The first and foremost suggestion for economy is to get an estimate of the house framed by and expert, in which the thickness and the size of materials to be used is specified.
A square plan for a house is cheaper than oblong. Certain advantages in a square house over an oblong one.
Roof of the square house looks better and is simple
Less costly to construct.
A square being more compact, the space occupied by corridors is much less in a square house than in an oblong one.
It may be suitable for hill stations especially in the winter.
A storeyed building, having half the number of rooms on the ground and half on the first floor is much cheaper than a bungalow or only a ground floor structure because it does not require separate foundations, rain water gutters, drains etc.
Reduction in the height of the ceiling saves money.
Another means of reducing the cost of a building is to build the outer walls thick enough to protect the house from the heat of the sun and raids of thieves and to build all the inner ones of half or one brick thickness.Local usage should be adopted as far as possible.
Division of labour and specialization are great points in saving money, particularly when the work is being done departmentally ex. Masons who are used to dressing should be employed for dressing only, and those setting, on setting only.
A good deal depends upon the season in which the building work is commenced. Doing a construction work in summer, saving of 28 per cent in the labour cost
Standardization of sizes and materials is very helpful in reducing costs.
Plain and simple architecture not only looks well but is also very economical. Bay windows, ingle-nooks, too many corners in the walls, and too many breaks in the roof are bound to increase the cost.
If the skins, bath-rooms and w.c.s are so placed that all the sanitary fittings come near each other, a considerable amount is saved.
A considerable saving may be made by buying materials at the proper time and in the best market and maintaining a continuous supply of them at the job.
In these days cement is very costly and often is unavailable, can be substituted by lime with addition of surkhi which increases bulk, reduces cost and gives equal strength to walls.
If there is not sufficient money now:
Verandah may be left open without railing.
Some rooms may be left unpaved.
Of external walls are of brick, their joints may be painted with cement now.
Shutters of cupboards in walls may wait for some time.
Leave the unused /unimportant rooms unplastered.
Finish unexposed limber with simple varnish.
Select simple water closet.
Use ordinary glass panes to be substituted later by ornamental or plate glass.
Omit or defer installing costly electric fittings.
Use cloth curtains instead of permanent inner partitions.
Give simple two coats of white wash on the plastered surface of walls.
Build the stair case between two thin partitions and save ornamental railing.
Reducing the size of rooms or omitting some rooms in the first instance.
Use country timber where it is not exposed.
Building Centres (Nirmithi Kendras) Established by the Govt. & HUDCO in all the districts are promoting Low Cost Housing Technologies and are providing their Technical Advice and Guidance services to the general public for enabling them to construct the houses at an economical cost.
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