If you have peeked at the Financials section of the site, you may have already found the magic number. The house is going to cost $130,000. We have entered into a contract with Marco, the architect, for that amount, with a time frame of about 6 months for turnkey construction. Or, in other words, every step of the build process, until it is move-in ready, is now handled entirely by Marco at this fixed price. The contract lists, very specifically, all of the components needed to deliver the house we have agreed upon, including materials, measurements, and options. But, our work is still just beginning. Though materials have already been specified in the contract, style and color have not. The contract says how many toilets, but not which toilet specifically. It says a number of outlets, but no locations. And it lists the type of flooring for each room, but not color or finish. So, over the coming weeks and months, at every small milestone of construction, there will be a new batch of decisions that we need to make. The only thing set in stone at this point is the distribution of space. We have committed to the size of the house and the position of load-bearing walls. Everything else is open for change, including items that affect cost. In fact, we have already made several adjustments over the last week that I will outline in a coming post.

But for now, I would like to list most of the specific line items in the contract so it is easier to contextualize exactly what $130,000 is buying us.

• 3091 square feet of new construction
• Foundation
• Septic tank
• Separate drain systems for greywater and blackwater
• Steel support structure and 12cm cement blocks for wall construction, plastered and painted
• Roof with steel support structure, Eternit fibre cement, and roofing tiles
• Ceramic flooring throughout except bedrooms, SPC flooring in bedrooms
• Installation of MDF wall and floor cabinets in kitchen
• Installation of MDF shelving in pantry
• Full granite countertops in kitchen along with sink
• All bathroom amenities, including toilets, vanities with granite and storage, sinks, showers, tubs and fixtures
• Ceramic tile on bathroom walls to a height of five feet
• Separate hot water systems for bedrooms and social areas
• 51 total electrical outlets
• 48 total light fixtures
• 10 ethernet jacks
• 5 aluminum windows 98″ wide
• 8 aluminum windows 78″ wide
• 6 aluminum windows 60″ wide
• 1 front door, 18 interior doors, 2 sliding doors

As the weeks go on, construction and installation of the items above will be documented in posts. There are a few items not included that we will be responsible for providing. All of the networking and security equipment, all appliances, wood stove, and the patio pavers. We negotiated installation of the patio into the contract, but we do have to purchase and deliver the stones at the appropriate time. And, I imagine, we will be adding additional electrical outlets, light fixtures, and ethernet jacks when it comes time to decide install locations. But these additions are affordable and can be paid with the final installment due on the day of home completion.