contact us

Tips for Building a House in the Philippines
By guest-writer Mr. Steve Brall

 

After living here for more than 15 years I would like to share the following thoughts with you.
 

The Walls (basic structure)
If you want to test wether your architect/contractor is realy as smart as he think he is;
ask him why he build with hollow blocks?
Hollow blocks have a high thermal mass; they store the heat of the day and during the evening they give that heat back to you... not smart to use in a Tropical country is it..?
American companies in Cebu understand this problem and therefore are building callcenters with 'Insulating Light-Weight Concrete Panels'.
Electricity rates in the Philippines are at least 100% higher than in the USA.
Insulating your house with these light-weight concrete panels can also save a lot of money; lower electricity bills and a smaller aircon is possible.

Sound Insulation
If you dont want to listen to your neighbors Karaoke or noise from room to room or the loo flushing upstairs then the best solution is ICF.
There are a few local construction methods for insulated walls but only this one is used all over the world. It is also used in tropical regions like Africa so now they are starting to offer it in the Philippines.

Window Frames
PVC or wood or aluminium?
I know a Dutch ship-maker (with obvious knowledge about durable building-materials for the harsh sea environment) who let his contractor make wooden sliding windows (with quiet nylon wheels) for his beachhouse; salty air. Simple, affordable, functional.

Also he knows that durable door-knobs, hinges etc. (test it with a magnet) you can not buy in any shop here; there are only a few places where you can buy them in Manila, not in Cebu.

Consider screen doors and -windows
Ofcourse we all like a clear view to the surrounding of our house; open the windows and sit outside. But even one fly can spoil the fun, let alone hundreds (do not think this will not happen to you, you can not conrol this, they come from piggeries and chickenfarms miles away).
Also mosquitoes can be a pest; consider this in your design.

In the Philippines the humidity is very high so air movement is crucial to help perspiration to evaporate.
But we have mostly no wind and the screen windows will slow down any breeze even more.
So you will need electric fans at strategic places.
And if you realy cant stand the heat then (a small-) airconditioning is a must.

Roof
Almost all roofs in the Philippines are made of corrugated steel (galvanized sheets).
If you want to test wether your architect/contractor is realy as smart as he think he is; ask him what colour he advises for the roof?
Painting a roof white will reflect the sunlight; do not underestimate the huge difference this makes in heating up the roof...

Kitchen
Cooking inside a closed-windows house means the smell and the water-vapor stays inside.
Consider to make a 'Dirty Kitchen'.
It is the name for an 'extra' or 'second' Philippine kitchen where you don't have to worry about the smelly fish you fry or the smoke when you want to cook with wood or about the cooking-oil splattering all around...
Because the kitchen is built out of view and is not meant to have visitors checking what you do.
I can be four walls with a roof; that's all you need.
It's where Filipino's enjoy cooking with friends (and talk about us foreigners when we are not there) and it's not designed to be beautifull.

Cost
The cost to build a house in the Philippines depends on how you look at it.
Building with insulation maybe cost more at this moment but over the years you will save aircon-bills (and have the comfort of a quiet home).
 

If you want to test wether your architect/contractor is realy as smart as he think he is;
ask him to describe to you the 'standard floorplan' (it exists!) which incorporates all features necessary for tropical houses, like orientation of your house- and window alignment/positioning with the sun plus wind.
You can always email me his answer and I will tell you wether it is correct or not.

contact us

 

• Consultant for retiring in the Philippines and/or getting a business started.

• Also for Philippines ANNULMENT (Philippine divorce)

• Spent 32 years building businesses in the USA and the Philippines.

• Author of the book "Expat Tips for Building a House in the Philippines".

• Author of the book “Retirement Living in the Philippines” (...more info here...)

Save up to 30% on Construction Cost in the Philippines

With the correct planning (design/blueprints) you can save up to $3 for every $10 that you spend on the total construction project.

Typically people let an architect make blueprints (design) and then ask a few contractors to quote (project bidding-tender) based on the same blueprints. BUT they forget that the highest impact on cost are found in the planning- and design-stage; NOT in bidding.

At the bidding-process you have to show all contractors (the same-) blueprints and they will count also the UNNECESSARY things if your blueprints are not made professionally; they have to follow the plans...

With the bidding-process you can save a few Dollars (and mostly lose quality!) but a GOOD design can save you up to 30% of the total construction project cost by optimizing the FUNCTION of ALL parts of your project.

Asking a friend or relative to make a quick-cheap design might NOT be a good idea if they do not have extended practical knowledge and design a building that is beautifull but not practical/economical/affordable to construct...
It can turn out to be costing up to 30% too much due to structural design-mistakes.

The solution is our 'Know-How Network' which includes experienced architects who work together with experienced engineers to make a planning/design which saves you money by using 'Value Engineering':

We do not 'cheapen' your building nor do we 'cut corners'.
We remove unnecessary expenditures and find alternatives.
We simply use knowledge which other Philippine architects and contractors fail to recognize due to lack of information, shortage of time, rigid application of standards, reluctance to seek advice, habitual thinking, failure to admit ignorance, poor human relations, resistance to change or they make decisions based on feelings rather than facts.

Spending a little more on planning, design/blueprints will save you much more than you think.
And our price for blueprints is the same as any other architect...

We do not offer free design; we can bid for your project if you show us the blueprints which are made by someone else BUT they are final (can not be changed anymore!) so we will not be able to remove unnecessary expenditures and find alternatives.
 

 Just contact us for a FREE meeting

 

Sorry but we do not offer free design (only free advice); we try to protect the profession of Philippine architects.
Any Philippine architect or engineer has to go through many years of study and a very strict board-exam. Same like doctors and lawyers.
The reason why we mention this, is because there seems to be a common misconception amongst those who want to build a home in the Philippines; they expect an architect or contractor to make a sketch of the house and a floorplan...for free...
Doctors and Lawyers do not give free services...
Why would any self-respecting professional give free services? Is he maybe desparate to get a job? That would not be the best choice...
Our Nationwide network of specialized architects and contractors provides for know-how about all design-related aspects which is just not likely possessed by any individual (local-) architect/contractor. However we do not offer free services.

We do not offer free design; we can bid for your project if you show us the blueprints which are made by someone else BUT they are final (can not be changed anymore!) so we will not be able to remove unnecessary expenditures and find alternatives.