What would my house cost to build?
By Denis Jjuuko
Last week, an article I authored more than a year ago resurfaced on the internet and in many WhatsApp groups prompting many people to send emails. The said article was on housing and how somebody can easily build their residential house. The said article was given a headline that was perhaps misleading or sexy hence the said interest.
The emails I have received were largely on how much a 3-bedroom decent middle-class house would cost to build in Uganda. I subscribe to a housing group where every week, somebody inquires how much it would cost them to build this and that. Somebody can come up and say Shs20m and another says Shs200m and many figures in between. I try as much as possible to answer all the emails that I receive but I know this is a question that won’t go away.
So here are some of the answers I give people who ask me how much a house would cost to build.
If you are to build a house, the most important part is to acquire land. This determines a lot in what it will cost to build. The labour costs and some materials such as bricks, sand, and coarse aggregate (made by hand ones are cheaper) among others are cheaper in towns far from Kampala. In Kampala, the costs are much more. A clay burnt brick costs on average Shs350 in Kampala metropolitan area but about half the price in towns upcountry. In places like Masaka, they make roof trusses, rafters and even purlins using encryptus trees straight from the forest. They just remove the bark and they are good to go. So, a house in a place like that would always be cheaper than in Kampala where we largely use lumbers.
The other big issue when it comes to land is the topography or landscape. Is it swampy, flat or hilly? This determines the cost of the foundation. A swampy area for example will require a lot of hard-core stones than an area in a flat area. A hilly area may need grading or cost more to deliver materials there. A flat area may also need a lot of backfilling. Most people may not mention it but murrum costs a lot of money and then it has to be compacted.
Once land has been zeroed in on where to build, then there is need to engage the services of an architect who should then work with at least civil and structural engineers to come up with a design of your needs. What is the size of living spaces and what amenities have been planned? How many bathrooms will the house have? What about a walk-in closet? Many houses in Uganda today are being built with large doors and windows with lots of aesthetics which obviously increase the overall cost of the building.
There is an increased interest in high ceilings so that the house is not only cooler but enable the installation of decorative materials (gypsum ceilings) and lighting such as chandeliers. That would require a bit more money than the standard three meter high house.
When it comes to structures, a storied building is much more expensive but also the cost of materials of even the same size is not the same. For example, the cost of a 16-millimeter iron bar entirely depends on a company that made it. Some companies sell such a bar around Shs20,000 more than their competitors. The price of a 50kg bag of cement is also not the same. Manufacturers determine the prices differently.
When it comes to roofing, it is not the same as well. Even if you are to use iron sheets, the cost varies depending on the gauge and patterns. So you could buy iron sheets that look exactly the same but gauge 28 is more expensive than gauge 32. Some iron sheets require rubber washers when being nailed to minimize leaking and that will cost a bit more money.
Then finishing. What materials are you using? Ceramic floor tiles or porcelain or marble ones? The costs are different. Windows and doors? Steel costs less than aluminum profiles. Euro or Greek standard aluminum profiles are more expensive than Dubai or China standard. Even tinted glass costs more than the one known as Clear. The thickness just like in steel matters here too.
So the best way to have an idea of what your house will cost is by engaging an architect first for the design (ensure he visits the land where you want to build) and then engage quantity surveyors.
The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com
#OutToLunch: Should parents give away their wealth when they are still alive?
By Denis Jjuuko There is a series of videos that has been trending on TikTok and other social media platforms where a son is accusing his biological mother of killing his biological father by denying him treatment abroad and/or sanctioning an operation she knew he wouldn’t survive. The videos have been circulating because the deceased was a prominent businessman and one of the wealthiest people in Uganda. And the son claims wealth was the reason his father “was murdered”. The accusations have caused discussions on social media. Lawyers have recorded podcasts on writing wills and what the law says. Upon listening to these stories, some people said they had started the process of writing wills. Anyway, fights over property aren’t new and they will never end. Not long ago, somebody else took his father to court accusing him of being too sick to run his business empire and therefore should be appointed his successor. The father who was taken to court is also one of the wealthiest people in the country. It is perhaps the first case in Uganda where one demands for their inheritance when the parent is still alive since the famous prodigal son Bible story. Many families face this problem including those without wealth to write home about. First born sons are known to throw tantrums when not named heirs of their fathers. Some go at length of forging wills so that they are named heirs or disputing wills of their fathers. Others where they are not elected heirs in case a will didn’t exist cause unbelievable chaos once they lose the election. Others forcibly occupy the properties while many sell off to unsuspecting buyers and refuse to share with their siblings or even surviving parents. If you watch some of the local news on TV, you will see children evicting their mothers or relatives dislodging widows. Given the stories that are today going around, wealthy people must be having sleepless nights thinking about what will happen to their estates once gone. More money more problems, Notorious BIG told us decades ago. In one of those podcasts and X Spaces that have been organised to discuss wills and inheritance, a lawyer from a prominent Kampala law firm urged people to will themselves something. He said when you are writing your will, give yourself 30%. People gasped for breath on hearing that. What would a dead person do with 30%? It didn’t take too long for him to argue that the 30% is what you should be enjoying before you die. He was perhaps aware that there are many people who live miserable lives while preserving everything for the children. The children, if one is lucky, will wait for the parents to die before going for each other’s throats over the property or even sell it off before the deceased is even buried. The unlucky ones are taken to court or accused of killing their spouses. Somebody told me that to forestall these fights, he regularly goes on dates with his children reminding them at every given opportunity that his wealth is his and his wife’s only. That he has taken them to the best schools and therefore they have received already their inheritance. He tells them that his wealth wasn’t bequeathed to him by his parents. He claims they have listened and understood. Maybe they have. But when he isn’t around anymore or in a position where he can’t make decisions, things may turn out different. You see, most people think they have done a great job of raising their children. The children are good at disguising themselves as well. Once the parent is gone or severely incapacitated, the true colors are revealed. This isn’t just in Uganda. The Rupert Murdoch children have been fighting over News Corp (Fox, Sky etc.) for years though they recently agreed to a trust agreement. Their father is still alive but at 95 years old unable to reign them in. What should parents especially the wealthy ones do? Create a trust that manages the properties and distribute the proceeds as instructed but that idea is still new in Uganda. The easiest way could be for wealthy parents to distribute the assets when still alive, transfer full ownership to those being bequeathed. Many people have done that and limited the flow of bad blood once dead or severely incapacitated. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com See less
