Construction corner…
EVERYONE’S lifelong dream is to own their own home, but there may be times when, even though you’ve been allotted a plot of land by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), you begin to have second thoughts. Maybe the following tips may help you make up your mind about taking that quantum leap and get with the programme!

What you always need to keep at the back of your mind is that homeownership brings with it happiness; a feeling of permanence, security, and a solid foundation for your children’s lives and future that a rented place can never give.

A home is an investment that increases in value over time, and even if you’ve bought your home on a mortgage, its value continually increases, including your equity, as the amount of your mortgage shrinks.

It’s like having a savings account that you can draw on in the future should it become absolutely necessary. And that is aside from the obvious fact that you are able to live in it!

When you own the house, it means you can stay long enough in one place to reap the benefits of your labour. Also, homeownership gives you and your family the opportunity of meeting new people, participating in community affairs, and the chance to shape your own neighbourhood.

Again, there is great satisfaction in planting a shrub or painting a wall and knowing that you are doing it for yourself and not someone else, not to mention the opportunity of setting up your own business in the community where you belong.

Lastly, while homeownership may seem a huge sacrifice, its accompanying benefits and opportunities far outweigh the costs.

A few things you need to know
Hardwood, Kabakalli, Shibadan, Greenheart, Wamara, Purpleheart, Mixed-Hardwood, V-joint, Upright and Floor Board are just some of the more popular terms used by contractors when building a house.

And while the Greenheart is said to be very durable, as it can withstand both sun and rain, it is Purpleheart that is the most expensive wood sold by lumber dealers.

Mixed hardwood is the cheapest of all, the experts say.

And ‘BM’ is the acronym for board measurement, but that measurement can very well depend on the size of wood needed; for example, if the contractor asks for a piece of wood measuring 1’ x12’, the 1’ is the BM.

The term ‘rough lumber’, on the other h and, is used to describe raw wood that is cut and sold as is, while dressed lumber refers to wood that is cut and planed before being sold.

Regular terms
As a new homeowner, there are a few terms you will hear being used regularly, either when you visit the CHPA to conduct further business, or through conversation with persons in the construction field. Get accustomed to hearing them. Here is a glossary of those terms:

AGENCY – refers to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

BOARD – refers to the Board of the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

BUILDING – includes any structure or erection of any kind, whether permanent or temporary.

BUILDING OPERATIONS – include construction, demolition, alteration, extension and repairs. It also includes any road works, preliminary or incidental to the erection of buildings.

CENTRAL AUTHORITY – means the Central Housing and Planning Authority as constituted under the Housing Act Chapter 36:20.

CHANGE OF USE – means the making of any material change in the use of any building or land.

DEVELOPMENT – means any building or rebuilding operations, and any use of the land or any buildings thereon for the purpose which is different from the purpose for which the land or building was last being used.

ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION PERMIT – means an environmental permit, a prescribed process license, a construction permit or an operation permit.

LAND – includes land covered with water, and the seabed within the outer limits of the territorial waters of Guyana.

LOCAL AUTHORITY – means any local government authority, and includes the municipal district councils, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and town councils.

OWNER – in relation to any building or land, means a person who is for the time being entitled to dispose of the absolute title in the land or of the title to the building, whether in possession or in reversion, and includes also a person holding or entitled to the rents and profits of the land or building under a lease or agreement.

PLANNING PERMISSION – permission to carry out development, granted under the Town and Country Planning Act as a result of an application.

SITE – in relation to a building, includes any area of any courtyard, outbuilding, yard or garden, whether enclosed or not, occupied or intended to be occupied therewith.

SUBDIVISION—means the division of a parcel of land into two or more portions for titling purposes.

Did you know?
That all applications for development whether for building operation or change of use must be submitted to the Central Housing and Planning Authority for consideration.

That since the Central Housing and Planning Authority is concerned with development generally, it requires submission of the following:

Proposals for all commercial and industrial development (appraisal of proposals for residential development was delegated to the local authorities by the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

Proposals for planning design layouts of new and existing housing development.

Proposals for siting of new schools, churches, community centres, markets and other public and institutional buildings.

Proposals for all development bordering public roads.

Proposals dealing with recreation grounds, parks, cemeteries and other forms of public open space.

Proposals dealing with empolders, dams, canals, paths, access routes and all forms of communication lines.

Proposals for engineering services, such as water supply, electricity, telecommunications and sewage disposals.

AND, in consideration of proposals, the Central Housing and Planning Authority has the power to regulate the following:

The height, size spacing and building line of buildings.

The object which may be affixed to the building.

The siting of buildings on any land or within the building cartilage.

The intended use of the buildings

The design, colour and material of the building and fences; and lastly,

The number of buildings of a specified class to be constructed in any area.

IT is therefore IMPORTANT that individuals, firms, organisations, etc should seek planning permission before carrying out development, since the Central Authority has the power to grant or prohibit planning permission to develop land, construct, demolish, alter, extend, repair, or renew a particular building in the area to which there is an approved planning scheme or a resolution to prepare such scheme.

NEXT WEEK: We’ll be looking at: Types of Applications

Meanwhile, if you have any queries, complaints or suggestions pertaining to homeownership or construction in general, feel free to write us at: gcletters@yahoo.com or lindford2004@yahoo.com