[OffRoadFun]

I am in process of constructing a farmhouse/cottage (My better half corrected me that in no way what I am constructing would qualify as farmhouse, a cottage or cabin is apt) currently and thought of sharing updates/ideas.

Background:
I have a farm/orchard where we grow pomegranates and occasionally Water Melons/Tomatoes/Musk Melon along with some Mango/Lemon trees and it's a good weekend getaway .

(Shared here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...g-audi-q5.html (Daytrip picnics in the farm, growing fruits and some off-roading in an Audi Q5))

The place has a room but not suitable for family. Have been pondering over constructing a room there for some time.

On one of the trips recently, I came across good scenery around the farm.



Promptly, took the Q5 inside also:


Very close to my farm, I came across a mango farm, it was a bit rocky area. It was very pleasant, a bit cloudy and with very light drizzling. Extremely pleasant weather! Now one of the best things about India is one can have a picnic in an unknown orchard without getting shot dead for trespassing. Time to use some off-roading capabilities:



I always keep a foldable table and chair in the trunk precisely for this reason (apart from a foldable toilet tent). Time for a serene lunch.



The experience was amazing. Light drizzle, pleasant temperature, serene atmosphere with not a soul in a km radius, light music from the Q5 and home packed lunch.


I reached the farm shortly after the lunch there and to be honest, it was a mess, embarrassing to share a picture. I knew I need to have something better in my farm for myself and family.



I came back with some "harvest" from the farm but decided I need to construct something which will invite me there more often. Besides, boss was pushing for another farmhouse closeby unless this barren piece could be turned into some use.

We had an area of around an acre free in the farm with some elevation to offer view of orchard (may be a water body in future).

I initially set aside a budget of 2.5L for a room knowing it would impractical.

Considerations:
- A room which is slightly above in elevation, overlooking the orchard
- 15'x30' (increased later) size. Weekend getaway, the employer allows Work from Anywhere for at least 4 weeks in a year, apart from regular WFH
- Outer façade to be left unfinished so as stay in budget and attract no attention
- An open kitchen, living room and one small bath
- Cost considerations ruled out Mangalore tile roofing coming out to be Rs 280/sqft,
- Decided to go with galvanized metal roofing which comes out to be Rs 37/sq ft ( etc extra). Would be OK except for summer months and temperatures are generally not that high. Went through MANY YT videos to get details.
- Since there was ample land, load bearing walls (no concrete/Steel structure)
- For aesthetics, no (ugly) water tank on the roof (which anyways was metal), we decided to have a think loft tank below the roof
- Stone foundation by local mason
- Concrete blocks for wall
- 12-14ft high walls (later kept at 12')
- Water at 75ft not an issue
- Free electricity (sort of) to run lights and fans.

I looked into web for some ideas and took inspiration from this:



Exterior (at that time at least, brick facade):



The plan was to construct another room in front of existing room, on the top. Shown here:


Satellite view (dimensions later changed) with plantation around and a rudimentary pond outside:



Now the fun and cost overshoots start :-)




And then we start filling with sand and gravel, after foundation wall is complete, in the background is the plantation




Walls getting ready and outline shaping up:

And higher:


This was completed in 10 days approximately.
This was full of challenges. Sometimes heavy rains to lack of sand. Apparently, sand mining is banned and any tractor carrying sand can be confiscated. We had a water channel (seasonal canal) in our farm from where we could procure sand.



And that sand had to be brought on bullock carts as no tractor wala was willing to take a risk!


With room coming to decent shape, I decided to spend a couple of days there, in the middle of nowhere. I bought some plants in advance for landscaping as I had some landscaping ideas in mind already and stuffed them into the back for Q5.


All set.

A good shot in between:





Reached there late afternoon and spent the night in absolute dark, sleeping in OPEN , in middle of nowhere, where you can't see anything beyond 10ft without a torch. It was an unforgettable experience!

Next morning, started looking at the roof work, levelling of pit by earthmover and trying to get an idea of how things will look.



A memorable breakfast at the construction site:


Another view with Q5:


Septic tank being laid:


The room was coming to shape with skeleton ready.


Unfortunately, my farm manager took 6 weeks off after this, just returned :-(

Meanwhile, I came up with my ideas of how it should look eventually, using some 3D tools:




The work has just started now, after a hiatus of 6 weeks.


And flooring getting ready:


Will update more once complete. We intend to have (ceramic printed) wooden flooring and cladding on one interior wall. I believe eventually a lot will depend on landscaping and lighting to get a cozy feeling. With the blessing of my better half, we can probably have some good landscaping like in our mini-garden today:


Hope you enjoyed reading through!

[TSEA]

This is very interesting. Please continue to post on the progress. There are many (including me), who can learn from this post.

The mini garden in your existing places, looks awesome

[Ashwin Morey]

"Count me in" - As in, I would be one of the many who would like to get regular updates on the progress you make in this journey. All the very best for you in this adventure

[SanSabh]

My sincere compliments, as an architect, to you and your better half on both a great miniature garden and your planned "farm-establishment"
The very sight of plants inside an Audi convinces me that you two are going to do a thorough job!
All the best, and do keep us posted

[mtk]

Following.

Looking for ideas from this post.

[Joelinf]

Your mini garden looks awesome, especially the lighting. Eagerly awaiting the updates

[gypsyFreak]

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

I am in process of constructing a farmhouse/cottage

I know there are already people in the queue waiting for the costing and other details. Add me in too.

I too have same plans to construct budget studio home in our upcoming Coconut plantation. Please keep us posted on the progress and costing.
Elders in my family circle say, i would need atlest 15-20 lakhs for a small house, i am thinking otherwise and looking at cost effective options.

[OffRoadFun]

Thank you all for the kind words. I will update here how it shapes up.
Many of you asked about the costs, some via DM:

Here is a back of the envelope calculation/estimate we started with


Foundation: (digging + stones + transportation): ~20k (for 15x30 room in our case)

Cost of construction for a 10' x 10' wall:
Estimated cost of walls was quoted by Mason on a unit 10(H)x10 (W)wall
i) Labor: ~3k
ii)Brick blocks: 250 bricks x Rs 30/block = Rs 7500
ii) Cement: 6 sacks: Rs 350 x 6 = Rs 2100
iii) Plastering: Rs 2000
Additional Rs 5k for putty

So around Rs 15k for a 10'x10' wall.
(Flooring/roofing is separate of course)

Roofing:
Do a due diligence, galvanize metal roofs are not bad.
If you go by just a simple slanting roof (as opposed to a hut kind of), you can save a lot in terms of need for steel trusses.

i) Galvanized Metal sheet cost was ~Rs 37/sqft. If you are concerned about noise/heat, go for sandwich PUF roof panels which have an insulating material below the sheet which insulates both from heat and sound, costs around Rs 100/sqft (recommended).

ii) The steel pipes for supporting galvanized metal panels can be as thin as 2"x2", spaced 4'-5' apart. Steel is around Rs 80/kg with a 2"x2" pipe costing around 8kg/m, 4"x4" around 16 kg/m. Calculate approximate cost of a steel pipe grid according to your needs.

If someone gives a quote for roof installation way beyond what you get by adding above two, negotiate or even try to do it yourself/local labor. There are several youtube videos available. I got my roof done for approximately 60% of what was quoted by "professional" roof installers.

iii) Leaving exterior un-plastered with some grouting can give it a rustic look as well as save on costs. This is how it is coming up in my case:


Even exterior plastering + plus a decent exterior paint is not so expensive.

Using above numbers, a 10'x15' room structure can be built for around Rs 1.2L.

A 500L PVC tank can be purchased for ~Rs 6k.

Very decent ceramic flooring tiles can be bought for as low as Rs 55/sqft and installation cost is around Rs 30 per square feet.

Doors start as low as Rs 2.5K. ( I re-used one of the extra doors I was having from recent our house re-modelling)


I don't think one needs 15-20L for a small house, MUCH less than that.

Hope this helps.

[freakmuzik]

This is amazing and the views are so beautiful and Indian! Good to see this structure coming up and that mini garden in your existing place looks really great too!

Just a question, did you consider Mud blocks (CSEB) instead of cement blocks? These can even be made in-site. I personally felt it might enhance the appearance and would reduce the environmental burden. Plus, if you like it, it might save you on plastering and painting too.

Wishing you and your family incredibly happy moments and memories and looking forward to the updates

[OffRoadFun]

Have some updates on the room being constructed. Exterior and interiors are almost done. Plumbing/electric connections also done.

First the good part:
The exterior (grouting) is done and is looking decently close to what I rendered via Paint3D app.

Looking north, with 3 windows:




Looking South from other side, one window



The main door (the local guy put some of his own fancy design ideas ), only primer done.


Now the interior:
Cladding on main door wall:




And towards kitchen and the bath:


Final touches, lighting fixtures and windows remain.
After that, lot of landscaping needs to be done. I will spend a few days there coming week(end). I am planning to put insulating PVC material below the roof which will look better and also provide insulation against heat and sound (during rains).

Considering I spent not more than 36 hours in total overseeing this onsite, I think it has come out decent. The view from windows will hopefully be good once landscaping is done in empty area between room and the orchard.

Not so good:
* The finishing could have been better but again, not bad considering I was not there on site for not even two days in all and it is really difficult to get skilled labor for flooring etc in middle of nowhere let alone find "skilled" labor.
* Last but not the least, the cost has shot the estimate by 100%. Not entirely unexpected though.

Thanks for reading, will post more updates in future and also about experience of staying there, especially these days when weather is relatively mildly cold. Can't wait to visit the place. Just finished a road trip to Goa and now planning a trip to the farm. A trip to Ikea is also due soon!

[LoneRidder]

Originally Posted by OffRoadFun

Looking South from other side, one window
Attachment 2398650

Beautifully done. I feel the roof should have come behind by half to 1 feet outside from the wall. There could be water seepage happening from the gap. You can try some waterproof sealant or extend the sheet by cut pieces.

[vijayols]

Wow the house has come out so beautiful.

Went through the same experience recently building a small house.Would love to exchange notes on what to grow in the farm.

[OffRoadFun]

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

Beautifully done. I feel the roof should have come behind by half to 1 feet outside from the wall. There could be water seepage happening from the gap. You can try some waterproof sealant or extend the sheet by cut pieces.

Right. Thanks for pointing out. The idea was on this side of roof is to have a bent metal sheet (I forgot the actual name, but I guess you know what I am referring to) on the edge, one foot on each side.

[mystiikmonk]

I went through all the posts, especially the ones related to farms. I also aspire to build one someday. Now that I know I am your neighbor, I would like to get some insider information and gain insights. By the way, that's some really great off-roading in the Audi.