Jarus:


No, a living house.

Just my use of land. I own the orange coloured bungalow partly showing in the first pic up here (completed in 2015) and decided to do this small duplex in the remaining part of the plot. I needed to have it sit by the fence to get enough space.

damidele:


Okay, good to know. If you would allow me to give a word of advice, kindly strive to refrain from similar in any of your future projects. for a variety of reasons amongst which are-

1. It infringes against town planning and Government regulated setbacks for properties from fence and party walls. The current govt may not be up and doing to its enforcement at the moment but you can never tell what will happen in 5-10-20 years down the line and this may be required to conform to the planning norms. Asides, if it is not in an enclosed private estate chances may exist for need by the govt to encroach on fence lines for construction or expansion of road infrastructure and the partial removal of this building may be inevitable while govt would not be ready to pay for it because it contravenes standing planning and land usage laws.

2. The cantilever (extension) of the first floor slab outside the perimeter is not good as with that you have not only eaten up the required setback the building is meant to have with the fence, you have also extended outside of your property perimeter with this extension (technically that extension is in public space) and maybe prone to catch the eye of govt agents.

Even if the govt doesnt have intent to take any action against the buildings but should you have an adversary, he may want to use this to draw some blood form you by hurting you through the above methods by calling the attention of the govt agents to it.

3. The foundation of the columns along the fence line is interacting with the fence, the foundation may be threatened in the future by the following- (i) gradual loss/washing away of soil from the front of the fence as is common place esp in places without tarred roads and complementing drainages.
(ii) where adequate allowance has not been given for location of drain, the foundation (if pad footing) may obstruct the construction of the drain or if the foundation is raft foundation, may end up serving as the inside face of the drain which is not a good practice as it will affect the service life of the foundation.

4. Security implications- as it is a living unit, anyone with intrusion intent can confidently break through the wall from the outside with a sledge hammer being confident that he will rewarded with instant access to an apartment without any additional obstacle. Also on this security implication is that the windows of the upper floor facing outside will be tempting for privacy intrusion and theft through the use of a ladder to either quickly pick small things within proximity of the window or depending on the strength of the burglary in-place (if any), give direct access to the apartment again without any additional obstacle.

Just my thoughts, hoping they will come in handy to help shape your decision on your future projects.

Jarus:


Thanks. Valid points from a professional angle. I’m actually hearing that #1 for the first time.

Security-wise, not sure it’s much of a big risk. No window downstairs directly leads to outside of the fence. All lower floor windows face inside the compound. Two windows upstairs lead straight outside but they are upstairs - you can’t really call that direct access. In any case, all windows have burglary-proof. I have never built a house without burglary proof. Do people still build houses without burglary proof apart from face-me-I-face-you houses? Can’t remember ever seeing one. It’s a basic requirement in Nigeria since at least 20 years ago.

Secondly, I’m wondering how houses that don’t have fences at all will be assessed on this scale of window not leading into the fenced area. There is no privacy intrusion. This house wont use a see-through window. You can’t see anything from outside. If the risk of privacy intrusion exists, then it wont be peculiar to this house because from my balcony I can see the windows of all storey-buildings beside it.

Thirdly, the risk of government expansion of road is almost inexistent - at least in the next 25 years. This is far from being a major road. It’s at the end of an estate. The area is just opening. Could have gotten the street in my name sef. One neighbour just chanced me.

Thanks in any case and all points noted for future projects.

Jarus:
Latest stage

Food is almost ready

Jarus:

I actually bought the land just one year after NYSC, and started developing one year after. I was fortunate to have a decent job, plus good parental guidance. Never let this corporate Lagos went into my head, knew teh son of whom I was.

abraolas1:


Well done Mr Jarus..... Thanks for the Motivation Now and Always.... Following your tread back to back and have learn a whole from you.... God bless you real Good

Abraham

FunmyKemmy:


Congratulations

Jarus:
And some interior

Jarus:
More

Jarus:
Exterior

Jarus:
Currently putting finishing touches

CuteNbad:
Is it half plot? And can you pls estimate how much you've spent so far on this duplex.

Jarus:


Half plot. In fact, I have a 3-bedroom bungalow in the building already (where I stood taking the picture below).

brandable:

Congratulations sir, not an easy feet. If I may ask, are you going to be renting it out, since you're already living in the three bedroom bungalow or you will be moving in to this new crib.

Jarus:


Half plot. In fact, I have a 3-bedroom bungalow in the building already (where I stood taking the picture below).

On total cost:

Foundation + German floor: 4-board raft foundation, filling, materials (cement, iron, sand, wood, binding wire, nails etc), labour (bricklayer, iron bender, carpenter etc) = 1.7m

Lintel + post-window Casting: Material (Block, cement, sand, iron, wood, granite, binding wire, bamboo, nails etc), labour (bricklayer, iron bender, carpenter, material transporter, etc) = N1.2m

Decking/Casting: Material (wood, bamboo, iron, cement, sharp sands, binding wire, nails, nylon etc), labour (iron bender, carpenter, bricklayer, material transporter etc) = N1.8m

Upper lintel + post-window casting: Material (Block, cement, sands, iron for pillars, iron for casting, wood, binding wires, etc), labour (iron bender, carpenter, bricklayer, material transporter etc) = N1.4m

Electrical & plumbing Piping: Material (electrical pipes + other materials, plumbing pipes + other materials), labour (electrician, plumber, transporter) = N350k

Roofing: Paraphet + Gerard roof sheets + labour (carpenter, bricklayer, transporter, roofer) = N2.2m

Aluminium: Used for windows and toilet doors - material + labour = N0.5m

Plastering: Cement, sand + bricklayer workmanship = N0.8m

Window cement design: Material (cement) + labour = N100k

POP: Material + labour = N500k

Railing + glass: Material (stainless steel, glass) + labour = N450k

Doors: Material (Security doors + frames, cement), labour (carpenter, bricklayer, transporter) = N850k

Screeding: Material + labour = N300k

Gate: Gate purchase + labour = N200k

Tiling: Materials (tiles, cement etc) + labour (tiler, transporter etc) = N750k

Electrical lighting + finishing: Wiring materials, chandeliers, fittings, labour etc = N750k

Plumbing finishing: Sanitary wares, kitchen wares, labour = N450k

Painting & wallpapering: Material (paints, 3D wallpaper, regular wallpaper, one of the rooms fully wallpapers, living room also wallpapered)+ labour (painter & wallpaper designer) = N700k

Furniture: Wardrobes for all rooms+ kitchen furniture including marble = N600k

Fencing: Material + labour = N250k

Compound flooring: Filled with several trucks of shard sand + then interlocks, material + labour = N500k

Omo onile: N100k each at foundation, decking & roofing = N300k

Soakaway (septic) = Material (cement, iron, woods etc) + labour (digger, carpenter, iron bender, bricklayer) = N500k

TOTAL = N17.15m minus cost of land. A full plot current goes for between N6m - N8m in the area.

Note that most of the activities (other than foundation to lower lintel) were done during the lockdown and the prices were higher than normal. For example, cement was bought at N2950 per bag. Most of the materials were also bought around Ajah axis where this is located as we couldn't go orile for tiles, or other Lagos building markets, so the prices were a little higher than what we can get them for if there was no lockdown and we could go to specialized markets to get good bargain. We also got a truck of sharp sand for N57k. Things are a little expensive on this side.

Also, note that I have a bungalow on same land before. See here (December 2015): https://www.nairaland.com/2132347/construction-journal-2/2. I did this duplex in front of it.


Hello bro,

you mean you spent just N17m to achieve this?

Jarus:


Half plot. In fact, I have a 3-bedroom bungalow in the building already (where I stood taking the picture below).

On total cost:

Foundation + German floor: 4-board raft foundation, filling, materials (cement, iron, sand, wood, binding wire, nails etc), labour (bricklayer, iron bender, carpenter etc) = 1.7m

Lintel + post-window Casting: Material (Block, cement, sand, iron, wood, granite, binding wire, bamboo, nails etc), labour (bricklayer, iron bender, carpenter, material transporter, etc) = N1.2m

Decking/Casting: Material (wood, bamboo, iron, cement, sharp sands, binding wire, nails, nylon etc), labour (iron bender, carpenter, bricklayer, material transporter etc) = N1.8m

Upper lintel + post-window casting: Material (Block, cement, sands, iron for pillars, iron for casting, wood, binding wires, etc), labour (iron bender, carpenter, bricklayer, material transporter etc) = N1.4m

Electrical & plumbing Piping: Material (electrical pipes + other materials, plumbing pipes + other materials), labour (electrician, plumber, transporter) = N350k

Roofing: Paraphet + Gerard roof sheets + labour (carpenter, bricklayer, transporter, roofer) = N2.2m

Aluminium: Used for windows and toilet doors - material + labour = N0.5m

Plastering: Cement, sand + bricklayer workmanship = N0.8m

Window cement design: Material (cement) + labour = N100k

POP: Material + labour = N500k

Railing + glass: Material (stainless steel, glass) + labour = N450k

Doors: Material (Security doors + frames, cement), labour (carpenter, bricklayer, transporter) = N850k

Screeding: Material + labour = N300k

Gate: Gate purchase + labour = N200k

Tiling: Materials (tiles, cement etc) + labour (tiler, transporter etc) = N750k

Electrical lighting + finishing: Wiring materials, chandeliers, fittings, labour etc = N750k

Plumbing finishing: Sanitary wares, kitchen wares, labour = N450k

Painting & wallpapering: Material (paints, 3D wallpaper, regular wallpaper, one of the rooms fully wallpapers, living room also wallpapered)+ labour (painter & wallpaper designer) = N700k

Furniture: Wardrobes for all rooms+ kitchen furniture including marble = N600k

Fencing: Material + labour = N250k

Compound flooring: Filled with several trucks of shard sand + then interlocks, material + labour = N500k

Omo onile: N100k each at foundation, decking & roofing = N300k

Soakaway (septic) = Material (cement, iron, woods etc) + labour (digger, carpenter, iron bender, bricklayer) = N500k

TOTAL = N17.15m minus cost of land. A full plot current goes for between N6m - N8m in the area.

Note that most of the activities (other than foundation to lower lintel) were done during the lockdown and the prices were higher than normal. For example, cement was bought at N2950 per bag. Most of the materials were also bought around Ajah axis where this is located as we couldn't go orile for tiles, or other Lagos building markets, so the prices were a little higher than what we can get them for if there was no lockdown and we could go to specialized markets to get good bargain. We also got a truck of sharp sand for N57k. Things are a little expensive on this side.

Also, note that I have a bungalow on same land before. See here (December 2015): https://www.nairaland.com/2132347/construction-journal-2/2. I did this duplex in front of it.

morenike20:
I am completing my house which is a block of four flats in the Ajah axis and I only need to buy electrical fittings and painting. My questions are: 1) which paint is moderate not too high and not low; 2) how do you calculate the painting labour cost; 3) where is the best place to purchase electrical materials at a good price; 4) what is the rate for calculating interlocking stones for the premises.

I will appreciate a very good response to my questions. Thank you.