vidya

My reply

Major problems with those who start thinking about design and construction of house in Kerala are the following as per my observations:

1.They think price of nearly hundreds of materials used for house construction will remain unaltered or the hapless contractor who agreed to construct house for a particular amount will construct the house even by incurring losses simply to stick to the contract terms

2.They are not aware of the fact that most of the contractors in the construction industry have absolutely no technical knowledge or training on the topic

3.They are not aware of the fact that compromises in quality and construction methods can be done by the non professional contractors to safeguard and increase his profit margin without any visible defects in construction in the immediate future of the building

4.They think plan of the house is the only drawing /design input required for the house construction and most of the contractors give this without any charges

In this scenario,experienced professionals in the field will have to say these:

1.Design of the house which starts from Basic plan of the house,detailed architectural/structural engineering drawings required from beginning to end of construction are very important and critical to save your money,provide you better facilities at lesser cost and to give long lasting quality and structural stability of the building

2.Just by giving these drawings,contractor is not going to follow these drawings properly.In most cases he wont even know how to read and understand these drawings.So you need an experienced professional to visit site occasionally and give instructions/guidance to the workers and ensure that work is done strictly as per drawings/design.

Naturally the contractor will demand a different “rate” or amount to follow drawings and instructions correctly.He may also demand increase in so called”rates” depending upon increase in cost of input materials/labour if he has to follow design drawings and instructions correctly

3.Basic Plan of the house is the most important most critical drawing for the house.Only a highly experienced competent professional can give you the best plan meeting your requirements and considering all critical factors for design of the house

4.Collecting information from any one you come across on house construction “tips” will land you in trouble.House design and construction should never be done based on public opinion/survey.There is no short cut to avoid professional design and experienced professional guidance in house construction

In this particular case the person think that 3 bed room house can be built with Rs.14 lakhs maximum! It shows lack of knowledge about ground realities of house construction in Kerala

Query-4

An Architect who works for passion needed for a low budget premium tent resort at Thekkady. The proposed resort land is located at Kumily near Thekkady. It's a scenic 20 acres land and if build will be the USP off Thekkady resorts. We would like to Build this resort in a shoestring budget with 5 star facility. The land covers a full mountain with meadows, spices, wind,Mist, water,clouds ,sun set etc.. a camp fire can be lit all over the year. you will feel different moods with each visit accompanied by the sweet breeze. we would like to have a better tent resort than following places.
we give importance to people who are passionate about building a great resort, with great creativity, and willing to spend time at the resort land.
My reply

Basically such projects can start only with a detailed on the spot study of plot and surroundings.Your dreams will have to shared at site with the Architect for his informed responses and suggestions to mould what is possible and workable

Query-5

Dear Sir,

I came to know about you through the Internet and found that you answered several queries. Let me introduce myself, my name is Thomas and I am working in Saudi Arabia.

I constructed a house in Wayanad almost four years back, where I want to make  compound wall, wall height shall be about 4 feet with normal design, now days how much is the charges in Kerala? What is the cheap and best way of construction of the same?

Also I  have a plan to construct a small house in Palakkad.The land area is 7 cents.  What are the services you can provide for the same including plan?

Awaiting for your answer

My reply

Cost for compound wall construction can be assessed only after a Site visit and it will be better for you to get a reliable construction contractor in your area to quote for it.There is no uniform rates for any type of construction anywhere as each contractor builds as per his convenience and no usual contractor follows any quality standards other than standards to safeguard and increase his profit level.

Query-6

I have purchased a plot at Kakkanad of size 4.1 cents.

Would like to know the feasibility of implementing Rapid wall and if yes,your availability for site visit too.

Vipin

My reply

I do not think it is proper for the person who need house to be designed and constructed to decide on design details or technology to be adopted.For such an important investment in your life,you need to get the best available expertise and instead of you deciding details by making enquiries with any one you come across let the expert decide on details in consultation with you.He will explain to you and suggest suitable method of construction for you

Query-7

Hello Thomas ...

This might come as a bit of a off-tangent question..

I am an NRI and have an ancestral house in Kakkanad 25 years old (I am quite happy living in functional old houses :-)  ).

Your words in your posts linger in my mind "everyday you delay for buying land ....literally push away those dreams forever ..."

I am interested in buying a plot of land purely for investment purpose or just in case if later for some reason or the other its not possible to stay in the ancestral house. I don't have that much money.

Do you think the Real estate prices will remain flat or decline with the rupee depreciating ..?

My reply

As you are aware financial conditions of the country is in bad shape without much hope of improvement in the near future

Hence investment of any nature will be wise way of depositing your hard earned money. With price increases coming every day and rupee going down even keeping money in bank cannot be safe as value of rupee may come down and inflation will kill real value of money. Real estate prices can only go high

Hence if you can invest in real estate do it  at the earliest

Architectural Training

Query

Sir/Ma'am,

I am a 5th year student of B. Architecture, B. I. T Mesra. I am interested in doing my scheduled Tenth Semester Internship at your renowned firm for 4 months from January'14 to April'14. I am sending my resume as attachments with this mail, as discussed in the phone call. Kindly have a look and respond if you find my work worthwhile. I would be thankful to you for you consideration, and would be waiting for a response from your side. i hope you find my application worth attention.

Alisha, Fifth Year Undergraduate,

Dept. of Architecture

Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra

My reply

You can undergo training in our organisation.But training certificate will be issued by the company only and not by any individual professional associated with us

Vasthu compliance

Query

Dear Mr. Thomas,

Wanted to know how you charge for checking the Vasthu and recommending changes as per Vasthu.

Also, how do you check Vasthu - at the site or through a map?

Ratish

My reply

For existing house,vasthu compliance can be checked with a site visit by me.Charges depends upon distance from Cochin.Possible changes and modifications can be explained at site and I will give a report on the visit

Nalukettu house

Query

Can nalukettu houses be still made of wood as it was used to be built traditionally? I do not prefer nalukettu built with tile and bricks

My reply

Nalukettu type houses with all traditional features will be more costly to build.If budget is not a constraint even more wood work can be incorporated with traditional features and modern technology.I am yet to find a customer who says budget is not a constraint.People would like to have all good features but  reluctant to pay for it

Building rules

Query-1

sir, i have 20 cent paddy field only as own with a frontage of panchayath road..but nowadays this land is not fit for any agricultural purpose.so i wish to convert this building zone to make a home for me in it..which are the procedures for getting permission for this.i have no any other type of land in my name..please give me a suggestion.

Query-2

I want to build the upper story of my house beside the NH highway.From whom do I need the approval

Query-3

I came across your blog on KHC, there was lot of informative topics on it. So I thought of taking some guidance from you.

Actually I am looking for plot to construct house anywhere in Kerala with minimum 5 cent of land and my budget is around 50K - 75K per cent.

I have been browsing site for that, now I have seen that few places agriculture land comes at lower price compared to residential type plots.

My question here is if I buy an agriculture land and in future I want to construct a house there is it legal. Also can u suggest where can I get plots with in my budget anywhere in Kerala.

George.

Query-4

I have only a house plot 10 cents,in panchayath area ,but in its thandaper as " nilam" .any problem for getting NOC from panchayath.
Please help me

Query-5

Dear Mr. Hormise Thomas,

Can you please tell me how much distance we have to leave in the front from the road, when constructing  a house in plot on the  PWD  roadside Vennala area  (within corporation limits) in Ernakulum?

My reply

Contact concerned section of your local authority office with specific details on the plot like survey no and location details.They will advise you action possible

Flooring
Query

Planning to do floor tiling to My Tharavad House Kitchen which is done with concrete plastering without much finish. Do I need to to chip the floor or directly add concrete and lay tiles on it. The door level is almost 2 inches above from the floor level.

My reply

It is better to get an expert visit your house and get advice from him.It is not proper on the part of a professional to give suggestions without sufficient data

House Design:Consultation with Thomas Viruvelil

Thomas Viruvelil,Cochin based Architect is well versed with traditional Kerala Architecture,Modern Architecture as adapted to Kerala conditions,Vasthu aspects which will make your living in the house comfortable and prosperous,Structural Engineering aspects to ensure structural stability of the only house which you may build in your life time and cost reduction techniques without compromising on quality aspects of house construction.

He has experience in designing and building  more than 200 houses inside and outside Kerala with direct involvement from beginning to finish and designed thousands of buildings and acted as consultant for many house and other type building construction.

An experienced expert in house construction in Kerala can make a lot of difference in design of your house.Apart from giving you better value for your money invested,he can help you reduce cost and provide you better facility with available space.

Then,what are you waiting for? If you have a plan made by some body with you for your house construction you can meet him at his Cochin office and seek guidance in improving/modifying  that plan to get better facilities at lesser cost.You can get better Elevation for the house.

Even if you are an Architect/Engineer,just meet him at his  Cochin office for consultation so that you can give a better designed plan to your client.

For appointments contact 9388701702 or 9388701707.or 9388701700

Or email to

vhthomas@viruvelil.com

You can access his Face book or twitter account and see pictures of houses designed and built by him at

Face book::

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=531348963&sk=photos

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/archtomy

Websites

www.viruvelil.com

www.keralaarchitecture.com

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