Construction Mauritius: Choose the right paint for your house!

It is not always easy to opt for the right kind of color when you want to give a fresh touch in his home. We will give you some tips to help you make the right choice.

The different types of paint to use in your home

Example of types of paint to choose for the interior of your home. There are basically two big kinds of color for your home, which you can buy in the paint department and hardware store of a materials store:

Water paints

These colors are very easy to apply and offer excellent results. Among them, you will find:

Acrylic paint: it is applied in all rooms of the house, and on all kinds of coating. It has the advantage of having a high covering power and is compatible with damp rooms such as your bathroom. This painting is also ideal for outdoors;

The alkyd color: it is very tough. Its use therefore mainly concerns the coloring of interior floors.

The colors in oil: They are more complex to apply than water-based paints, but they are particularly intense and resistant:

Glycerol paint: it is ideal for wet rooms in your home. This paint is especially leachable by means of drugstore products and lasts in time. It also has the particularity of having a high covering power, which allows you to repaint on wallpaper as well as on your dark walls;

Epoxy paint: it is the most resistant of all types of paint. It is therefore perfect to repaint all the supports and elements of interior carpentry. It has other assets such as extreme resistance and an aesthetic appearance. Its drying time is, however, long and requires the application of two layers at least.

Besides the type, you will also have to opt for a particular painting aspect. You will have the choice between:

Matt colors

They offer sober colors and make it possible to hide the defects of ceiling of a wall. They do not reflect light, which gives an even rendering of the color on all the coating. They are ideal for ceilings as well as for bedroom walls. They are, on the other hand, hardly washable.

Satin paints

They adapt to all rooms. But, they are mostly very common in bathrooms and kitchens. They offer a discreet reflection and make it easy to erase the defects of a wall. They are also washable and washable.

Bright colors

They reflect light and give an impression of grandeur to your interior rooms. They are especially recommended for wet rooms. They give vivid colors to the walls, but are difficult to apply, even with good manual painting tools. They must be affixed only on a support in perfect condition.

Tips To Consider while Building your House in Mauritius

From the development of the project to its implementation, build your home is a course full of pitfalls. Spot the main mistakes and browse our tips for making your home.

Building your home is often the adventure of a lifetime. Choice of land, materials or craftsmen, the project is the result of a long-term reflection and represents a long-term project. Before starting to build your house, we have reviewed the most classic mistakes and give you the keys to avoid them.

Mistake # 1: Underestimate the budget for building his house

Main element, the budget defines the project according to the savings of the owners and their borrowing capacity. If the envelope is the result of a successful reflection, the construction of a house is often full of surprises with additional costs. To avoid being caught off guard, it is better to determine an additional margin of maneuver, even if borrowing a larger sum in case of credit. Even if you face unforeseen circumstances, you will be ready to face it.

Mistake # 2: hastily choosing the land of his future home

First step before the construction of the house, choosing the land with care is essential for the rest of the project. A good financial opportunity, even attractive, does not necessarily meet your criteria. If the choice of terrain is often difficult, do not rush. Write down your wishes and start your research based on these expectations. Once the ground is found, it is important to gather all the necessary information on the latter to confirm his choice or not.

Mistake # 3: Ignore the soil study for the land of his future home

After the environment of the ground, it is the nature of its soil that requires attention. Depending on its composition, the foundations will not be the same. A little more research is also recommended in order to have a real vision of the nature of the soil that will host your future home.

Mistake # 4: Calling Craftsmen Without Inquiring

The construction team is carefully constituted to build a house. Self-builder or not, the craftsmen who work in your home must be skilled and you must have echoed their achievements. At the risk of having bad surprises on the rendering and disappointments on the schedule.

Mistake # 5: Build your own house and underestimate the work

Rocked by the dream of creating one’s own home, one can quickly abstract the efforts and concessions demanded by the project. Building a house is a real undertaking and a demand for to evaluate work, fatigue and time.

What to consider when buying a plot of Land in Mauritius?

The question of the Surface Area:

In the urbanized areas most of the grounds measure around 300 m2, but a plot of 500 m2 will allow you for example to keep your distance with the neighbors, and to enjoy a spacious garden). On the other hand, a bigger ground supposes expenses and time for its maintenance, integrated in your search criteria.

The price is very variable from one region to another. The demarcation of the land is very important to know the exact boundaries of your land and prevent any future litigation. Request a demarcation plan from the vendor and a survey done by a surveyor before purchasing.

Field conditions to check:

In any case, prefer a simple form, as close as possible to the square, to ensure optimal construction conditions.

It will always be better to buy flat land, to facilitate construction and to leave as many possibilities as possible. But a sloping terrain can offer other potentialities: greater surface area, better integration with the site, more unobstructed view, original landscaping. However, the construction will be more complex, and may require earthworks, foundation, water recovery, accessibility.

Beware of the pitches, or near a watercourse, they can present risks of flooding.

The nature of the subsoil is crucial:

All soils are generally heterogeneous, but one still distinguishes the good soils of the bad ones. The basement of your property must be stable and fluid to provide the foundation for your future home. Rocky or sand or gravel soils are considered good soils, the bad ones being those composed of clay, silt, embankments (risk of settlement, flooding, landslides). Attention also to the presence of a water table, old pipes, galleries or quarries buried (make a survey in case of doubt).

Subjective criteria but nevertheless very useful:

The opinion of the neighborhood, and the repeated visit to the place, is essential. Do not hesitate to discuss with neighbors about the environment, constraints, methods and construction choices, etc. And most importantly, visit the site several times, at different times of the day and week, to realize the advantages and disadvantages of the place and the environment.

Mauritius: Trends In The Interior Design

If the choice of a floor or wall covering is difficult for you, a good solution is to follow the current trends to inspire yourself. So, you will find some ideas that will make the country’s homes a thing of the past.

Colored tiles, basin, Italian shower, … A very trendy bathroom!

For tiles, the motto is originality. The tiling offer is quite impressive. If you have no idea what type of tile you want in your home, the choice can be tedious. Here are some original ideas for this fall:

-The wood imitation tiles are the perfect compromise between the qualities of ceramics and the appearance of parquet. A woody hue is given to them during the manufacture.

-This dummrt also marks the return of tiny, patterned or colored tiles, such as the 1950s kitchens and bathrooms.

-Parquet and wooden floors: our suggestions for this season

Two variants of wooden flooring will become more and more common in homes this year.

Laminated floors with V-chamfer. It is therefore of parquet floor nestable with the difference that it does not overlap perfectly. They are designed to leave grooves between the blades for a more traditional look.

To give volume to your room, turn to the use of large wood blades. Their sizes will bring an impression of greatness to your interior.

Vinyl is back among popular flooring

Lately, vinyl is not as successful as it may have been a few years ago. Yet it is coming back in force, but in another form. Finish the rollers, instead of the blades. Indeed, today vinyl is also available in the form of laminated flooring.

The bathroom comes back to simplicity

In terms of bathroom, Italian showers with concrete imitation walls are found more and more frequently in the bathrooms of our country. This concrete aspect is obtained by the application of a special coating. The trend is lightness and clean lines. The basins are very popular, especially on wooden furniture.

Construction Mauritius: Choose the perfect door for your Future house!

How to choose your front door? When one builds one’s house, one chooses most often its door of entry according to criteria of aesthetics and security. The idea of the performance comes after. It is true that your gateway will be the first impression you give to your visitors. Classic or contemporary, you need to find your style without forgetting that it will protect you from the heat, cold and ensure your safety. Do not forget that it participates in the thermal and sound insulation of buildings particularly for the calculation of thermal bridges.

What material for your door?

The choices of materials for your door are varied. They each have their advantages in terms of thermal insulation but some are more efficient than others. It’s up to you to make your choice according to your preferences and budget knowing that you can opt for a solid door, a semi-glazed door, or a glass door for more brightness.

Wood

For an authentic and robust entrance door, wood is a good option. Several species exist: oak, larch, pine that are treated insecticide and fungicide or exotic woods, which themselves are naturally rot-proof. Wood is a noble and sturdy material that resists well in time but will require regular maintenance even if it is treated. Its last advantage will be the ease to change the color of your door.

Aluminum

For a very resistant door at an affordable price, aluminum is a good alternative with a variety of styles, sizes and colors. Be careful though because aluminum is cold conductor. It will be necessary to provide insulating panels to ensure good thermal performance. Some manufacturers offer monobloc doors adapted to cold weather.

PVC

A PVC door has huge advantages with very good insulating performance, a great choice of styles and colors, no maintenance and, most importantly, a very reasonable price. Its major disadvantage will be security.

Steel

Cheaper than wood and aluminum, the steel door is the best solution to prevent break-ins. For good thermal performance, steel should be combined with other materials. Its disadvantages remain its weight, its aesthetic appearance and its sensitivity to corrosion. (To be avoided by the sea). Hörmann, for example, with its range “ThermoPro” focuses on safety, thermal insulation and design at very attractive prices.

Glass

If you want a lot of light, opt for a glazed entrance door. With the increasing number of break-ins, today manufacturers offer double or triple glazing. You can also add 1 burglar proof film or security bars.

The composite

Made from molded fiberglass, the composite is the latest addition to the doorway ranges. Thanks to its density, it will guarantee you an excellent acoustic and thermal insulation and its resistance will protect you from possible burglars. With many decorative finishes, this is the ideal entryway if your budget allows it.

Building your house in Mauritius

To build one’s home is the dream of most people. But it can be scary at first when you do not know the ins and outs. Without knowledge, it is very easy to lose money unknowingly, and in the construction industry in Mauritius it counts in thousands of rupees! Make substantial savings at each stage of the project while following our guidelines.

In the following lines you will discover the action plan to flatten the budget of the construction, master it and optimize it to make great savings.

Definition of the overall budget

The starting point of the project is defining the budget. All the next steps will depend on this. You will need to consider the following:

Defining its financial capacity
Know your budget
Calculate and reduce notary fees
Study the price of the entire building
Estimate the cost of servicing
Take into account the work to be done
Anticipating taxes

Find the land at the right price

Afterwards, comes the purchase of the land. A crucial step that will determine your future environment but also trigger the first monthly credit and give you the building possibilities. You will need to consider the following:

The factors to be taken into account in choosing the right ground
Tools and services to know the market price
The tool for price reductions
The cheapest way to pay a lot
Good questions for the seller
The golden rules of trading
Important things to know before Signing the Sale Compromise

Negotiations with the builder and artisans

Then comes the construction of the house as such, you will then need to properly determine your needs and desires to get the house that fits within your budget. You will need to consider those:

Define the specifications of his house well
Lowering the price of the house
Choose between builder, prime contractor or architect
Request and select the best quotes
Start builders, craftsmen and suppliers
Know how and what to negotiate
Buy used, rent, recover or sell surplus
Choosing serious businesses

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THE BUILDING PERMIT IN MAURITIUS

The building permit is an administrative document that gives the administration the means to verify that a construction project complies with the urban planning rules in force. This document is mandatory for work of great importance.

Registration for permission

Applicants for the building permit are asked to complete the appropriate forms and to go to the municipality with their identity card and all necessary information. The registration must be accompanied by all the documents indicated on the forms to be taken into consideration. The registration section of the planning department can help you with any questions concerning the registration for the building permit.

Documents to be provided

A copy of the title / lease and building permit
3 sets of plans, preferably on a sheet A4 or A3, drawn on a metric scale and signed by a professional:
The location plan indicating the distances of the specific and main landmarks, preferably at the scale of 1: 2500, but also the width and location of the access roads.
The site plan indicates the dimensions of the subdivision, the layout of the building with the setbacks of all boundaries, access roads, parking lot layout, septic tanks / other water evacuation systems, and any other existing structure, preferably on a scale of 1: 200
The surface area of the site, the area of each floor and a detailed calculation for the insurance of the subdivision, and for the parking lots designated on the site plan:
Any basement to propose
Plan of the contours to be submitted in order to justify the level of the basement
Layout plans of each floor, preferably 1: 100 or 1: 200, clearly indicating the proposed function for all rooms
Main facades, preferably on a scale of 1: 100 or 1: 200, showing the height of the building.
The cross-sections, preferably on the scale of 1: 100 or 1: 200, showing the height of the building
Structural details submitted including:
Foundation layout

And if your residential complex involves building construction:

Details of uprights / foundations (base, shoe, etc.)
Details of the frame for each floor
Details of the tile (s) for each floor
Stairs
Basement (if any)
Septic tank / other water evacuation system
Copy of all structural details of the existing structure
Consent and copy of neighbor’s identity card if construction is within 0.9m of the adjoining wall
Certificate of engineer in case of construction with more than 2 floors or span exceeding 5 m
CEB approval (for all constructions)
Authorization of the CWA / WMA (for new construction)
Lease / Reservation Letter and Project Establishment Contract in the case of government land
Receipt of general rate (if applicable)
Copy of identity card

Application Form (You may have to retrieve the application form from the Planning Department, SEHDA, or from the BOI, or from the Ministry of Territorial Adminis

Construction Mauritius: Step to step guide!

The construction of a home may be the biggest project one will undertake in his life. It begins well before the foundations have been laid. A home is a capital investment for the future. We have gathered the main steps to start conceptualizing your construction project.

Plan your budget well

You dream of building a new home, but the expenses worry you … Think first about how much you can afford to spend and how much your new home is likely to cost. Do not let any cost you might incur fall out of your budget – count in all possible items of expense.

How much will your project cost you?

Before going towards the conception of your architectural plans/drawings, make an approximate estimate of the cost of your project. This will help you modify your plans so that they match the state your budget. Once you have made your home plans, a builder or a meter checker can give you a quote. An architect can inform you about the multiple details and fees that you must reserve to complete your project.

Concert with local builders

Why not ask around and talk to builders who have already worked out similar projects to the one you want to undertake. They will give you an overall idea of the cost of their services or construction cost along with the time this might take them to complete the project.

To begin with, look for newly built homes that have similar size, style, and characteristics to the house you want. Get to know the price of the house, to which you subtract the price of the land; then you simply need to divide this amount by the square footage of the house. This shall enlighten you on how much money you might need.

Calculate the cost

The calculation is simple – here is an example: if the selling price of the house is Rs 4 million and the land costs Rs 1,000,000; Then construction will come back to you about Rs 3 million. If the area of the house is 3,500 square feet, then the cost per square foot is Rs 860.

After having got the idea of the cost – you can now start enquiring about the next step – obtaining the finance and starting the project. Stay tune for further tips about construction in Mauritius.

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