Overlooked Design Flaws That May Cost you in Repairs

In the Philippines, thrift is life even when it comes to house designs. Even after giving a multitude of specifications on a dream house we want, we may end up being taken aback by the cost they will give. Naturally, we try to cut back. We spend less on material, try to hurry the project up to spend less on labor, forego environmental elements, and some of us may even do it ourselves.



To put it simply, we compromise. As much as compromise is a good word in making a lot of things work, it’s not a word you’d want to describe the place you’re supposed to be most secured at. Here are some things that we compromise on that cost us more in the long run.

Filler Soil

We call this as “panambak”. It’s the soil that we use in the foundation of where the construction will be. As Filipinos, we don’t think much about it and if we can, we’d like to grab as much free dirt as we can. It is, after all, just dirt, right? Well, if your house will be built upon a foundation of clay, your pillars might start deteriorating to the point of collapse in just 3-5 years. Clay greatly expands with moisture but also shrinks and cracks during the hot season. The best “panambak” should combine loan soil, gravel, and just a little bit of clay. It should not take too much cost out of your overall house design budget to buy some “panambak” in the Philippines so spend if you must.

Low Quality Lumber

Good quality lumber does not only mean that it is from a good tree; it must have also been properly processed and treated enough so that its natural material strength is enforced and so that it is resistant to pests. A termite infestation is not rare to come-by given the density of insects in the Philippines and the cost for extermination is just baseline value for everything you have to account for. Greater is the cost for repairs in the event you snuff out a termite infestation a little too late.

Bypassing an Engineer or Architect

This might be the biggest and most costly mistake we can do to ourselves as dream-home owners. Architects and engineers are expensive to employ because they do not only design and build houses that are safe; they also make it such that the house itself makes your life easier that it adds value to your life. Some of the common problems with houses that aren’t designed by architects are the spacing of stairs. The steps might be too steep and cause knee problems in the long run. They could also be too narrow to make more space but compromise on utility especially in cases of emergencies. By not hiring engineers, you might end up with wiring that is haphazardly laid out, drainage lines that don’t make sense, and bathroom surfaces that bring water away from the drain.



If you want to really be able to make your dream house a reality, budgeting properly is key. Being too stingy might not only compromise your home’s quality and safety. Philippines house design cost might seem steep initially but believe us, every money you will not spend on repair will be worth it!