Construction FAQ - 1

In all the forums about construction I've joined in the past years, there are many common questions that are frequently asked. Well, to avoid repeated posts questions and answers at the forum, I will attempt to list them here and try to answer them to the best of my knowledge.

Question No. 1: I want to build my House/Building. What should I do first?

My Answer:

First, find out if you already have the following:

1. LOT with the right classification.

Residential for Houses, Commercial for Commercial Establishments,etc. If you are not sure of the lot's classification, you can go to your local Municipal Hall Land-use and Zoning Office and check in the Land-use Map. Residential areas are commonly shaded with color yellow or orange and Commercial areas are in red. Institutional is in blue and Agricultural is in Green.

If you are thinking of changing the land-use of your property eg; agricultural land to commercial land, you will be required to secure ECC or Environmental Compliance Certificate from DENR.

2. BUDGET

It's self explanatory, everything will work out if you have this.
For those who doesn't have this yet, you can try to use your other assets and properties. Loan is a good answer. It comes in many form. it's up to you how to obtain it.

The next question is "how much is the budget?" We'll discuss this later.

3. WILL

If you have the first two, but do not have the will, then all is nothing. right? In my experience, the owner's Will mosty dictates the progress. Lack of budget became out of problem. Or it may be that a simple problem may cause the construction to stop. Just what like a song says: "... 'pag ayaw may dahilan, 'pag gusto palaging mayroong paraan..."

If you already have these, next is to consult a professional, preferably an Architect, who is a relative of yours or a close friend or someone already known to the profession. Why? Simply because it's very hard to trust anyone. Kahit pa nga kamag-anak minsan nagkakasiraan pa di ba? Please, please, please, do not ask ideas from those who are not in the field of construction. Or yun mga nakikialam lang at nagmamarunong. This oftenly ruins your disposition and may lead you to miserable path and end up not enjoying the construction procedure. Trust me on this! You don't entrust your health to someone who is not a Doctor, or your Legal Cases to someone who is not a Lawyer. Right?

Many are afraid to consult a Construction Professional thinking that they will be paying too much for any of his services. But fact is, payment only starts upon signing of contract. Initial advises and even initial designs are usually free.

Everything else follows. the architect will then translate your dream house to reality!

For other questions, you can email me at royestrella@gmail.com