Affordable outdoor entertaining

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Dear Jonno
As per our discussion, please find the attached sketch, which I would like your assistance with. Kindly use minimum dimensions for bedrooms, toilets, living room and kitchen. As I intend building this on a small farm, it has to have a bar/gazebo positioned to take advantage of the view.

I would appreciate your suggestions and a sketch of a house measuring between 50m² and 60m².

Thank you
Viki

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Dear Viki
Here, as per our discussion, is the sketch of the Google layout that took your fancy. I have, however, modified it slightly here and there so that it’s as close as possible to your suggested square meterage. In the layout, I’ve drawn the  furnishings to scale in order to  show how the available space can be used. It’s possible to make the rooms even smaller, but that would compromise a person’s movements within the home.

I’ve mentioned before in articles in Farmer’s Weekly that by enlarging a room from 3m x 3m to 4m x 4m, it increases the room  size by 78% without costing 78% more to build, bearing in mind that only the superstructure of the house is enlarged; that is, 78% of 40%, the usual percentage of the cost of the superstructure of a regular house. The other 60% goes on fixtures, finishes and electrical, water and plumbing provision. So enlarging the room sizes as per the above sample should add only about 20% to the overall cost of the house.

You mentioned to me that you wanted that outdoor gazebo/ pub, where the adults could socialise while the kids watched TV indoors. I’ve also put a braai on the veranda, where all the family could enjoy the outdoors together. The house itself is relatively simple to build. You said that you’d be baking your own bricks; this is a common practice in Botswana and central Africa.

I’ll detail the construction technology in your final plans.

All the best
Jonno