R22k Single-Room Crib, R500k House That Took 6 Months To Build, And 3 Other Homes Flexed On TikTok And Twitter
- Several South Africans showed off the houses they built themselves on social media platforms, including TikTok and Twitter
- Some of the new homeowners shared how much construction costs were, while others simply gave TikTok users a glimpse into the structures
- Briefly News reached out to an expert in the building field to find out how much it costs per square meter to build a home and what people should consider before taking on a building project
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It is human nature to build - we build relationships, careers, families, and homes. For most people, owning a house is one of the biggest life goals, but not everyone will experience the joy of holding a title deed. When taking into consideration the current economic condition of South Africa, buying a house could feel like a dream that's out of reach.
Source: Twitter
Many South Africans have turned to building instead of buying homes. These individuals decided to craft their abodes to their liking while sticking to what their wallets allowed. Social media has given proud homeowners a platform to showcase their newly acquired properties.
Several individuals went viral on social media after flexing the homes they built. We look at their stories and delve deeper into the T&Cs of building a house in South Africa. Briefly News called in an expert in the field to share his insights. Donovan Els owns Building Solutions, an NHBRC-registered construction company founded in 2012.
1. South African couple builds a house from the ground up and inspires Mzansi
Alisun Barrett and her husband are proud new homeowners after building their dream home. She took to TikTok to detail the construction process with a 30-second video. Barrett added in the caption that she "10/10 not recommend" building your own home.
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However, their hard work paid off, and not only did the Barretts finalise building their own house, but they also inspired thousands of South Africans on the social media platform.
Without the exact floor plan, Els could not estimate how much the Barretts' home cost to build, but he revealed the boundary walls, standard building practices, level stand, and it only being 'a single-storey home benefits the budget.
2. Neat 1-bedroom house that cost R22k to build leaves South Africans impressed
Not everyone can afford to fork out hundreds of thousands of rands for construction, especially not individuals looking to build for less than R50 000 in informal settlements. One man proved on social media that building a home doesn't have to be expensive.
TikTok user, @keketsomo, shared a video showcasing a neat single-room abode built with concrete slabs and various other materials. @keketsomo revealed the tiny home costs only R22 000 to build from scratch, and social media users were impressed. Some even suggested that @keketsomo's designs could be a substitute for RDP homes.
Here @keketsomo shared how he built a one-bedroom home for R22k:
3. Man spends R500 000 over six months to build dream home
Briefly News previously reported on Twitter user @IamHardbone, who showed off the house he built in just six months. The proud new homeowner posted photos of the home on Twitter, revealing construction has cost him over half a million rand thus far.
4. Advocate builds domestic worker mom a house after she worked years as breadwinner to support him
A legal professional and founder of Black Forum South Africa, Advocate KB Morota, realised every child's dream: to build his momma a house.
Morota, who goes by the Twitter handle @kbmorota, would not have been where he is today without his mom. The advocate revealed his mother worked as a domestic help to provide for her family after his father passed away.
Taking to social media, Morota showed off the gift he built for his mom and wrote:
“My mother had to swallow her pride in the community and went to the better-off households to request employment as a domestic worker. She fathered us when my 'great' father passed on. I have built her a house as a present to say ‘Thank you, Mama, Thank you, Boledi'.”
Source: Twitter
5. Mpumalanga woman builds dream home for her family from scratch
Nothing motivates a mother more than her children. One lady, who goes by @LaidySmall on TikTok, vowed to give her kids a better life.
The Mpumalanga businesswoman shared a short clip showing off the home she built from the ground up for her family. She revealed she grew up with different relatives after her parents passed away. Motivated by her own story, @LaidySmall made sure her children won’t ever know the same pain.
Check out her video below:
How much does building a house in South Africa cost?
Buying a house in South Africa can be expensive, but is building a home cheaper? No. According to data from Business Tech, building a home is 20 to 30% more expensive. Els explained different factors need to be considered when calculating the price of building a house.
He told Briefly News:
"Costing is a difficult subject to speculate over as there are numerous factors that come into play. Some estates have a minimum requirement that has to be met, and the banks also finance accordingly. If your building package is over-priced, or under-priced, it could cost you your building loan. Current building costs can run anything from R10 000 per square meter to R30 000 per square meter."
Building a house isn't for everyone, and Els suggested always overestimating the cost:
"Some people would say that building a house has a lot of 'hidden costs'. Unfortunately, it’s the lack of educating clients that rather causes this. If clients are more prepared on what to expect when building a home, this will not be an issue at all."
Why 'cheaper' isn't always better when it comes to construction
Many people online showed off homes built for far less than what experts claim construction prices to be. We all know the saying, "I can get it cheaper", but more often than not, it leads to poor workmanship and a heap of legal troubles.
Els said a major thing to consider when employing a builder is NHBRC registration. The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is a home building industry regulatory body. The NHBRC's primary objective is to safeguard the interests of housing consumers while effectively overseeing the home-building sector.
The National Government of South Africa reported that this is achieved through the promotion of cutting-edge home-building technologies, the establishment of rigorous building standards, and the improvement of the skills and expertise of home builders.
Els told Briefly News:
"If he/she is NHBRC registered, then they also need to be tax compliant and that is also where VAT and Tax Clearance Certificate comes into play. If you as the client are considering building a New Home, it also your responsibility to register your home with NHBRC, this too has a fee attached."
Building a house isn't an unreachable dream, but it's hard work
According to Els, building a house takes roughly six to 12 months. And that's if it is smooth sailing. Issues such as underestimating the cost, poor weather, and employing a contractor who isn't NHBRC registered are all factors that can turn the experience into a nightmare.
At the end of the day, proper education on building a home is important if you want to turn the dream into a reality.
Orphaned woman overcomes adversity, graduates as nurse, builds home for brother and herself
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported on another inspirational woman who built herself a home. Tholoana Lebakeng, a woman from Qwa Qwa in the Free State, has shared her incredible journey of triumphing over adversity to become a qualified nurse.
Tholoana Lebakeng faced many hardships, which she courageously documented in a TikTok video that quickly gained popularity on the platform. Following her grandfather's passing in 2014, she and her brother found themselves living in a shack, struggling against the harsh realities of poverty. Lebakeng shared how she went from being an orphan to a homeowner.
Mzansi was deeply moved by her heartwarming tale, commending her unwavering spirit in pursuing a brighter future.
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Source: Briefly News
