A big decision is the floor of the house. Our current house floor is wooden and it has served us very well. It is much softer on the feet. We know, after a few hours in the tiled kitchen, compared to the other parts of the house. The kids grew up on it, falling on it, knocking their heads on it without serious damage. The colour of the house is warmer and people like to lounge around on wood rather than on cold tiles.
However there was a price on that. I used ordinary wood and hence it was vulnerable to dry rot (or those little termites). Eventually I will have to consider replacing the floorboards. This was the main concern of my wife.
Hence for the new house, we have to decide whether it should be concrete floor (with tiles) or wooden floorboards. If wooden, what wood would it be?
In terms of price comparison, here are some numbers. It is estimated that it would cost RM 60 per sq ft for re-inforced concrete floor. Hmmm I have just been told thats probably the cost of the house structure included (beams, pillars). Jon says its more like RM 25 per sq ft for the floor. The tiles would probably be about RM 4 per sq ft, not counting installation cost. Selangan Batu is about RM 10 per sq ft (Grade A tongue and groove) but with joists, sanding, installation etc, it may go up to RM 20 per sq ft. Kempas, very attractive (grain and colour pattern) but not as hardy is about RM 14 per sq ft just for the surface wood.
In any case, Selangan Batu would be the best choice. It is resistant to insect attack provided it is kept away from open sun and rain. It is cheaper than tile and concrete and friendlier. Kempas is attractive but it is expensive and comes only in 3 foot lengths. In addition it is not hardy. The only problem is taht it is difficult to find good quality Selangan Batu. Either they have the common problem of pin holes in the wood or they are not old enough.
With wooden floors, however, you need to consider what to do with sealing the ceiling of the ground floor as the noise from the first floor would be transferred down. One option is using plaster. However a new option is using a light colour softwood called Agapis (?) which looks like pine.
Even with a wooden ceiling, it still looks cheaper that concrete and tile ! Selangan Batu it will be.
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What it will look like
The Family that motivates me
This blog is dedicated to the design and construction of the Chin Clan's new house. I "built" the current house we are in but it is now old, too small for a family of 9 and our need to be closer to Kuching. I hope this blog can be useful to people who want to build their own house. I fervantly believe that buying a house is expensive and gives you limited options. This blog will document all the processes involved to show that it is not as impossible as people think.
The House
What it will look like
The Family
The Family that motivates me
Build Your Own House!
Well ok, what I meant was to design your own house and get someone to build it.
(I am not an Engineer or Architect, not even a builder)
Here's what you should be budgeting for
1. Land - at least 15 points, depending on location, in excess of RM 1,000 per point
2. Architect - between RM 5,000 to RM 10,000. Get a draughtsman to design and an architect to sign
3. Engineer - for structure between RM4,000 to RM 5,000. They are expected to submit the documents for approval same as the architect.
4. Estimate for house - Contractors normally quote using sq ft of the house as a benchmark. Expect at least RM 100 per sq ft. A 3 bedroom 2 storey detached house should be around 2,500 sq ft. You may not want to play the game and instead apportion parts of it to separate contractors, eg flooring, fittings, windows and doors. This will bring the price down.
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You can contact me on Skype username koonsiang or MSN username realfatfreddy.
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