Reduce House Construction Costs By More Than 50%

In this post, we will cover simple tips for reducing house construction cost by up to 50%.

Don't Use a Contractor

When you build a new house, one of the first things in which you can save a lot of money is the labor cost which runs in lakhs.

The biggest way of cutting down labor cost is to avoid using a contractor.

Hire laborers on daily wages for constructing your house.

Contractors not only cause delays in building a house but also increase your home building expenses significantly.

Don't Purchase Home Building Tools

Do not purchase the tools required for building a new house like stairs, planks and spade etc. This will increase your cost.

A better option is to lease these items from a construction shop and return them after use.

Save on Bricks

Bricks are used in large quantities in a new house.

Consider using a mix of used and new bricks. New bricks may be employed in the roofing and foundation, while the walls may be built using used bricks.

There is a difference of up to 4-5 rupees in new and used bricks.

Common Mistakes To Avoid During Home Construction in Bahria Town

In this post, we will cover the top mistakes made by contractors when building a new home in Bahria Town.

These mistakes can compromise the safety of the people who will be living in that house. They will also shorten the lifespan of the new house.

Appearance of cracks on the new flooring of the house

This is because the concrete didn't cure properly and let too much moisture too fast.

When concrete is cured in extreme temperatures, the upper layer loses its water content too soon, causing the concrete to cure inconsistently.

The floor cracks in the places where the required water content isn't retained by the concrete.

Do not do concrete work in extreme temperatures. Some people recommend doing it in the evening time. But if you can plan it at any time other than the hot summers of Pakistan, it will be a very good decision.

Cracks and Holes in Wooden Planks for Temporary Roof Not Filled Properly

Wooden planks are used to formulate a temporary roof prior to laying the concrete on the roof.

Most contractors fail to fill the gaps and holes in the planks after the shuttering.

This affects the quality and finish of the new roof.

Consider using a blaster to fill the gaps in the wooden planks.

Segregation in New Concrete

The third common mistake is occurrence of segregation in new concrete.

When concrete is laid from a lot of height, it splits apart into its components. Consider using a pump for laying the concrete to avoid segregation in the new concrete.

Your house life will increase significantly if you avoid these common home building mistakes observed in Bahria Town Rawalpindi.

Construction Cost of a 5 Marla House in Bahria Town

Making a new house involves preparing the foundation, walls and roof. You will need bricks, cement, sand, mixed sand, steel and other materials for this purpose.

Here is the breakdown of the amount of building material you will need for a 5 marla house in Bahria Town:

Brick

Preparing the base and initial brick work of a 5 marla house requires approximately 30,000 - 50,000 bricks.

Always make sure that you are using high quality bricks. Quality bricks increase the life and durability of a house.

No homeowner will willingly use low quality bricks for their own house. The problem arises where a contractor (thaikay-daar) is involved or where the brick seller sells you low quality bricks as high-quality ones.

Cement

The next requirement for constructing a 5 marla home is cement. You will need approximately 350-360 cement bags for building a 5 marla house.

Sand

Another important home building material you will need for building a 5 marla house is sand. Again, focus on purchasing quality sand.

We will keep highlighting this requirement. In Pakistan, it is very different from how things work in many developed countries. You really need to go to great lengths to ensure quality purchases in Pakistan. That is why so many people tend to give up the pursuit altogether.

You will need approximately 1100 sqft of sand.

Gravel - Bajri

You need 800-850 sqft of gravel in developing your 1125 sqft or 125 sqyd house.

Sarria / Rebar / Reinforced Steel

Steel is the next important home building material you will need. Again, be careful when selecting steel for your house. It is probably one of the most important building materials used in constructing a house.

Consider using 60-gauge or higher strength steel bars in the foundation and roofing of the house.

A single story 5 marla home can require approximately 2500-3000 kgs of steel.

Binding Wire

The next important requirement for building a 5 marla house is binding wire. It is used for steel fixing. You will need about 2.5 kg of binding wire.

Mixed Sand

This is usually required when laying the foundation of the house.

Previously, many homeowners used ordinary sand for laying the house foundation but it wouldn't retain its place over time.

For this reason, people use mixed sand for laying the foundation in order to hold the walls and other structures above the foundation firmly in place.

You will need 3000-3500 sq ft of mixed sand. For deeper foundations, you may need a greater amount of mixed sand.

Bricktile

It is used to create a waterproof base after laying the roof slabs.

If you don't use bricktiles, cracks may surface on the new roof, which seriously affects the life of the roof.

The use of bricktiles on a roof is quite important. You will need approximately 4000 brick tiles for a 5 marla house.

Total Construction Cost of a 5 Marla Home Foundation

Summing up the total cost, this comes up to 2.5 million - 3.5 million or 25 lakh - 35 lakh rupees. The rates can vary due to fluctuations in the prices of building materials.

Note that this is only the cost of a house grey structure. It does not involve finish details, like gates, doors, windows electrical wiring, lights, bathroom and kitchen amenities. The prices of these items vary greatly, so your final cost of building a new 5 marla house in Bahria Town will differ accordingly.

Now that you know approximately how much quantity of each building material you will need and at which phase of home construction you will need them, it makes sense to do your effort and find the best sources for the building materials.

Get the best quality materials at competitive rates even if you have to buy them from another city.


If you have any queries relating to constructing a house in Bahria Town Rawalpindi or for general queries relating to houses and plots for sale in Bahria Town Rawalpindi, get in touch with us.

So Here's What's Going On in Bahria Town Rawalpindi Real Estate

Moved to Bahria Town Civic Center

We are happy to reveal that Homes n Farms has its own address in Bahria Town Civic Center.

Not a bad view, if you ask me.

Homes n Farms Business Address

We're a real estate consultancy. Apart from serving our existing clientele, we will focus on adding solid value through our blog.

Here's the address:

#407, 4th floor, What a Paratha Building, Civic Center Bahria Town

You are welcome but do call before making an appearance: +923175090737

For those that don't know, we're offering a week-long consultancy/training on how to find real estate leads online.

Check us out on Google Maps if you need help getting here.

Moving to Bahria Town Rawalpindi

Here's what made me move to Bahria Town Civic Center:

• I was looking for more productivity

• I didn't realize the effect this would have. I was unsure it would turn out so well alhamdulillah

• Move can be hectic no matter how well-planned it is.

• But barring the initial hassle, this has turned out to be a great decision.

• I'm not sure if this is because of the way my brain is wired or for some other reason, but Riaz sure has pulled a great feat in building this place.

There's no justification for land-grabbing, let me be clear about it. I don't respect him for that. Even if he's helpless before the corrupt system of this country.

Just now, this is what the day's news replay  on YouTube is showing. This person has been begging for his life. Today he was found dead.

I'm not saying that this cannot take place in Bahria Town, but it's way safer than other parts of the twin-cities and Pakistan .

What I really want to show is that everyone is helpless in this system. You cannot do anything without corruption. 

That is exactly what Malik Riaz said too, though.

But anyways, like it or not, in many other aspects, Bahria Town is safe from the sickening effects of a dysfunctional Pakistan in the hands of corrupt bureaucrats, judges, police officers and politicians barring a handful who get appointed on merit and are honest and dutiful.

Even that lot is forced to turn a blind eye to the ills of their departments.

Islamabad and Rawalpindi traffic alone can be unnerving. The pollution in the cities and most suburbs is reaching alarming levels.

Pretty much everything is unregulated.

Even residents of Bahria Town must go thru these hassles when visiting Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

They may do so for dropping the kids to school or going to office.

Still, the residents know they have a place to go back to. As painful as the bottleneck after Gulberg may be, residents of Bahria Town or DHA or Emaar for that matter know full well that the torture will soon be over as they approach their homes.

This is not something everyone can experience.

Working in Bahria Town: Office Environment, Corporate Bahria Town

I've had the rare pleasure of experiencing Bahria Town at a different level. Apart from the previous projects we have undertaken, I can now give you more insight on the kind of work environment Bahria Town offers.

The community gets little to no power outages barring 1 or 2 announced interruptions in like 3-4 months maybe.

That is a great productivity boost. It also lowers maintenance costs and appliance replacement costs arising due to fluctuations.

Phase 1-6 get their fair share of greenery and offer a clean environment. The town management adheres to lofty cleaning and maintenance standards though they charge a premium from residents for the service.

It can still do a lot better but I'll easily give it a 6 or a 7 out of 10 in landscaping and cleanliness.

Many companies are opening up their offices in Bahria Town. IT and digital marketing firms are showing great interest in it for the same reason.

We would like to encourage overseas Pakistanis to consider only DHA or Bahria Town for their office locations.

Employees can Benefit from Affordable Rents of Bahria Town

If any employees wish to relocate to a place near their office, the rents in Bahria Town are still more affordable than many other places. Phase 7 and 8 seem a bit far but nothing beats them in price.

Construction is also generally new and superior. Builders must comply with strict by-laws.

Exercising in Bahria Town

I've seen people do evening walks and morning walks along the Corniche road.

I can only do my exercise nighttime. I'm usually doing an easy run walk run. There's lesser dust on the road than many other places. The roads are well-lit at night.

I also walk to my dining spot, which is a good 1.5-2 kilometers away.

My brain is working well. I can think and write more clearly.

Any Downsides?

I need to collect my passport from the passport office in Islamabad and that seems so distant from here, I've been putting it off for the past few days.

Homes, Offices and Apartments for Rent in Bahria Town Rawalpindi

Different options in apartments are available. Rental value varies according to size, design, building material/construction quality,  facilities like lift, location and condition of apartment/building.

Similar metrics may be used to assess the houses for rent in Bahria Town phase 1-6 and commercial spaces and offices for rent in Civic Center Bahria Town Phase 4.

If you have any queries relating to houses, apartments and offices in Bahria Town or for any other queries, feel free to get in touch with us using the contact form on the right of this page.

Would You Pay Rs 8 Lakh More than the Market Price for a House with a 786-Address in Umar block of Safari Valley?

A friend was over to discuss real estate news and updates of Bahria Town.

When he said a person is charging some 8 lakh more for a plot in Bahria Town Safari Valley's Umar block just because it's address is 786, I was shocked for a moment.

People are willing to dole out more money for certain associations that hold a lot of value for them.

786 is said to be numerical value or way of writing Bismillah. How that conversion works or why that logic is true is beyond my understanding.

And marketers are actually exploiting that very logic that I don't know or understand.

If it hold value to someone, it must be worth more.

How he determined it worthy of an 8 lakh jump again beats me.

But that's how things work.

When you show a weakness, people are quick to hunt you down. Don't be that person.

Overseas Pakistanis are Exploited Day In and Day Out

Many of your relatives back home actually devote their full time and attention to focusing on just one thing: how to frigging rob you of your hard-earned money.

You tell someone you live abroad, people won't understand it.

It pains me to see so many realtors laugh at how they made a fool out of this person or that.

In their own circles, they play this dirty game sharing the secrets of how much each of them made robbing their own clients.

Such hypocrites.

Never will greatness touch upon them. They'll always run after money.

That's the only way they know money comes. They won't know any other way of life.

They'll keep running until they get tired and wear out, or a bigger shark comes and eats them.

Mostly, sad outcomes.

If you need reliable and trusted real estate consultancy in Bahria Town, get in touch with Homes n Farms. Based in Bahria Town, we offer real estate consultancy for Bahria Town phase 1-8, DHA and other parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Contact Homes n Farms with your real estate needs.

Warren Buffet’s Tips for Becoming Successful

Warren Buffet, now 89, is one of the world’s most-respected investment gurus. His advice is sought by the experts on Wall Street as well as other leading financial centers of the world.

In a recent and rare video released by Yahoo Finance, Buffet gets down to sharing the secrets that have helped him in becoming so successful. We cannot thank Yahoo Finance Editor-In-Chief Andy Serwer enough for putting together this video for us.

Warren’s words are worth their weight in gold. So we’ve decided to call them Warren Buffet’s GOLD tips on how to be successful.

How would Warren Buffet Define True Success?

According to Warren, the people who reach their 60s and 70s or an older age and they are loved and surrounded by the people they wish to receive love from, then they’re a success.

Warren also notes that he has seen so many ‘very, very wealthy people’ who do a lot of things and make different appearances and still nobody loves them. In Warren’s own words, “Even the kids would say: he’s in the attic, he’s in the attic.”

Advice for People Who Are Looking to Succeed in Business

1. The best investment you can make is in yourself

According to Buffet, people should never miss out on an opportunity to better themselves.

He gives the example of communication skills. He notes that many people go to college, learn complex formulas, and go through a lot of challenges.

“If they just learn to communicate better, both in writing and in person, they increase their value at least 50 percent.

If you can’t communicate, it’s like winking at a girl in the dark; you know nothing’s happening.”

Warren notes that getting forth your ideas is a relatively simple process. He reveals that he took a Dale Carnegie course that helped him a lot.

Another key observation he makes is that, “If you invest in yourself, nobody can take it from you.”

2. Take Care of Your Mind and Your Body Every Day

Warren admits that he gets certain criticism for not fully living up to this one.

He gives the example of a car. If you get a car and that is the only car you can have for life, then you will do everything it takes to care for it.

He explains that the mind and the body are no different. They are meant to take us through our entire lives. We cannot replace them, so our only option is to take good care of them.

He notes that it’s unwise to start taking care of the body after say you’re 50. If you haven’t done anything by that time, the body has already ‘rusted out’.

“You should remember that you got one mind and one body to get through life and you should do what you can to make the most of it.”

Advice to Succeed in Life

Have the Right Heroes

Warren notes that it’s important for people to note who they want to associate with.

If you are looking to emulate someone, make sure that they are the right people to emulate.

Warren notes that, “In life, you cannot pick your parents. You don’t get a choice on that.”

But you do get different choices somewhere down the line.

You can choose the people you admire and the people you want to copy.

He says that this also applies to when choosing your spouse or life partner.

“You want to pick a spouse who’s better than you,” notes Buffet. “And you don’t want them figuring that out too fast,” he jokingly adds.

The Biggest Mistake People Make When Investing

In Warren’s words, “People think that because they can trade, they should trade.” He does not agree with this opinion that people have.

He notes that when you buy an apartment house or a farm, you cannot just sell it the next day.

Is Business School Worth It? 

Warren notes that this question depends more on the person, than the school. There are many opportunities nowadays even for people without a degree.

He believes that there are a lot of costs associated with studying. You can also just purchase the books and study yourself.

His father got him to enroll.

He says that there ought to be a reason for you to be going to a business school and Warren does not see a reason.

Warren’s Favorite Investment Book

Warren Buffet reveals that his favorite book is “The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham.

Here's the original video from YouTube.

What is your top life and business success tip? Let us know in the comments below.

Tips for Becoming a Successful Real Estate Agent in Pakistan and Making Lots of Money

Find out how to become a successful real estate agent of Pakistan

We can go on and on about this topic. But why not hear it directly from one of the world’s most successful real estate agents?

Ryan Serhant is a pro realtor who makes millions of dollars in real estate profits every year. In other words, Ryan is minting money.

Lucky for us, we’ve managed to get our hands on the secrets of Ryan’s phenomenal success.

In Ryan’s own words, he now gets to live the life of his dreams. He has five assistants to help him with his real estate projects. He’s very successful and is helping others achieve the same greatness.

This post will be useful for real estate agents who are not satisfied with where they currently are. These tips will help you excel in life. They are also beneficial for someone new to the real estate sector of Pakistan and looking for tips for getting started in property dealing.

People like Ryan are actually making millions selling real estate every month. So how do they do it?

These are the commitments Ryan asks you to make to get ahead in real estate and close more deals successfully:

Start Out As an Intern

Start out as an intern at the top real estate agent you can find in Islamabad, Rawalpindi or in your local area. Offer them your services for free.

You’ll have to be their intern. That’s not something easy, but it will be very rewarding. You will get to learn at other people’s time and expense.

You will also be able to decide if real estate is really suitable for you. If you perform well, they will be happy to add you on their team.

Utilize this time to find out the bylaws of the city or town you are dealing with. Learn them and teach your clients about them as well.

Build Your Sphere of Influence

Network!

There are two types of spheres.

The inner, warm sphere 

This constitutes your family and loved ones, friends, other relatives, acquaintances, neighbors, colleagues and so on.

The outer, cold sphere

These are the people you will meet through your marketing efforts.

Network with both the influence spheres and use them to find new leads.

Structure Your Day

As much as real estate agents want to succeed in Pakistan, there is a rather ‘lazy’ trend of markets opening up when nearly half the day is over. Even after the offices are opened for business, people still look half-sleepy and unprepared.

What’s happening is that they didn’t prepare for the day. They didn’t write down their goals for the day.

This is very unproductive.

If you’re still unsure of how to properly start your day, here’s the FKD rule that Ryan recommends for structuring a property dealer’s day to get ahead of the competition:

And the FKD rule is:

Finder

• Put on a CEO hat when you perform this role
• Your job is to be a people finder
• You must learn to think and act like an entrepreneur to successfully execute this role
• To find the right opportunities, you have to meet the right people
• Find the people’s problems and/or goals, and help them get there

Keeper

• This is like the CFO of a company
• You have to be willing to spend money in order to make money
• Writing down your expenses puts you in a better position to make the right financial decisions; it also gives insight into how to best manage your finances in order to advance to your goals

Doer

• This is the last hat Ryan wants you to wear in order to be a successful real estate agent
• You need to actually go out there and do things
• Show that house, send that email, make that phone call. I mean, enough talking, just do it already!
• So many people miss opportunities just because they think too much and act too little. Don’t be that person!

Becoming a People Finder: How to Find the Top Clients in Pakistan Real Estate?

This is something every real estate consultant of Pakistan wants to know.

If you can find and connect with the right people, you are pretty much set for life.

To become a people finder, you have to first get noticed. You need to capture the people's attention.

In order to get noticed, you have to ‘differentiate’ yourself from everyone else. Why do the top brands spend millions of dollars every year in advertising? To get noticed.

In today’s digital world, there are literally thousands of ways of capturing the attention of your customers.

The top marketers think of ways in which they can help their customers solve their problems or achieve their goals. Then, they create content that helps them achieve those objectives.

So for instance, if I want to connect with the real estate community of Pakistan, I will first try to understand their needs, and then I will create content that best addresses those needs.

This is the best known approach to marketing. It is the complete opposite of cold-calling hundreds of poorly generated leads and hard-selling your products and services to them.


Let me know in the comments what you think about these professional tips for becoming a successful real estate agent. If you have any queries relating to properties in Rawalpindi, Islamabad or Bahria Town Phase I - VIII, then get in touch with me.

90% of All Real Estate Consultants of Pakistan Make Only 10% of the Sales, Find Out What the Top 10% Are Doing Differently?

Every now and then, we like to cover tips, strategies and tactics used by real estate pros in Islamabad and Pakistan.

See every property dealer or consultant puts in more or less the same amount of time.

Then why is it that some end up closing a lot more deals than others do?

Some people would cut me short here and say everything is from Allah.

And I don't disagree with you one bit.

But tell me something; don't you think Allah, the Almighty would favor those who work the hardest and then ask for His favors?

My point is simple: God helps those who help themselves, if you cannot help yourself, you should not use the will of God as an excuse for actions that you choose to take or not take.

Remember, in real estate or for that matter any other field, those making the greatest amounts of money are the ones who are putting in the greatest amounts of effort.

You may not see it, but that's because they may not be willing to share the secrets that make them so successful.

Relax, that's what I'm here for.

I'll tell you exactly how the pros do it. I'll make you even better than them. I'll give you the techniques we use for our US and Canada real estate clients. 

It won't happen overnight but if you stick to the tips and guidelines offered in this guide, you'll get there soon enough.

We'll get you ahead of the average Pakistani property consultant and alongside the top brass.

But you must first promise to use this newfound knowledge for helping other people, not manipulating with them. That's the only way it works.

Over the years, man has mastered the science that determines the actions a person is likely to take.

In the marketing world, we refer to this behavioral science as persuasive tactics. Mastering these skills will get you very far in selling pretty much anything.

The Golden Principle of Sales

Sales is difficult when you try to sell someone a product.

Sales becomes easy when you stop trying to sell to somebody.

Don't sell, consult!

Consult about the real estate client's needs. What problem is he trying to solve? Find out how to solve that problem and then solve it for him.

The most successful consultants make the most amounts of money.

How to Make Good Money in Pakistani Real Estate Sector?

Broadly, you can make money in the Pakistani real estate sector only in 2 ways:

You can either help someone achieve their goals

OR

You can help them solve their problems.

How to Sell to Real Estate Clients in Islamabad and Pakistan?

There are two processes you can follow:

You can either prospect and look hungrily for clients. Cold calling is an example.

OR

You can follow the process used by the pros

It's this second process that I've learned from the industry pros and I try to follow and advocate.

This is about adding value in client's life, and then using that to forge long-term relationships with the clients.

That's the kind of approach you need.

Does this mean you stop prospecting or cold-calling?

I won't ask you to do that right away. Take the time to learn how to market to real estate clients correctly.

Start by thinking what your client needs and then do something about it.

Help them in any way you can. Keep discussing options for solving their problems or achieving their goals until you have so much leverage over them that they are obliged to reciprocate by taking one of the several desired actions that you propose.

You'll see by now that this is not a get rich quick scheme.

When I started this blog back in 2015, I was in Dubai. But I saw a lot of promise in Pakistani real estate.

I will keep sharing the tips and tricks that help in maximizing leads and sales. Most of the processes can easily be mastered by just about anyone.

If you need help finding online real estate leads from Facebook, YouTube and other platforms, get in touch with me. I help real estate consultants all over Pakistan. If you have any queries related to the real estate of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Bahria Town phase I - VIII, type in the comments below.