Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
A functional, affordable, farm-style home
Dear Jonno,
I wish to inquire about the building restrictions for a site in the Valley Estate, as you are said to be the appointed architect. I’m a first-time buyer, so am doing my research.
I am looking at a container or wooden home, and am not sure whether either would be allowed. I have a budget, and know that building prices are around R8 000/m2 in KwaZulu-Natal, which is why I am considering a container home. A company in Cape Town charges around R200 000/unit, including delivery and solar panels.
I am looking for something affordable, big enough for two people to live in, yet still simple and rustic. Please make some suggestions. Kind regards,
Alexander
Dear Alexander,
Yes, I am the appointed architect for the private Valley Estate. The prospective developments of private homes on the estate need to comply with the rules and regulations of materials and style. The styles of the homes have to be that of typical ‘farmhouses’, and built of bricks and mortar.
The use of metal containers would certainly not be permitted. So, I have conceptualised a home of the required styling that can be constructed economically.
Besides the use of regular materials from the building supply merchants, there are proven ways of building a home and saving up to 30% of the usual building costs of the day.
Added to that is phase building, which will enable you to build according to your cash flow.
Then there is the self-build method, by which you can construct most of the superstructure of the home yourself, and thereby save another 20% or more.
There are even more ways to cut costs; these I will reveal with the building plans.
The sketch featured here is a home that is cost-effective to construct and would also be acceptable to the building control committee of the estate.
The superstructure consists of brick or concrete block walling, with a sheet metal roof and regular wood or metal windows.
It is the finishes, fixtures and fittings that you need to keep a check on.
If possible, build the superstructure with essentials, such as water, electricity and plumbing installed, then do the finishes and fittings as cash and time permit.
The size of this home is 131m². It would take about seven containers or more for a home of this size. At R200 000 per container, that is R1,4 million, while this solid-as-a-rock home I’ve designed can be built complete with all the savings mentioned for about R750 000, including verandas and garage. Kind regards,
Jonno