My Blog: House, home or castle
Mr Frazier’s taste of a dream house was formed over several years when he lived with his family in various company-provided bungalows.
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These houses were constructed by reputable expatriate builders such as Taylor Woodrow and Barbisotti. They were located near scenic landmarks such as a hill and a golf course and were of solid and beautiful designs. Sadly, he could never call them his own. What would happen if he left his employment one day?
He found a good plot in Kumasi. It is located near two major educational institutions and is a fast-developing area. It has all the services, – electricity, water and telephone, though delivery could be unreliable and annoying. Easy access to the town, a good hospital and a number of satellite markets were other factors that persuaded Mr Frazier to go for it.
It is a stool land whose caretaker is a progressive chief who insists on buildings of only certain standards that would give the neighbourhood a distinct character. His intention is to brand the community, “Nana Something Heights.” To this end, a plot is intentionally large: 175ft by 155 ft compared to the 100ft by 80ft available in most prime areas.
After a thorough search at the Asantehene’s Land Secretariat that cleared the plot as unregistered, Mr Frazier paid for it, only to be confronted by an “owner” who produced an allocation document signed by a former chief long deceased. A serious negotiation ensued and after adequate compensation, the plot was free and received the green-ink signature of Nana Asantehene.
Then a proper indenture was pursued. This document confers title and the banks insist on it.
Mr Frazier approached an accomplished architect whose designs can be seen in many important residential areas. He doubles as builder as well. His first query to Mr Frazier even before his brief was, “But where is your wife?” He always insists that discussions on house ownership must not be done without one’s spouse.
The brief is essentially your vision. It can run wild but the architect brings you down to earth with physical limitations to the site location and the costs of choices. Mr Frazier’s brief was: a four-bedroom tiled gabled roof house, large family living room, a visitor’s room, study, two carports, large porch, expansive garden for backyard vegetables with enough land left to accommodate future swimming pool, a summer hut and a wide lawn.
“What is your budget?” the architect asked as he noted down the brief.
To start with, the land was graded for a surveyor to map the topography (the levels). The architect said the house had to be at three levels because the land sloped sharply down. In other words, there would be “a down below”, living rooms on main floor and bedrooms on the third level. The implication for requirements for iron rods, stone aggregates and cement made Mr Frazier’s heart twitch.
The architect visited the site and dug a one-foot hole. He had one look at the soil, which was black humus and he said that two feet of the top soil had to be replaced with hard core to give the building a firm foundation.
Four weeks later, the drawings were ready and a quantity surveyor was contracted for the material cost. The feeling Mr Frazier had whilst waiting for the quantity surveyor’s report was not pleasant, though he knew roughly how much to expect.
The architect submitted the drawings to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly for a building permit but advised that for speed, the construction could start since it might take over a year for the city authorities to grant the permission. No sooner had the first two ft of blocks been laid than an inspector came to scrawl the much-dreaded “STOP WORK…” order.
The Bill of Quantities, as well as Material Schedule provided by the Quantity Surveyor made it easy for the material usage and costs to be tracked at each stage. Mr Frazier had worked on the rule of thumb that a living accommodation should not cost 20 times more than the land. Unfortunately, the nation had entered a period of spiralling costs and shortages. He was disappointed; his budget was going to be overshot by 120 per cent and his money was nearly finished.
Why had he not approached his bank for a loan in the first place? In those days, banks that dealt in home mortgages were nearly non-existent, while the commercial banks were stingy with loans. However, using his shares certificate as collateral, he had a loan.
The rest was like “mojo mojo” – sale of some assets, post-dated cheques for cash from friends, and so it went. After the lintel level, he took a respite up to 1994.
The builder kept reminding him that a house built in that leisurely fashion of a village chapel would prove forbiddingly expensive, especially in an inflationary environment.
Mr Frazier was excited at the roofing stage. He took a leave and became an unpaid hand at the site. The rafter and the purling of insect-treated wood went up, then the 1/8 plywood, followed by the felt and then the roofing tiles.
Plumbing was next and the sceptic tank and drain construction followed. Then also, a 100-gallon water tank was positioned in the roof but with enough access for cleaning purposes. Decisions about a borehole and a generator house had to wait.
The walled fence was erected, followed by landscaping. The horticulturist brought a couple of tujas, the graceful exotic plant but they were stolen as soon as they were planted. There were hibiscus, a couple of weeping willows and the ubiquitous bougainvillea and porcelain rolls.
How about the ceiling? The madam wanted Plaster of Paris for the living rooms but Mr Frazier insisted and had his way with seasoned Samfra T & G. Then the ceramic non-slip floor tiling followed.
Mr Frazier took another time off to look for money. Fortuitously, a generous bonus was paid for a good end of year performance and he was able to do the fixtures and pay the builder his outstanding professional fees. All that was left was the painting. The colour was again left for the Madam to decide.
The next hurdle was the connection of water and electricity to the house. The applications could languish in the in-tray for months and have to be chased. It is important that the application is directed at the right channels. Illegal connections can cause embarrassment.
The decision about furnishing was also left for the madam. Clearly, all the old pieces of furniture were unsuitable for modern trends. But for sentimental reasons, the old dining set and the side board acquired some 30 years ago were retained.
A valuation officer was invited to give an opinion. He noted the neighbourhood characteristics (that is type of buildings around, population density, pleasantness of the streets and absence of noise). He also noted the material of construction and the intended use of the house. He produced a useful piece of document that Mr Frazier could wave in his bank manager’s face as collateral the next time he would go looking for a loan. But most important, he must insure the house against fire or any mishap.
How about a maintenance plan for the house? The house has to be painted every two years, the electrical fittings every five years and plumbing fittings replaced every 10 years. The roof must be inspected after every rainy season for leaks. Frequency of sceptic tank dislodging depends on its capacity and the nature of the soil. Soggy soil would encourage water ingress and very frequent emptying. These are called life cycle costs and should be budgeted for.
Your home is not only a building and its amenities. Those who live in it must provide an ambience of peace, security and confidentiality. One must admire and boast of one’s home. A man’s home is his castle, so goes the saying.
There often have been many occasions when relatives and friends may stay with you and debase the character of the home. Mr Frazier is very strict with such people. Caesar, his shepherd dog, would not allow anyone to leap over the fence when the main gate is locked. He does not tolerate also very loud music.
The thought that now occupies Mr Frazier’s mind is: The children are grown and are on their own, scattered across the world. Would this castle turn into a ghost house? Should he – the madam permitting - put it to a different use that would not offend the zoning laws?
On the other hand, if they should decide to sell it, would they receive a good offer? In fact, the architect had incorporated all these possibilities into the design. That is the benefit of engaging a real professional. His charge for sure is…well, it’s well worth it.
Article by Joe Frazier
