Philippine Houses; which house design to select?
You can not simply 'build the same house like a picture you see somewhere on the Internet'; it is intellectual property of an architect, it is not designed according to your preferences or to fit your lot and a 'foreign design' (blueprints which you buy abroad) has to be changed according to the Philippine Building Code anyway. So you need an architect, always.
The first step in house
construction is the 'planning stage'; Philippine architects have
the knowledge, skills and experience to design your house. They shape your
ideas into a plan and translate them to drawings (blue prints) that will
be used by the builders for construction and they are also needed to get a
building permit.
Some clients do not want to spend much money for the
design thinking that they will just "fix" everything during construction
if they want to change anything; this is a costly mistake.
Remember that during the planning stage it is easy to change
something on paper while later during construction you might have to
demolish part of the building.
Manila, Cebu, Davao, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Tagaytay, Isabela, Tuguegarao, Laoag, Ilocos, Baguio, La Union, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Angeles, Zambales, Subic, Olongapo, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Malolos, Rizal, Antipolo, Metro Manila, Makati, Imus, Quezon, BICOL, Samar, Albay, Legaspi, Iloilo, Boracay, Negros, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Camotes Island, Leyte, Tacloban, Ormoc, Maasin, Bohol, Tagbilaran, Panglao, Iligan City, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Davao, Samal, Tagum, Butuan, Palawan, Agusan, Surigao, Bukidnon, Malaybalay etc.
Building a house is a professional
undertaking. Your house have to be there for generations to come.
You worked hard for funds which are now ready for investment. Do
not waste it on imperfect designs which means revisions, renovations,
addition, etc. Why not do it right the first time?
TIP:
You can get a discount if the architect is also the
one who build. They can design the house 'up-front' while
standing on your lot, while you give directions (even by telephone if you
are abroad). We need to know where the sun rises etc. Your house is
being fitted to the lot as well as the environment (surrounding) and to
your wishes and budget. We also have architects who are specialized in
Feng Shui, Zen, Minimalist style, modern houses in the Philippines
etc.
Included in the designers-team
is mostly an electrical professional, a sanitary engineer (designs the
plumbing and drainage systems), an interior designer, a landscape
architect, a structural engineer, a geotechnical engineer and other
professionals. They have the knowledge, skills and experience to design
your house.
Changes and/or revisions are common during the design
stage of the house. There is NO additional cost for this since this
is part of what you are paying for in design development. It’s all about
communication and collaboration.
However, changes during actual
construction shall be charged accordingly. This is because costings
are based on the agreed plan and any change does impact the original
costs, obviously.
When the architect has designed the house (planning stage) it is time to make the blueprints.
Philippine House Blueprints
These are the technical documents that illustrate the dimensions, location and orientation of the structure that you want to build in the Philippines. Also the materials to be used are included. The homebuilder / contractor needs a blueprint to do the actual building. You can not simply buy blue prints abroad; they have to be adjusted to the 'Philippine Building Code' and signed by a Philippine engineer. The price of blueprints depends on the house design and how many pages the blue print. They are also a requirement to get a building permit.
Building Permit Philippines
Do not even think about building in the Philippines without a building permit; a government official might order to stop the ongoing construction with all consequences.
It is wise to apply for a buildingpermit and work with the local building department for legal, safety, and insurance reasons.
Besides enjoying the peace of mind that comes from knowing your project meets safety and quality standards, you may also gain protection down the road. Without the Philippine building permits requirements and adherence to the corresponding inspection process, you may find yourself defending shoddy or unsafe work. Having worked with a permit to build in the Philippines also comes in handy when you sell your house, because real estate laws may require you to disclose whether the Philippine Building Code has been respected.
It is better to work within local building codes. Philippine building permits give you or your contractor formal approval to start a construction project. But before applying for a permit, make sure the construction of your house or commercial building is allowed by your local (subdivision-) building and zoning codes. Local building codes are based in part on standards set by regional- and national code organizations. These organizations work to ensure that homes are built and remodeled to meet reasonable safety requirements. They protect you and your home.
Philippine building permit requirements and -price depends on the scope of your project and the rate of the Municipality where you want to build.
How to select a Philippine contractor?
... If you are looking for the lowest price we can not help you ...
You can easily find a local
architect/contractor who is very eager to design/build your house at a low
price. Only the problem is that you force him to use inferior materials
and use any trick to keep his cost down to still make a profit. The sad
result you will see after the contractor finished your
house...
We focus on quality, durability and after-sales
service.
Our 30 years experience is your profit; we will
lead you step-by-step through the design- and construction
process.
Affordable; We developed over the years a method to
reduce the cost of building in the Philippines, whether for small
renovations, high-end houses, big commercial projects or
high-rise.
Only a few of our staff members and skilled workers will
manage the building-process; we use mostly local labour and -resources to
minimize costs and the more projects we have, the more discount we get
from our material-suppliers.
If you ask a Philippine
contractor to calculate the price of building your house he needs to know
exactly what design you like, all measurements and what materials you
select; maybe you want imported materials or Philippine-branded or
'not-branded with the same quality' (which is cheaper) etc. etc. The cost
of building a house in the Philippines normally depends on the design,
floor area, location, materials & method of construction, even the
timetable will adversely affect costs.
So you need to show the
blue prints which itemizes all scope of works and materials; only
then the contractor can tell you the price which you can compare with
other contractors.
If you ask a contractor to give a rough
construction-estimate by only showing him some pictures from the internet
you have no idea what quality of materials he will use...so you can
never compare with other contractors...
(By the way; Philippine
architects and contractors can not give you a free list of
materials or make the design for free; this is a professional service that
has to be payed for.)
Philippine House Design
Model Houses - House Plans
You probably found on the Internet some houses with some features that you like but none of them are 100% what you are looking for?
Our practice is to design
your house to fit your lot and wishes and budget.
A 'standard
designed house' (model home) can never be exactly what you want.
We
have to see the lot first because the exact location, the logistics,
regulations/restrictions of the local government or subdivision,
soil-type, neighbor-buildings, orientation of the house towards sunlight,
availability of local skilled labor, source of electricity/water etc.
effects the design/price.
Our architect and sanitary-, electrical-,
civil- engineer do not simply 'draw a house'; they make sure your house
will be structually solid plus comfortable, functional and pleasing for
the eye.
You have to describe (or show to us some
drawings/pictures) what materials you prefer; for example what kind of
kitchen and what tiles, doors, roof etc. This way you are the one who
deceides what your house will cost; only then we can give a reasonable
estimate.
In getting the EXACT cost of construction, our practice
is to itemize all scope of works and materials based on complete plans
(blue prints) from our architects and engineers.
If you have not
yet deceided about what kind of kitchen and other finishings you want; we
can still start with the 'bare structure' (only the walls, windows, roof
and doors).
For a FREE initial consult you are welcome in one of our offices.
For clients abroad we mostly start the 'schematic-design' process to make sure that only a few salient issues are left when you come over to the Philippines; this maximizes your stay here and will avoid time pressure.
|
Just let us give you a free cost-estimate for your project (only when you can show us the blueprints or a sketch plus floor plans) and you will see that our prices are very competitive PLUS you will have the assurance of dealing with a reputable company... |
The First Step is now Easy
We have made the first step for you very easy; we offer you to start with the 'schematic design'; you do not have to engage in any contract-signing; 'no strings attached'.
The 'schematic design'
process:
* We collect all data available for the design of the
house.
* Inspection of the site (lot), where we take pictures for you
also.
* Evaluation of the exact location, the logistics/accessibility,
regulations/restrictions of the local government or subdivision,
soil-type, neighbor-buildings, availability of local skilled labor, source
of electricity/water etc. because this effects the design/price.
*
Draft a short report for owners info and evaluation.
* Make schematic
design for owners approval subject to relevant revisions incorporating
owners requirement and actual condition of the lot.
* Submit colored
floor plan and perspective of the schematic design, for owners
approval.
* Prepare a budgetary estimate and establish construction
timeline for owners approval.
* Prepare materials specification for
owners approval.
For the construction cost of Philippine commercial buildings (warehouses - factories - condominiums - townhouses - apartments - subdivisions - resorts - offices - stores - industrial buildings - callcenters - boarding houses - bars - restaurants - hotels - multi-storey buildings - dormitories - memorial complex - schools - clubhouses - banks - churches) and physical planning, land development projects, mining management, site development, low-cost housing, road construction of subdivisions and industrial estates; please contact us for more information.
