10 Lakh’s House

A house is the sum total of a common man life and savings. So that  house cannot always be changed at will for the common man. There is no place for luxury in it,The color of the curtain, the highlight of the wallpaper on the wall, the hevy  furniture and the layout of the bedroom are not important.The thing is that house  is suitable for their day today life? According to the number of members in that house, there are enough facilities etc.

Everyone builds a house according to their income. The same is the case with the materials chosen to build the house. The size, value and utility of each house depends on the life and needs of its residents.Any small house has the same value and importance as any other large house. Every family is living in their home with peace of mind, in their safety, in being able to sleep without worry.

Jayakumar and his family, a resident of Nedukunnam- Karukachal, want to build a house. the government’s housing scheme is on the list, but a new house is not enough with the 4 lakhs allowed by the government.The government will only allow money to build a new house. if the existing house is demolished, there is no other house to live. Build a house by living in an existing small house and adding amenities to it.This family does not have the financial security to demolish it completely and build a new house;

After thinking about what to do, Jayakumar and his family finally came to a decision.

“I was aware of Costford’s manufacturing methods and things; Talked to Costford Kottayam Center with whom I am very familiar (Er.Biju John)”said jayakumar .This family was greatly relieved when Costford said that they could build an addition to the existing house without demolishing it.Costafod’s first suggestion was “to collect the construction materials before starting the work, because the work should be completed in one go so that there is no gap in between.The gap will increase the cost”.

          Neighbors and Jayakumar’s friends cooperated well and decided to use coconut tree can be used for wood.Four coconut tree were bought from nearby and dipped in borax and boricacid solution to treat them. Then all the old windows, roofing tiles were bought and the work started.The use of cement was reduced as much as possible. This helped to reduce the cost.

At present there was a small living room, dining room, two bedrooms and a kitchen. As part of the work, the roof of the existing structure was brought down, dilapidated windows and doors were replaced and the walls of  red stone were strengthened.

The part of the dining area has more structural stability so it is finished with coconut tree and rose wood planks. On top of that, a light structure with fiber cement board is finished, which can be used as a bedroom and for other purposes. The roof was tiled.Here the windows were reused. The window was not in size according to the wall, so the old window was turned and given horizontally. The wall of the existing living area and one bedroom was replaced with cement holobrick and the bedroom and living room were newly finished with stabilized mud blocks.

Plastering was avoided.It is less expensive as the walls are not painted and the color of the soil is displayed and these mud walls add beauty to the interior without any decoration work.

The staircase leading up from the living room is made in a very simple design using wood and iron without wasting any space. From the landing of the stair case there is also an access way to the terrace. They had a number of small and big planks. All of them were prepared and used for steps, switch boards and other purposes.The space under the staircase was converted into a TV area.Two bathrooms were built as part of the bedroom and apart from it. Flooring is oxide. White cement mixed with a little yellow oxide gave a very subtle yellow shade. The kitchen and the existing bedroom were renovated with facilities.

All decorations and ornamentation works are avoided and only natural uniqueness is everywhere. Costford’s low cost and unique glass bottle wall art is also here. The finished home is 950 sqft. There is also a parking space in the yard. There is no space at the sides, there is space at the front and back. Only the front of the existing house has been demolished and replaced.

The total cost to complete this house with new facilities and rooms is 10 lakhs. To complete the construction of this house, along with costfod and other workers, Jayakumar and his family, friend C. R. Mohanan Pillai used to work all the time. It can be said that Jayakumar is also a client who built his own house.

Plan

Jayakumar and Family

Project details:

Design:Er.Biju P John

Costford Kottayam centre
Champakara P.O
Karukachal
Kottayam Dt
Ph: 8157932717

Client : Jayakumar and family

Plot  : 12 cent

Area : 960 sqft

Place : Nedumkunnam ,Kottayam (D t)

Total cost : 10 lakh

Photo Courtesy : Costford