[kushagra452]

Hello BHPians,

What is the ball park figure for constructing a house (Basement + stilt + 2 floors) in Gurgaon. The plot is 265 sq. yards in size. Total covered area would be about 4000 sq ft.
The construction quality will be basic since this property will be let out.

A quick Google search mentions cost of ~Rs.1800-Rs.2200 per sq feet. This translates to 70L-80L. Adding another 25-30L for the basement gives me a total approximate budget of Rs.1 Cr. Is this reasonable? Thanks!

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Hello BHPians,

What is the ball park figure for constructing a house (Basement + stilt + 2 floors) in Gurgaon. The plot is 265 sq. yards in size. Total covered area would be about 4000 sq ft.
The construction quality will be basic since this property will be let out.

A quick Google search mentions cost of ~Rs.1800-Rs.2200 per sq feet. This translates to 70L-80L. Adding another 25-30L for the basement gives me a total approximate budget of Rs.1 Cr. Is this reasonable? Thanks!

If you need basement + slilt parking then the amount will be almost 2 Cr.

[Garth]

We have a problem in the party hall of our apartment. When the rains are heavy accompanied with heavy winds, water lashes the party hall door, falls down the door and into the party hall. The door opens to the inside. Can someone here suggest a cheap and effective solution?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Hello BHPians,

What is the ball park figure for constructing a house (Basement + stilt + 2 floors) in Gurgaon. The plot is 265 sq. yards in size. Total covered area would be about 4000 sq ft.
The construction quality will be basic since this property will be let out.

A quick Google search mentions cost of ~Rs.1800-Rs.2200 per sq feet. This translates to 70L-80L. Adding another 25-30L for the basement gives me a total approximate budget of Rs.1 Cr. Is this reasonable? Thanks!

Current costs are

1. Rs.3K/sqf = 1.2cr
1b. Basement = 6k/sqf = 60L+
2. Architect fee + supervision ~ 10L
3. Plan, permits and bribes ~ 10L

Total ~ 2cr

To this add
Elevator Basement to Terrace = 4 stop ~ 15L (Otis or Schneider, do not buy local brands)
AC ~ 6 x 3 = 18 (@ Rs.40,000) = 12L
Wood work & Kitchen ~ 4 x 3L = 12L

If you want fancy toilets add 2-5L per toilet
If you want fancy kitchen add 3-5L per kitchen

I suggest that you build 2 full floors and two floors of 1 BR each, so that you elevator, stairs and over head tanks are not disturbed at a later stage

[kushagra452]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

If you need basement + slilt parking then the amount will be almost 2 Cr.

Originally Posted by Aroy

Current costs are

1. Rs.3K/sqf = 1.2cr
1b. Basement = 6k/sqf = 60L+
2. Architect fee + supervision ~ 10L
3. Plan, permits and bribes ~ 10L

Total ~ 2cr

Thanks for your inputs. These estimates are 2x my budget. I will try and find ways to reduce the cost. I guess, I will have to reduce the number of floors. Instead of making 2 floors, will go with only 1. Didn't realize that even basic construction cost is nowadays Rs.3000/sq ft!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by Garth

We have a problem in the party hall of our apartment. When the rains are heavy accompanied with heavy winds, water lashes the party hall door, falls down the door and into the party hall. The door opens to the inside.

Consider doing "tress / truss" using mild steel tubing. The roof could be a wide variety of materials - aluminium, (may be powder coated), galvanised iron, cement board, roof tiles, transparent or translucent polycarbonate sheets, etc.

Originally Posted by satnan

Builder has given us a steel main door (from tata steel). Would I be able to install a digital lock from Yale / Qubo (or similar) on this and if so any special instructions to follow

Typically, locks have standard dimensions if they are of same type. (Mortise / cylindrical etc). It ought to be able to find a match, but not always.

Many local door brands use sheets and inner honeycomb from Tata steel, and call it "tata" doors. So clarify it from the builder.

You can always remove the existing lock, if any and find a lock that matches it - including position of the holes connecting the handles, etc. If this is a Tata Pravesh door, you can Google up the brand website and ask their customer support. If had considered Tata Pravesh and not other brands for my on going renovation, and was told me that we can choose our brand of locks. Also, slightly expensive doors come with more costly locks, so their locks are reliable.

Do note that with these doors, you'll need to demolish the wall if you misplace the key.

Originally Posted by kushagra452

What is the ball park figure for constructing a house (Basement + stilt + 2 floors) in Gurgaon. et of Rs.1 Cr.

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Thanks for your inputs. These estimates are 2x my budget. I will try and find ways to reduce the cost. I guess, I will have to reduce the number of floors. Instead of making 2 floors, will go with only 1. Didn't realize that even basic construction cost is nowadays Rs.3000/sq ft!

Hi. Looks like this is going to be a columns and beams structure. Means, you'll have pillars and beams which bear the load. Have you done a soil test? Soil test can cost upto ₹50 k. If using ground water for construction, test it. Quality of water used in construction matters. Plan your foundation based on result of a soil test. It is important if this is a converted farm land. Water test ought to cost around 2 k. Or less. You don't want an over engineered or under specc'ed structure.

Cost of any construction can be divided into

a) foundation / basement / whatever that goes below the finished ground level and supports the building.

b) structure - typically concrete slabs, columns and beams. In an unfinished state.

c) "interiors" - walls and finishing aka plastering, etc.

d) electricals and plumbing.

e) the fitting and finishing. Painting, flooring, furnishing like cupboards, wardrobesetc.

f) safety - adhering to fire safety norms is essential if the building area exceeds, typically 500 m². A lift aka elevator is compulsory only if the building is G+5 or above. Actually, this is specified in building height, and the 5th floor means you need an elevator aka a lift.

g) compound preparation. Water storage, tiles c around the building, septic tank, if there is no municipal sewerage, compound walls, gate etc.

Don't scrimp on quality of construction - the basement and structural concreting. Keep a sharp open eye here to ensure good quality. reinforcement bars are only things where brand are relevant here. Prefer Tata steel or reputed large scale brand reinforcement rods. Some brands do not ensure uniform thickness of the bars, leading to wide variation in weight (usually lower) of bars. Search the BIS standards for concrete. You'll need M25 or M20 grade concrete here. Brand of cement used is NOT relevant. What matters is ratio of cement, and quality of ingredients including water used. Use identical measures to measure cement, sand, and aggregate aka those small granite stones. "One sack of cement, N dabba of sand, Y dabba aggregate" is not how it ought to be.

Don't scrimp on safety equipment where applicable, wiring, electrical conduits, and MCBs / ELCBs.

The rest of items are available at a wide range of price points. Walls, finishing plaster, paints, switches, flooring tiles, etc. And this constitutes 60% or more of the cost of a building.

You'll get polished granite for as cheap as ₹80. Or it can go up to 400+. Ceramic tiles are available v for ₹17 per sq ft and also at 250+. You'll find 6A modular switches for ₹10. And Tata:s what touch switches for couple of hundred. Or other brands at a thousand or two. Tata Pravesh doors cost ₹ 60 k and above. "Skin" doors of hardwood frame and particle board, ply or even 6 mm cement board on both sides of the frame can be as cheap a 5-7 k.

European closets and flush tanks purchased separate v are available for as cheap as ₹ 1000 each. EWC with concealed tanks can be done for 15-20 k or 75 k - 1.5 l for ones with sensors. Wash basins of 45 x 45 can be ₹ 1000, or ₹ 10,000.

Was quoted 4.5 l for putty + painting. Same work with putty with a coat of primer and 2 coats of paint is being done for ₹ 1.5 l for my 1450 sq ft house.

Hope you get the idea

So if you do a proper standards compliant structure, and plan the finishing work, you'll be able to stay within your budget.

Quality of the structure is important to keep future maintenance costs low.

For civil works to be done after the structural works, consider substitutes to normal materials like cement blocks - like AAC, "gypboard", aero con, etc. 40 - 60 mm thick cement board too can be used for internal walls with no change in sound proofing properties. These simple v steps can reduce cost of construction by as much as 30%. And often save in subsequent finishing costs and maintenance too.

Also, ensuring comfortable rise of 12-14 cm and "step" of 30 cm for stairs can result in 3-4 extra steps on the staircase, but climbing will be comfortable even for senior citizens. Using "sunken slabs" for bathroom flooring too will save a packet on future maintenance though add may be ₹ 5 k per bathroom on extra labour for shuttering and reinforcement.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by kushagra452

Thanks for your inputs. These estimates are 2x my budget. I will try and find ways to reduce the cost. I guess, I will have to reduce the number of floors. Instead of making 2 floors, will go with only 1. Didn't realize that even basic construction cost is nowadays Rs.3000/sq ft!

Even if you build 1 floor, please design the house for 4 floors (future provisions). The reason is that beams and columns once designed for one or two floors cannot sustain the load of four floors. Apart from that designing and constructing columns and foundation for 4/5 floors is not all that more expensive compared to 1/2 floors. Of course your structural engineer will be the best petrson to do the costing.

If you are concerned about costs and have no great need, consider avoiding basement. Basements are pretty expensive to build and at a later stage in life are a pain to maintain, especially if children move out and old couple are left alone.

[kushagra452]

Originally Posted by Aroy

If you are concerned about costs and have no great need, consider avoiding basement. Basements are pretty expensive to build and at a later stage in life are a pain to maintain, especially if children move out and old couple are left alone.

Thanks for your post. This property will primarily be used to generate rental income for my family. Considering that the property is across the street from an upcoming IKEA shopping mall and office/commercial space, IMO a basement should be able to give additional rental income.

[ZMG]

Hi BHPians,

Would like your help on some estimates for home renovation in Bangalore:

1. I want to redo flooring of one of the rooms in house - It must be about 200 sqft. Planning to remove the existing tiles and adding new tiles - something like Somany 2 x 2 tiles - medium range.

2. Want to convert one of the rooms - which was previously a bathroom - back to a bathroom - the main drainage system is still there on the outside - however, will have to add new floor and wall tiles - and also new pot and shower area (not thinking of glass enclosure etc)

3. Want to redo one bathroom - with new floor & wall tiles and also pot. Previously I had a bathtub here, but we had removed it, as it had started developing some discoloration. I wanted to understand - can I paint an old bathtub and use it again - assuming there are no leakages. If not, I want to add a rain shower and bathing area.

4. I want to add iron grill doors for 2 balcony doors in my house - heavy duty to ensure safety.

5. Want to redo one of the dressers - walk in dresser - with good wardrobes - nothing extraordinary - but something which doesn't look bad and is built to last.

6. Want to add lamination to about 3 - 4 doors in the house. Or how much does a good quality door cost - which has a wooden finish to look good. Or any other suggestions, on how I can leverage the existing doors, they're really solid - but look old and odd.

Can you please help me with estimates for this?
I have an independent house - so it doesnt have the timing issues of an apartment complex.
Also - do you think most of the civil work can be done in 10 - 15 days?

Lastly, any trustworthy contacts or references for getting this work done?

Thanks for your help as always

[balenoed_]

In case if someone went through this recently,

Is there anything particular to be considered while choosing the cement brick for new house construction. What are the different types/grades of cement bricks in the market? The builder says we will go with double pressed bricks.

Anyone with insights on this?

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

What are the different types/grades of cement bricks in the market? The builder says we will go with double pressed bricks.

Haven’t heard of double pressed bricks. Although there is “dry pressed bricks”, These are made by compressing clay into molds. It has a deep frog in one bedding surface and shallow frog in another. Double pressed, as name suggest, could be compressing from both ends.

For cement blocks, refer the attached IS code. Might have been revised, but mostly will answer your concerns. Hope it’s helpful.

[adithya.kp]

Query on wooden flooring. Unlike the other areas like tiles, sanitaryware etc, there doesn't seem to be a well known brand here. My contractor showed his catalogue to me. Wanted to explore more options. Can someone recommend some good options for wooden flooring?. Also, the places to buy from.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Wood can't be mass produced with uniform properties l the way tiles or steel is. There will always be some difference between two pieces of wood, even from same lumber, same tree. Lumber from plantations can and do minimise the divergence in looks and properties, but there are limits to production.

If you want wooden flooring, best option would be to identify 60+ old tree, cut, milled, and seasoned, and get the planks laid. Ofcourse, after planing and polishing. The process will take a few months.

Alternative would be to find planks from Damev tree and lay them.

You need a carpenter for this, not a tile worker.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by adithya.kp

Query on wooden flooring. Unlike the other areas like tiles, sanitaryware etc, there doesn't seem to be a well known brand here. My contractor showed his catalogue to me. Wanted to explore more options. Can someone recommend some good options for wooden flooring?. Also, the places to buy from.

10 years back this is the brand i was recommended when i wanted to get wooden flooring done for the master bedroom.

Good stuff

https://www.quick-step.in/en-in

[adithya.kp]

Thanks backseatdriver, deathwalkr. quick-step doesn't seem to have presence in bangalore/online.

Its a pain to select these non standard items. Now I am finding it difficult to finalise the parking/compound gate. Not impressed with any of the designs my contractor showed. Does anybody have some pointers on gate?