Building Process

Design Development

Congratulations! You have made the decision to build your dream home or a building. Now you must decide where you want to live and purchase the perfect building lot (or plot as is called in Africa). You will probably be considering the type of neighborhood, where you work and the schools. Additionally you may be considering the sentimental value, your family history or ancestral land that has been in your family as long as you can remember. Is the property served by public utilities or will you need to have a test for water performed and a well drilled? Is there a city or town approval needed for your house plans? What are the zoning restrictions, building set-backs, future development plans for the area? Will access be a problem during construction or bad weather? Have you seen the property during a heavy rain? Be sure that you take the time to consider all of the related aspects of the property you are considering.Next, you will need to determine exactly what you need and want in your new home. Do you want a mansionette, bungalow /rancher, mansion, split level, or 2 story houses? How many bedrooms and baths do you need? Will it have an island in the kitchen, a home office, or a large family room, a living room, a master ensuite, garage, theatre? Books and Magazines are a great source of design ideas - not only things that you will want to incorporate, but also those that you will definitely not want to include. You can also get ideas by perusing online or reviewing pictures or simply conversing neighborhoods or homes you like and taking pictures of those for design ideas. At this stage you seriously want to get serious with your discussion with ONDIGON custom designers to begin augmenting your ideas. While their fees will typically represent about 8 to 15% of the cost of your home, ONDIGON does have a stipulated fee for small projects. It is important to take note that a professionally designed home will be able to help you save more money than the fees for the service.

After all, designing and overseeing the construction of buildings is our job and we can anticipate and advice you accordingly with your intentions at the fore. Depending upon your wants and needs, the location of the prospective design, designing and building the home that you really want may very well require the knowledge and experience of a professional that is very conversant with the area and materials of the area you are designing At this point many may think that I can pick a design from a book and have it built. This a grave mistake and would cost you time and money over a project that is completely out of synch with your location (plot) the weather and the environment where you are planning to build, the customs and thumb rules that surround your background and the unique nature of your self and your family. Ondigon will be the right interpreter of all this factors to your dream home. Ondigon will go through a preliminary design meeting with you put your ideas along with their professionalism to produce a solution. After you finally settle on a suitable design, you will need to identify all of the materials and finishes that you want to go along with it. There are literally thousands of items that go into the construction of a new home and every single one of them must be specified by someone. Those that you specify clearly enough for others to understand may actually end up the way you want them. However, those that are not specifically mentioned or clearly defined will almost certainly wind up being something other than you thought they would be. So, in order to get the things that you want the way you really want them, be sure that you put everything - and I do mean EVERYTHING - in writing and in as much detail as necessary, to create clear, complete, and accurate construction plans and specifications. Besides their importance in building your new house, these documents will be needed in order to create an accurate budget. You cannot realistically expect to know how much your home or project will cost until you have a complete document that expresses the expected design.Finally, you will need to begin looking into contractors , search for a financing source to obtain the required financing, sign with the people that will help you build your dream, and apply for the permits , licenses, bonds, and zoning variances that may be required for you to build in a certain locale.This is a decision that will last with you through your life and probably reflect your personality so let it be done by a professional firm of ONDIGON’s expertise.

Site Work

Now the dream turns from paper to ground! Finding water below the surface or finding a source of water for your project. Paying to clear all those big trees that are right between your desired sites. Starting to prepare the boundary of your home with a fence or love fence so that it can come up as your home comes up. Thinking of where in the plot you will use for construction material so that the sand, gravel, stones will be dropped off for construction and ensuring it does not obstruct or get in the way of the location of the building. Digging out the earth to construct the foundation of your new home. One cannot completely prepare as there will be surprises but rest assured that, this can turn out to be a very exciting time as the documents are translated into reality. You will finally get to see where your house will sit on your plot, how big it will be, and what views you will have. This is the first physical work on the long and sometimes bumpy road to realizing your dream.

Foundation

The foundation is the structure on which the rest of your house is built. Whether it is stone, concrete, what are the levels? it needs to be strong and square and dry.This is not a good place to try to save money. Be sure the foundation is properly sized and reinforced for the loads that will be carried. Build the walls to be able to withstand the forces of the earth that they will need to hold back. If there is potential of water at high levels invest in a waterproofing system that will protect areas below grade. The fact is the house is only as good as the foundation on which it rests.

Walling

Many people consider the walling stage to be the most exciting. When the crew completes the ground floor, you will finally be able to take your first walk around your new house. It is an indescribable moment as your imagination goes to work.Completing the floor will take anywhere from a week to couple of weeks depending on the complexity of the home and the terrain in which the contractor is working on. The floor will go through concrete fills and a curing period to ensure the concrete is hard and free of defects. After this the walls will start coming up .You will be able to watch the basic structure take shape very fast. Your home will suddenly have walls built with the openings for the doors and windows left out. The lintels to support the windows will now be completed and the house gets to the roof level. The roof will be the first time you experience framing as the roof has to be framed and your choice of iron sheets, gal sheets, tiles affects the kind of framing needed

Rough-ins

As the individual trades converge on your house, things will appear to slow down considerably. In reality, a lot more work is actually being done on your house during the rough-in stage, it just isn't as dramatic.During the next several weeks or months, dozens of people will be installing the inner workings of your house. Plumbing, lighting, electrical, television cable, entertainment systems, phone lines, fireplaces, and for things yet to be installed.

This may not be an exciting time, but it is very important that everything and everybody be properly coordinated. Take the time to get things right at the rough-in stage, and you will save yourself lots of aggravation later on.

Interior Finishes

When you are absolutely certain that everything has been roughed-in properly, it is time to plaster the walls, install the doors & trim, hang the cabinets, put down the floor finishes , install ceramic tile, and cover everything that doesn't move with either paper, plastic, or paint.After the paint, the next things to be installed are the light fixtures, counter tops, appliances, plumbing fixtures, mirrors, shower doors, security systems, burglar proofing, door knobs, towel bars, and toilet paper holders. Most of these things will even be installed in the correct locations.

Exterior Finishes

While work is progressing inside, there is much to be done outside as well. Keep in mind that almost the entire exterior finishes need to be designed and installed to keep out the elements and protect the main structure for as long as possible.The exterior finishes might be any combination of brick stone, stucco or concrete. Ondigon will provide advice taking into consideration the weather conditions in the area where you are building and how much time you will be able to spend on maintaining the outside of your house. How much will you really save by not using brick if you are going to have to paint every few years?

Landscaping

Sometimes this is overlooked yet it can tie your house together with the land. Properly placed trees can help keep your house cooler in the hotter months The walks, patios, pool, walls, pond, and plantings that make up a landscape can easily represent a sizeable expense, yet they are very important in making a new house look and feel like a home.All too often, because this is one of the last phases of the job, people forget about the importance of blending the structure with nature. Be sure to make a reasonable budget for landscaping and try very hard not to spend it on something else.

Completion

"Alright! Everything is finished. Now we can finally relax and enjoy your new home! "Good luck with your project and have fun building!