If you have recently read about this Malaysian woman who built her own dream home and thought to yourself that is quite a good idea, then this may be the right article for you. We are pretty sure that the thought of building their own house has occurred to many people out there but it’s hard to even know where to start. In this guide we try to give you an overview of what you will need to consider should you choose this path.

Step 1: Finding the land

This of course will be the first step, in building your home. It’s pretty self-explanatory. However, some things to keep in mind is, of course, ensuring there is an existing infrastructure for the parcel of land, for example, access to plumbing, electricity and roads.

Step 2: Hire some consultants

There are just too many things to consider when thinking of building a home so hiring some consultants to guide you along the way is pretty much necessary. Architects will know how to design the house so that it is safe, geotechnical engineers or land surveyors can test the soil to see if it is safe to build upon. Structural and mechanical engineers will be needed to plan out the mechanical, electrical and plumbing system of the house. And last but not least, lawyers can help with any legal paperwork required.

Step 3: Financing your dreams

Once you have finalised your plans, its time to pay the piper so to speak. If you have the necessary amount of cash available, that’s great but if not you will have to apply for a loan. This loan will cover everything from the cost of the land to the cost of the building process and even cover the cost of permits and approvals. Depending on your credit score, you can get a 75 to 90 per cent loan for an amount which is within your income level.

Just as a guide, this is a rough estimate of how much you can expect to pay (as of 2018) for a detached house or bungalow:

KL – RM 287-381/sqft
Johor – RM 283-353/sqft
Penang – RM 257-272/sqft
Kota Kinabalu – RM 313-382/sqft
Kuching – RM 243-366/sqft

Step 4: Permits

The 4 main permits you need are:
Application for land matters – District Land Office/ Department of Land and Mine
Application for planning permission – Planning Department
Application for building plans – Building Department
Application for Earthworks, road and drainage plans – Engineering Department

Step 5: Start Building

Once all of that has been approved, only then can the building process begin! This is the part where IBS construction can help you reduce the time and cost needed to build a home. How? You can read more here (link 1, link 2, link 3). Or you can just contact us here and we can help explain it to you. Good luck.