2. Does the builder have an in-house team of engineers in their team?

It’s actually still a good idea to ask this question when hiring a builder, because contractors often come across unexpected things when working on buildings, and easy access to an expert is a great way to make sure that any potential issues are managed. Let me say this straight

Let me say this straight: You should ask your builder about all the members of their team, including the engineers they have in-house, and make sure that they’re all members of approved trader schemes and just generally reliable, trustworthy people. You’re about to give them a lot of money and access, and you can’t do that if you don’t trust them

3. Does the builder have a site supervisor who can manage the project?

We’ve already said that you should meet the team before you hire anyone, but the site supervisor is definitely a priority. You should see how they manage and communicate with your architects during the construction work, and how they interact with you. Why is this so?

The site supervisor will be overseeing your building works, so they should have an overall understanding of how construction management works, and be able to run everything smoothly, effectively, on budget and on time.

Put it this way: The site supervisor should also be the kind of person you trust in an emergency, in case anything does go wrong.

4. How long has the builder been in business for, and what relevant experience do they have?

There’s nothing wrong with hiring a new builder, and there’s no guarantee that people who’ve been in the business for years will be great. However, if someone’s new to the job or company, it’s a good idea to make sure the rest of the team are more experienced and that there’s a backup in case things do go wrong.

For instance, you can also ask them if they’ve worked on buildings like yours before, to make sure that they’ve got relevant knowledge. Again, ideally they’ll have done similar projects before but if they haven’t, at least make sure that someone on the team knows what to do. You should also ask to see a portfolio of previous work – but we’ll talk about that later.

5. Is the builder customer centric?

Of course, it’s best for everyone when the builder or any service for that matter being customer centric. When the builder is a customer centric organization they worry more about customer rather than their own interest and desires. When you need a dream home to be built with your style the builder should be agreeing with your idea and include their mentoring methods to improve the building.

On the whole a customer centric place never fails.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION STEPS

1. ACQUIRE LAND:

It is the stage of building construction work that is most crucial. Find the building's ideal site that will be most conducive to construction. Be cautious while choosing a piece of property; it should have all the amenities you want close by and be free of any land-related problems. Prior information gathering is advised before purchasing land or a plot, either by conducting online research or asking for assistance from real estate brokers or other interested parties regarding the effective cost of the same.

2. SEEK TECHNICAL/CONSULTANT

Take the assistance of a qualified architect to generate building plans after choosing the right land for building construction work, and heed his or her recommendations. Based on your needs and budget, an architect will develop a plan for the number of stores, flats, and other building requirements. A structural engineer should next be consulted after the architect to discuss the specifics of the reinforcements to be utilized, the depth of your foundation, the size of gravel to be used, pillar width, etc.

3. DESIGN PROCESS

Make a preliminary list of your home's requirements before contacting or meeting with an architect. The fundamental elements of your house must be covered in this step, such as living space, the number of bedrooms you want, guest bedrooms, hallways, kitchens, bathrooms, where you want the stairs, vehicle porches, gardens/landscaping/ponds, etc. Ask your family for their preferences and suggestions as well. Visit your friends and neighbors, and ask them about the benefits and drawbacks of their homes as well as any improvements they would want to see.

4. PREPARE ESTIMATION AND BUDGETS

A building construction work may require a significant financial and material investment. Following completion of planning and structural detailing, the building estimator receives these specifics. The building estimator will calculate the quantity of the materials and the number of the various work items and create an abstract sheet that displays the building's construction costs. If you have limited resources, we need to get loan pre-approval for your building work in advance so that you don't get yourself in a cash crunch.

5. BUILDING PERMITS

After the project is prepared for execution, this work must be completed. Prior to beginning building work, we must first obtain approval from the local municipal body. The list of documents that must be submitted before requesting authorization is provided below. While some parts of this document may vary from state to state, all building construction projects require them.

• Land survey
• Soil test report
• Land documents
• Sectional drawings
• Architect certificate

6. APPROACH A CONTRACTOR

In order to ensure high-quality building construction and on-time project completion, a builder or contractor for construction must be carefully chosen. Before submitting work, a preliminary inquiry into the builder is required. All information pertaining to the task must be specified in the contract document. The contract agreement should detail the work's goals and requirements as well as the payment procedures, delivery dates, and costs. Before concluding a deal, the contract's terms should be carefully examined.

7. BUILDING WARRANTY PERIOD

The contractor establishes a warranty period following the project's completion and transfer to the owner. Any construction flaws that are discovered during this time must be corrected and replaced by the responsible contractor. Appliance and material makers and suppliers provide warranties. Appliance and material warranties are obtained from manufacturers and suppliers.

DURING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION STEPS

1. SITE CLEARANCE

Before beginning work, the construction site must be cleaned. This work entails clearing away waste, levelling the ground, and removing tree roots.

2. EXCAVATION

Using excavation equipment, the building's foundation is dug up according to the dimensions shown on the blueprints for the structure. Before installing the foundation reinforcements, a layer of PCC (Plain Cement Concrete) is laid in the trench's dug area.

3. FOUNDATION

The lowest section of the building that comes in contact with the ground is the foundation, which supports the entire structure. A building must be exceedingly sturdy to handle the load that is carried from the superstructure to the soil by the construction. The foundation is strengthened when the PCC work is completed. Before pouring concrete, the bottom level of the foundation must be verified. The space between the foundation is filled with earth.

4. SUPERSTRUCTURE COLUMN AND BEAM

The component of the building above the plinth level is known as the superstructure. A column and beam form the superstructure's major structural element. The frame for additional building has been constructed, with the columns raised to slab level.

5. BRICK MASONRY WORK

Following the completion of the column and beam structure, masonry construction is undertaken using a variety of materials, including bricks, concrete blocks, fly ash bricks, etc., in accordance with the architectural drawing. Cement mortar is used in masonry work. Sand and cement are combined to make it. Doors and windows are placed in these gaps during the masonry work carefully and according to the drawing.

6. LINTEL OVER DOOR WINDOW

The door and window's lintel is built to support the masonry construction above it. Following this, more masonry work is completed.

7. FLOOR SLAB OR ROOF STRUCTURE

The slab that rests on the column and beam is then constructed using formwork. The placement of the slab reinforcement above the slab formwork follows the slab detailed drawing.

8. PLASTERING

After the first lighting, electrical, and plumbing work is finished, plastering work can begin. The typical thickness of cement plaster is 12 mm, though it might occasionally exceed 20 mm thick.

9. DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMING AND FIXATIONS

After that, the door and window frames are set in place according to the drawing's designated locations.

10. PAINTING

There are many different paint qualities that can be used to protect our house for a long time from stains, mud, sunlight, rain, dirt, etc., ranging from basic paint to high-quality paint that can give our house an additional 5 to 10 years of life while also giving it an amazing look on the inside and outside.

11. ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING

Buildings are created with a neat finish that hides the plumbing and electrical wiring, as we know. They are inserted in the slabs and walls so that after the finishing work is done, they are hidden and invisible. The pipe ends and points are left unfinished so that they can subsequently be finished with plumbing and electrical fixtures

12. EXTERIOR FINISHING

After this work is finished, external finishing and plastering work begins. To stop rising humidity in the wall, waterproofing is also carried out. Another option for improving the elevation of the house is external cladding.

13. INTERNAL FINISHES

Internal walls are finished in smooth plaster, and tile flooring is used. The walls are afterwards painted or given a texture.

14. WOODWORK AND FIXTURE FITTINGS

The aforementioned procedure allows for the completion of nearly all construction work before beginning work on the furniture. The bathrooms and kitchen sections also include finished electrical, switchboard, and plumbing fixtures.

15. BOUNDARY WALL AND GATES

Ideally, compound walls should be constructed right before the start of big construction building work. It serves to keep the area safe from intruders as well as the stuff kept at the storage facility and in outdoor situations.

16. HARDSCAPING AND LANDSCAPING

After your builder has finished, there is still "hardscaping" to be done, such as the driveway, patio, and pathways. After that, the "landscaping" design might be implemented, such as the irrigation system, laying of the grass bed, planting of trees, and taking into account outdoor lighting.

17. PUNCH LIST

When the project is finished, the contractor thoroughly examines every piece of work and creates a punch list. The punch list includes these structural components or regions that were improperly built or have poor quality. Later, the responsible contractor fixes this. The slab that rests on the column and beam is then constructed using formwork. The placement of the slab reinforcement above the slab formwork follows the slab detailed drawing.

18. WARRANTY PERIOD

The contractor outlines a warranty period before turning the project over to the owner. Any flaws in the structure that are discovered must be corrected and replaced with the contractor in charge within this time frame. Appliance and material warranties can be obtained from manufacturers and suppliers.

CONCLUSION

The steps of construction involved in building a new house can be both exciting & challenging. From the very beginning of the planning process to the end of the building construction process, there are numerous crucial aspects to take into account. You can begin enjoying your new house once the building construction process is finished. Your efforts and careful planning have paid off with this. Enjoy your new house and take good care of it so that it will last for many years.

Reason why we should believe in VASTU

Vastu Shastra is essential to building a structure, from residential to commercial properties, and with the correct placement of the five elements (namely earth, water, air, fire, and space), owners can achieve prosperity and happiness. Saying that as the exact definition of VASTU, now let’s look at them in detail and the reason for us to believe in them.

By 6th century AD, Sanskrit manuals for constructing palatial temples were in circulation in India. Vastu-Sastra manuals included chapters on home construction, town planning, and how efficient villages, towns and kingdoms integrated temples, water bodies and gardens within them to achieve harmony with nature. While it is unclear, states Barnett, as to whether these temple and town planning texts were theoretical studies and if or when they were properly implemented in practice, the manuals suggest that town planning and Hindu temples were conceived as ideals of art and integral part of Hindu social and spiritual life.

The use of Vastu shastra and Vastu consultants in modern home and public projects is controversial. Some architects, particularly during India’s colonial era, considered it arcane and superstitious. Other architects state that critics have not read the texts and that most of the text is about flexible design guidelines for space, sunlight, flow and function.

According to a number of traditional beliefs, each home comes with its own energy type. A person dwelling in a house comes under the influence of a specific energy field, which in turn influences him in one way or the other. Therefore it’s very crucial to understand the link between the healing art of Vastu and our homes in honing positivity and good vibes.

Now let’s look at some of the tips which has logical reasons for your home:

Entrance –Considered as the “archway to victory and progress in life”, the main door should face north, east or in the north-east direction. It must be constructed in a way to ensure that when you step out, you face the north, east or north-east direction.

Living room- The living room should face east, north or north-east. Alternatively, a north-west-facing living room is also favorable.

Heavy furniture should be kept in the west or south-west direction of the living room

All electronics and appliances should be installed in the south-east section of the living room

If there is a mirror in the room, ensure it is placed on the north wall

Bedroom- For a better peace of mind Ideally, the bedroom in a south-west direction brings good health and prosperity. Avoid a bedroom in the north-east or south-east zone of the house as the former may cause health issues, while a bedroom placed in the latter direction may cause quarrels among couples. The bed should be placed in the southwest corner of the bedroom, with your head facing west.

Kitchen- soulful and delicious cooking Experts say, the entrance or the door to your kitchen should be in the east, north or west. Also, make sure it does not fall in any of the corners. The cooking gas is one of the most essential elements of a kitchen, after you’ve decided on a layout for your kitchen. The element of fire governs the south-east direction, hence, as per kitchen vastu tips, the stove should always be placed in that direction. Also, the person using the stove should face the east direction. This is considered auspicious according to vastu shastra.

Pooja – Where you find harmony. Vastu Shastra propagates the north-east direction so as to harness maximum energy from the sun. As the pooja room is small, the lower ceiling coupled with the gopura-like shape adds symmetry and would help you in slipping into a meditative state easily. A threshold is to keep ants and insects out of the sacred space.

Staircase – Lifts you up in life. Vastu experts are of the belief that for internal staircases, the south-west portion in the property is an ideal choice. The south and the west portions happen to be the second-best choices.

Borewell – For the best water source. The directions in the North, North-East, and East is considered to be the best while setting up a borewell or a tubewell. It is also advised to start building the borewell/tubewell before the house is constructed for it has many advantages to it. People can use this water source to build their houses too, in the process.

Toilets- clean the unclean The correct vastu direction for the outlet of water and drainage in the bathroom and toilet is north, east or north-east. The bathroom floor should slope in the same direction so that water drains from the same direction

Sumps and overhead tank- the south-west is the direction of earth element. So, placing the overhead water tank is best option. It is followed by west and then south. You must never consider north, north-west, or north-east for placing an overhead water tank. Eventually all ancient ways and beliefs have a scientific reason behind them, we don’t have to trust them blindly but accept them when they have logical reasons. Will meet you all in our next blog while we explore and answer clients questions. Watch out this space for more. Stay safe Stay healthy