Turnkey Contract (Full Build solution):
If they give out Turnkey contract then the contractor is likely to charge him for top quality materials and install a mix of Low, Medium and Top quality materials.
Labour Contract (Labour solution, your own supervision):
This is the most recommended and cost effective option because you buy your own top quality materials and supervise the construction yourself with guidance of architect/engineer. But the downside of this option is that you need a supervisor who will keep the labour busy and buy the materials. This is almost a full time job otherwise the labour will do the things wrong. If a Pakistani is working overseas he can not do it himself. So he needs someone else, but the question is who should that be? Not even your brother has the time and energy to work whole heartedly like yourself. Only a father or a son can do a job as good as yourself. If your father is too old you cant get him involved because this can be a very stressful activity.
So what to do....? ....just trust any contractor or archtect? All the people I know who have made their own house say you cant trust any contractor for turnkey solution. You should go for Labour contract.
So what did I decide? I decided not to build on my plot. Instead buy another plot. When I come back to Pakistan finally to live in my country, then I will sell one plot and use the money to build it myself on the other plot....this will also prevent the house from suffering damage due to disuse.
But this means you cant live in your own personal house when you go for vacation. If you live with in parents house while on vacation, then it can get crowded for them especially if any other brother or sister is also visiting.
This is a common issue with many overseas Pakistanis. What do you all think.
DEAR, l like your point of view. We can do an other act why not you buy house ;-) Thanks to enplane all the matter in systematic way. ''Best of luck''
Well your absolutely right with the contractors & FYI they dont use a mix of low medium & top quality they primarily use LOW. Labor Contract are also a pain for many reasons.
I believe these housing societies especially Bahria Town offer building your house for you,its a one stop solution & they do a nice job in a timely fashion, so if your plot is located in one of these societies you can always check if they offer construction services.
Buying two plots is wise but still you'l need to sell one then start your construction which may take at least 6-8 months or more to build, so your best bet would be ask around for a reliable contractor from your friends or family & then ask a family member to keep a check on the contractor as that is reasonably less of a hassle for a family member.
If you do choose to build your house while your abroad giving a portion on rent would be a good option...this way you'l be getting revenue from rent which you can save & once you move back you can use it to do general repairs , paint etc to your home & on vacations you simply open your portion (upper or lower) and your good to go.
And houses don't get too damaged over a period of time mostly the paint etc wears off which can be redone inexpensively.
In conclusion I would suggest looking around for some reliable companies to build your house now,as living in the privacy & comfort of your own house (or even a portion of your home) especially on vacation makes it a relaxing vacation otherwise its just a month or two of hassle
Hope this helps
I think overseas should never try to build a house in pakistan and should always buy a pre-built one … it may cost 10-20 lac more but i think it will be worth it…
Dear All I agree with all of you specially PK1. But want to share some thing. if you don't have a single person like ur brother cousin who can give time to your project then you have to trust any contractor or builder. Construction is not that much impossible as you people are saying. By searching you can get a good contractor but we should clear some points. First of all we should hire a professional architect Registered and skilled. He will charge you double then market but he will give you services and supervision. supervision of a qualified architect is always better then any others but unfortunately we always try to hire a drafts man for a cheaper solution. After that in hiring of a contractor we should check few points. Ist of all if a person is doing civil work for you is his firm is registered by Pakistan engineering council. His general reputation in market. Past Projects this can help you a bit. However i agree that there are people in market who are doing various kind of frauds but that doesn't mean that we cant find a professional person. Ideal solution is to build your home by your own but the thing is if you are not experienced and doing it then it can be more difficult without supervision of experienced person. this is my personal opinion rest god knows better