Cheapened expensively

As your home is worthwhile investment it’s certainly wise to have it actualized at agreed cost with an interior designer and contractor(s) who are there to answer your questions from quotations to the home occupations and beyond, writes Nyambura KINUTHIA, while stressing the need to avoid cheap expenses that end up being too pricey. 

We are all social animals and whenever we meet, we tell stories and listen to stories…good stories and sad stories, horror stories and anything in between.

In my interior design industry, the hottest story is residential and commercial spaces interior finish – what’s vogue, what’s wow, what’s trendy, what’s fad, what’s just ok, what’s sad and …yes you guessed it…what’s horror!

In  particular, residential homes have many real stories as those are the spaces that our loved ones roost after the long day’s chores. As home is where the heart is as the saying goes, allow me to tell  my HORROR story first…The cost of cheap.

In the Ideal Interiors magazine Vol 2 Issue 007 2012 of this column, I discussed  the essence ofbudgeting before starting your family dream house. Your budget will consist of your architectural drawings = check; structure = check; interior finishing design and materials = check… the later being my story.

Good things in life, we all love. We all aspire and work so hard for that lifestyle. Our homes interiors is where we want our personal taste defined and “expensive”lyexpressed.To actualise this  unique personalised, totally you, vogue dream home is where the hardest  journey unfolds.

So, with all exitement and energies, you hit the road to all Nairobi and beyond top –notchmaterialsoutletsfor your porcelain tiles, Solid wood floor planks, engineered wood floor planks, floor laminates, pacquats, PVC floor finish…the list is endless.

Next is specialized wall finishes – wallmaster, terra, stucco, clading materials…

On two ceiling works – gypsum, T&G… Lighting is the next on the list and you visit all the top-end electrical shops  for the pendants, downlighters, mirror and picture lights among others.

Phew! The purchase is done,but…. the materials must be fitted respectively ….The horror story begins.

Cheap home builders

How often do we hear this statement “ I need  cheap fundis for my surface finishing works, I have already purchased thematerials” (really after buying your Kes 2,500 per piece tile?).

On getting the contacts, this is all familiar from the fundis “ yes I do tile-fitting, I also know how to fix solid wood floor and yes I also do plumbing works…”(say this in Swahili). Usually first-time home builders are un-informed and tend to settle on offers by this know-it-all fundis and the result is chepened home actualized by the unscrupulous.

So you as the home owner have now picked your “cheap” fundi and entrusted him to lay your master bathroom tiles and other fittings worth over Kes 700,000!

If that’s the case, the below analysis is ceratinly for you?  In a four bedroom home, materials cost + labour. Calculate labour at Kes 650 per day, 8 fundis, 60 days work.

Above is the horror reality check ; by the time your interiors work is complete, you will have replaced 40 percent of damaged materials. You’ll also have lost months owing to delayed work,  the design pattern and clarity will be a nightmare (if the fundi understood it from the begining). Simply put: Your home will look like  patch-work gone wrong.

The “expensive”  way

Your house interiors will require coherent design, professional and proper fit-out cordination and a trained eye to achieve quality finish. Each space – floor, walls, plumbing works, electricals, ceiling works, window dressing etc will require specialisedsub-contractor(s) to achieve an overall  quality work and long-term durability. They make sure products and materials are installed properly and  competently and adhere to performance standards.

It is imporatnt to note that site supervision and cordination MUST be professionally done by a professional interior designer whose designs will be followed by all.

On this column,Ideal Interiors Vol 2 Issue 005 2011, I detailed why you must engage an interior designer in your project, their role and the point of engagement to save you from busted budget.

Let us do a comparative costings when home owners do what is professionaly right and engage professional services.

What is it worth to have your new home built on schedule, for the agreed cost, with aninterior designer and contractor(s) who are there to answer your questions from quotations through move-in and beyond?

And what do you get? A house that is lovable, livable, comfortable, and meets your lifestyle needs…The value for expensive.

Monetory value

The savings look minimal but – Is it possible to put a price tag on peace of mind? Possible to put monetary value on :-wholistic professionalism ,  coherent design,hassle-free  project. Less stress, no hurt feelings, no regrets, no horror stories, no busted budgets.

What is it worth to have your new home built on schedule, for the agreed cost, with an interior designer and contractor(s) who are there to answer your questions from quotations through move-in and beyond?

And what do you get? A house that is lovable, livable, comfortable, and meets your lifestyle needs…The value for expensive.