When it comes to building a home, there is no escaping the expenditure. The ones who have been there, say that you have no idea where the money is flowing. But then, if you have a proper plan in hand, you can keep everything within your budget. Having said that cost-cutting doesn’t mean you should give up on the facilities you want. Rather it is about doing it all within a budget.

» Provide false ceiling only where it is necessary. Where beams spoil the beauty of the ceiling, a false ceiling can be used to reduce heat, dampen sound, and provide beautiful lighting. Not all spaces require a false ceiling.

» The point is not to make the kitchen larger but to keep the existing kitchen clean and compact. In some places, they compartmentalize the kitchen into four or five spaces like a show kitchen, working kitchen, work area, store room, etc. In reality, you don’t need so many spaces. Keeping everything within your reach is a great way to save time in the kitchen. The show kitchen can be called extravagant. A kitchen and work area with enough storage space will make things easier.

» Many people use pavement tiles as a status symbol. These tiles which are designed to block weeds from growing in the yard, also prevent water from seeping into the ground. Remember, this also costs money.

» A teak door does not have much security. Malayalee’s fascination for teak will only help in increasing the construction cost. We love building our house in a contemporary style and then adding a teak door to it. And then we select a colour to match the theme. Such trends are extravagant. If you want to give it another color, then why opt for teak?

» It is also wise to build bedrooms and multi-purpose rooms. Yearly you might have guests at home some ten or twelve times. So spending so much money to prepare a lavish guest room for those occasional visitors can be a waste of money.

» Reduce the use of glass as much as possible. Glass doors, partitions, above the pergola, etc are areas where glass is abundantly used in today’s contemporary homes. If the glass is used without looking at the direction of the sun, it will be impractical to live in that house. Why make your house warmer to stay trendy?

» There is no need to opt for sunshades all around the house. Sunshades can only be provided over windows. Even for that, you don’t require bricks and cement. If you use materials like iron frames, and roofing sheets in such a way that they match the design of the house, that will add to the charm. And yes, helps in cost-cutting.

» Please avoid dark paint. Nothing beats the beauty of white. If you are so particular about adding some bright colours, you can highlight one or two walls with dark hues. And you can make your furnishings more colourful! If you are planning to explore different colours, that can be an expenditure.

» Walls can be reduced to maximize space. A movable shelf can be arranged between the kitchen and the work area to adjust the size as needed. Similarly, it is better not to have too many walls between living, dining, and family living spaces. Television panels or semi-partition walls will suffice to separate the spaces. This will help save the cost of building walls and also make the space feel spacious.

» Machines such as mortars can be used while during construction work. These help to reduce costs and save up to 10% on cement. And you will also get good results. The work will also be finished easily.