Team-BHP - Home Construction / Makeover / Maintenance Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by pramodkumar (Post 3378367)

I am taking a home loan, just wanted to know if the first instalment for building the house comes after the completion of stage 1 or before? I would definitly ask the bank however though of doing some homework.

Another question is, does the EMI start after complition or after the loan is approved? please throw some light
Pramod

Hi Pramod,
I am using a simple EMI calculator
EMI CALCULATOR.xls

This really helps me in understanding
1. How much is the EMI,
2. What portion of the EMI is the interest amount and the principal amount
3. If I make a prepayment, how would that impact my tenure
4. If I decide to pay a fixed amount (more than the slated EMI) how soon can I finish the loan.

Please feel free to PM me in case of any queries.

Regards,
Chaitanya.

Guys,

Have been offline for quite some time.
Looked around Pune & booked a flat in my hibernation period :D

My 'booked' flat is under construction & is supposed to finish by October 2013.
Currently the flat brickwork is done. Some grill work is done.
The "whitewash-putty work" has just started.
Long way to go - tiling, painting, doors, kitchen stuff, bath internals, fittings etc - ALL still to be done.

Here is what I have on my wishlist:

1. Pull-up bar to be fitted on wall / ceiling (in one of the bedrooms)
But, the concrete work being done - I feel only option now is to put it with fasteners or something like HILTI bolts.
2. Somethings to "put/install" on walls before painting gets done to make a room sound proof / music friendly.
( Intention is to make it a music/recreation room. We have a couple of instruments & plan to setup a music system in one of the bedrooms. )

One query:
1. I will decide on 2 places where I would most likely put my TV in the hall. (One place is already in place in design), Should I get the wiring done at the other "place" too? is that possible? Is that advisable?

Any suggestions to look at / some "must" holes to drill / some places to keep fixed for some stuff or some pointers in a "under-construction" flat are welcome!

Thanks,

Ace.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricxx (Post 3389593)

Hi friends, I am doing up my kitchen and am exploring the imported modular kitchens. I am good cook and having a nice, practical snazzy kitchen has been my dream. Has anyone got any experiences with these type of kitchens? I have looked at Alnomaritime, Hacker and Poggenpohl and would appreciate some reviews. Thanks.

I have seen a lot of imported modular kitchens. Unless you want to pay through your nose you are better off getting it custom made.
In imported kitchens the following come from abroad
- Pre-laminated panels. These are either MDF or high quality resin bonded plywood. The down side is that they come in fixed sizes. That means you have to tailor the civil work to the cabinets rather than cabinets to the kitchen.
- Kitchen hardware. These are available in various qualities. Some are quite expensive. Search the net for various brands available in India.

In some of the less expensive modular kitchens the pre-laminated panels are made in India. Unless they are fabricated using high pressure presses they are not as sturdy as the imported ones, nor as fancy as those made at home.

What we do is to
. fabricate the cabinets from marine grade plywood (moisture, pest and fungus retardant).
. Impregnate with anti termite paint for added safety.
. Clad the exterior surfaces with client chosen laminates/veneer. This is done under pressure so that the laminate is bonded perfectly and does not peal off in future.
. Use Imported hardware. The price varies from brand to brand. The least expensive imported stuff is normally twice as expensive and the higher end at least ten times as much as Indian hardware. Higher price gets you heavier sections, better finish and longer life.

An indicative cost for a 100 square foot kitchen
- Custom made by a carpenter : 1L to 2L
- Lower end Indian Modular Kitchens : 4L to 8L
- Higher end fully imported modular kitchens : 6L to 15L
- In some Farm hoses in Delhi, the owners have spend upwards of 50L for a 250 square foot kitchen.

These costs do not include appliances - Gas/Electric hob, Oven, Sink, Taps, Trash processor, Chimney etc. These can easily add up another 5L-15L depending on the number and brand chosen.

Thanks a lot for the vast information you have given. I am actually aware of these facts and was wanting some reviews of modular kitchens which people have been using.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroy (Post 3390720)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricxx (Post 3392952)

Thanks a lot for the vast information you have given. I am actually aware of these facts and was wanting some reviews of modular kitchens which people have been using.

Unless the kitchen has been in use for ten years you will only get good reviews. Even shoddy carpentry jobs do not show their true colours before three or four years have passed. That is why builders will show off buildings a couple of years old.

A well made wood work lasts at least 20+ years, and furniture 50+. So that is the time line you should be looking for.

What ever you install, make sure of the following
. Check the walls for seepage. If it is there get a specialist to inject water proof compound at 1m spacing on all the walls. This is especially relevant for old houses.
. If possible do a rigorous termite treatment on the walls and floor before the walls are painted.
. Ensure that the drains are clean. In new construction at times a lot of debris accumulates in the drains, which creates problem later - leading to over flowing drains and seepage on the walls.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselFan (Post 3393317)

has anyone used Robo Sand instead of River Sand for construction. Robo sand is Granite powder as per the Manufacturer's website it is better than river sand and cheaper cost as compared to River Sand.

http://www.robo.co.in/home.htm

M-sand as it's called is now commonly in use over here as river sand has become too expensive. We used it while extending our house. No problems of any kind. Been three years. No cracks/ peels/ dampness or anything. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricxx (Post 3393254)

Thanks for the advice Aroy. My house is currently under construction. How much is this water proof compound treatment for? Someone told me this new waterproof treatment is for Rs 500 per sqft. This is an extremely expensive prospect. Is there any other waterproof treatments which are economical?

This seems to be excessive. Please search the net for "water proofing contractors" and contact the ones in your city. They will come to you, study the site and give you a quote.

Less expensive treatments are an eyewash as they are short term measures - cement plaster, spraying water proof compound etc. What lasts a life time is special compound injected under high pressure in a grid. The chemical permeates and seals all micro cracks in concrete.

Hi, I'm starting a thought process on construction. Not sure if this (summer) is a good time, but it seems I may take sometime to decide on a plan, approvals, funding etc. So, guessing it may take a quarter or so (hope it doesn't and I can start soon!)
To start with, I'm going to compare the eco-friendly construction v/s the usual way in terms of cost/benefits. If anyone of you have any ideas around this, please share your views.
2000sqft plot is going to be used, we are 3 of us for now (5 in case if parents join us later). I have read a bit about the eco-friendly construction ways, rain water harvesting, solar project good ventilation and climate control etc as the benefits of this style of construction, thought it would be useful while this part of Bangalore loosing water rapidly.
However, I don't know about the cost involved with this style of construction, may see Biome solutions folks to find out more details here, if its bit too expensive compared to the usual way, I may have to give it a miss but will still be interesting in major things like rain water harvesting/solar etc.
I'm looking forward to keep good amount of open space, small little garden and a good sitting area to sip an evening tea etc. If someone can help me point good architects around Bangalore it'll be of great help, I can then compare them with eco-friendly style in terms of cost/benefit.
Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ketan (Post 3397224)

Building multi storey buildings the "green way" is more expensive than conventional method. The trade offs are in lesser use of energy for lighting, cooling and heating.

It is best to plan for rain harvesting now, as collection points and storage for water has to be integrated with the building.

Make provision on the terrace for a solar heater for hot water and a solar panel for electricity. You may also have to install 2 dedicated pipe lines from the terrace one for normal water from the over head tanks and another insulated line for hot water from the solar heater.

My house is on a 233 square yard plot, with less than 40% area covered. The rear portion has a 30 x 24 foot garden and the front a 30 x 15 foot open space. If I had built it today, I would have had the building pushed back so that the front had a single large open space.