man doing calculation
PROPERTY,

Create and Control a Budget on Your Property Development Project

One of the most common and most serious mistakes made by first-time developers is to underestimate the budget.

Make up your mind what you are doing. If this is not a hobby and you really are property developing then that is a business and you must treat it like one. You must include all your outgoings and costs and allow for contingencies in order to get the best profit possible.

Know in advance exactly where you can make cutbacks if the budget looks like it is getting out of hand. Burying your head in the sand and not looking at the sums because you don’t like what you see is not fooling anyone but yourself.

An overspend will not go away and managing the money does require organisation and discipline. Don’t forget if there is no real profit at the end of the year your business will not be able to trade.

It is absolutely vital to work out a realistic budget, and to make sure the amount you buy your property for makes it a sound investment.

Cash Flow

Remember, cash flow is the key to success or failure. Plan your budget meticulously and itemise in detail the things you will have to pay for.

Avoid getting carried away at the beginning of a project just because your bank balance is looking healthier than it has done in years, you may find that there is nothing left for crucial works later on, leaving you with no alternative but to cut corners to get the work finished. To have a more stable cashflow, you might want to consider playing some fun and interactive sports betting games via บาคาร่า.

Working out a realistic budget in the first place is the answer to this. It is absolutely vital to make sure the amount you buy your property for makes it a sound investment before you commit yourself; rather than buying something that happens to be unmodernised and then discovering that the cost of the development and the purchase price actually adds up to more than you can sell it for.

How Much Will It Cost

While it may not be possible to know every outgoing that you are going to make throughout the project, if you itemise realistically you can work out a reasonably sound estimate of costs.

The maths may seem a bit overwhelming and the probable costs may seem terrifying but if you are not realistic at this stage you will be in for big trouble later on.

The most common expense to overlook is the actual cost of buying, owning and selling the property. You also need to include everything from major repairs and structural alterations to light fittings and bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Most importantly, don’t forget to factor in the cost of labour.

Schedule Of The Works

Experience will help you know how much something is likely to cost, but before you have built up the experience it is useful to make a detailed schedule of the works that need to be carried out on the property, with drawings if necessary. Then approach builders and collect together your quotes.

Go over this budget over and over again and adjust if necessary. If you have no experience of what these costs are and are not used to working out a budget, it is easy to miss vital items, forgetting to include, say, stamp duty or perhaps even the wiring, and especially forgetting that there will certainly be unexpected expenses on the way.

Mortgage Protection

Always prepare for the unexpected. Remember that if you decide to give up your job or are made redundant during your development project or if you become ill or injured, you may have difficulty keeping up your mortgage payments. You cannot rely on the state to help to cover the payments. It may be worth buying extra cover to protect your mortgage payments in case this situation arises. Policies differ, so always check them very carefully.

Here are some essential key points For A Successful Project:

  • Don’t overspend: Don’t be tempted to spend money on things just because you like them. Make your money matter; spend where required but not where desired.
  • Get A Survey Done before you purchase any property, make sure you understand its problems, know what work is needed and whether this is the project for you.
  • Get A Second Opinion and check what has been sold for what price recently, and ask the estate agent you are planning to sell the property through what they think will add value to the property.
  • Be Aware of current building regulation requirements and adhere to them. Seek advice from the building regulations officer at your local planning department. Most planning departments are very helpful, so ask their advice.
  • Have Integrity in your product, do a job properly or not at all. Purchasers and certainly their surveyors are not foolish and so don’t labour under the illusion that you won’t get found out.
  • Design For Your Market and not for yourself. While keeping the décor as neutral as possible, don’t feel that you have to make the property bland. Create the best possible layout but leave scope for potential buyers not to feel smothered by your design.
  • Don’t forget that to succeed and to make a profit you must be businesslike from start to finish.
  • Adopt An Organised Approach to the venture, getting advice where it is needed, keeping efficient records and doing things methodically. Then if things go wrong, you have your files and records to refer to.
  • Make Lists and don’t rely on your memory.
  • Deal With all potential difficulties before they reach a head.

Follow these simple but essential key points and you project will stand a greater chance of success and making big profits from your property development project.

A person sitting at a table
PROPERTY,

Property Development – Buying to Sell

If you want to stand a better chance of reaching the maximum profit from your property development project you must remember that this simple rule: The most important thing when buying to sell is to keep the image of your target market in your mind at all times. To help you with the funds you need, you might want to consider playing some fun casino games via https://oncapan.com/.

Be sure to work out your figures after viewing any property you are serious about.

It is not as complicated as you may think. The most simple and comprehensive way to work out the maths is to subtract the associated fees and costs, renovation and purchase costs from the potential selling price of your property.

It’s easy. I’ll show you how. To get to this stage calculate the following:

The realistic resale value of the property.

The cost of renovation works to the property.

The sum total of all associated fees and costs you will incur during the project.

The Realistic Resale Value

You don’t want any nasty shocks so you must be realistic. Ask yourself what your property will be worth in peak condition. Finding out the realistic resale value or ‘ceiling price’ of a property can tell you instantly whether you have a deal. It will guide you towards buying for the right price, reveal how much the property will be worth once it looks its best and help you work out your potential profit margin.

So, before investing in a property, ensure that calculating its realistic value is your prime concern.

Build a profile of the property. Be realistic and base your profile on the location, building type, number of rooms, features and layout.

Next, contact three local estate agents. Ask how much newly modernised properties of this profile have recently sold for in your area. See how the details of these properties match your profile.

Calculate a resale value from the comparables that match your profile. If the sale of a comparable property took place more than two months ago, get an up-to-date opinion of the resale value of a similar newly renovated property. Then get two more estimates to substantiate the first.

Administrative Costs

Once you have worked out your realistic resale value, look at the administrative costs and budget. Buying a property always costs more than the purchase price. You will need to take into consideration all of the legal costs involved.

There are also extra fees such as the cost of the survey; Land Registry costs; site services- gas, water, electricity and taxes. Don’t forget to include other administrative costs specific to your project, for example, the costs of selling the property once developed, planning and building control fees.

Living In Your Development

If you are short of cash you could certainly consider living in your development. This may sound like a simple option but it does have its pitfalls. For example, are you really going to be able to continue to live in the property while the work is being carried out?

This can be noisy, dusty, and intrusive and you may find yourself without facilities such as hot (or cold) water, use of a loo or a basic kitchen while the work is in progress, and this situation could last for weeks, even months.

As with all developments you want to be very sure that the work you do is actually going to raise the value of the property.

It is vital to do your research first. Don’t assume that if you do what you want this will automatically increase the value of the property. Even if you were to convert the loft or add an extension, you might find that the costs involved would exceed the amount that it adds in value to the property.

Your thorough research before embarking on the property development project will stand you in good stead of reaching the maximum profit margin possible on the property that you will be selling on.

A bridge over a body of water
Business, Construction,

LafargeHolcim wins contracts for Europe’s largest transport infrastructure project in Paris

LafargeHolcim has been awarded major long-term contracts worth EUR 110 million as part of the Grand Paris Express (GPE) project. The GPE is the largest transport infrastructure project in Europe and represents a total investment of about EUR 38.5 billion. The project will meet the growing city’s needs for an improved transport infrastructure and will prepare Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.

To help realize the GPE’s anticipated 200 kilometers of new railway and 68 new rail stations, LafargeHolcim will deliver 600,000 tonnes of aggregates and 260,000 tonnes of cement to produce 650,000 cubic meters of ready-mix concrete. Further LafargeHolcim will use barges on the Seine to sustainably manage excavated earth equal to six times the weight of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Jan Jenisch, CEO: “We are proud to be a key partner on this historic project. With this partnership we are demonstrating our leadership in the building materials industry, making a lasting contribution to improving the transport experience of the people living and working in the Paris area. The project once more shows our capacity and reliability in delivering a large amount of high-quality concrete and our ability to provide efficient logistics and supply solutions. As part of our Strategy 2022 – ‘Building for Growth’ we have committed to grow our Aggregates and Ready-Mix Concrete segments and the GPE is a major milestone in the delivery of this commitment.”

To meet the project’s challenging schedule, LafargeHolcim has added mobile ready-mix concrete plants to its existing Parisian ready-mix concrete network, enabling an average production of 300 cubic meters per hour for the GPE. Further LafargeHolcim will remove and treat at least 3 million tonnes of earth from the construction site, then use the excavated material to re-landscape its nearby quarries. For the transportation of both aggregates coming from nearby quarries situated in the Seine valley and the excavated earth, LafargeHolcim will use barges on the Seine river. This solution is more efficient and sustainable than road transportation as two barges can handle the load of 220 trucks. With this concept LafargeHolcim will also meet the challenge of transporting large amounts of material through an urban area with over seven million inhabitants. With the contract LafargeHolcim is continuing a tradition of supplying aggregates and concrete to the French market that has endured for more than one-hundred years. The company aims to work on the GPE over the next 15 years.

About LafargeHolcim

LafargeHolcim is the global leader in building materials and solutions and operates four businesses segments: Cement, Aggregates, Ready-Mix Concrete and Solutions & Products, which includes precast concrete, asphalt, mortar and building solutions. With its broad portfolio LafargeHolcim solves the toughest challenges masons, builders, architects and engineers are faced with, from urbanization to population growth and the demand for affordable housing. Headquartered in Switzerland, LafargeHolcim holds leading positions in all regions across the globe. It employs approximately 80,000 employees in around 80 countries and has a portfolio that is equally balanced between developing and mature markets. LafargeHolcim is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and on Euronext Paris, and is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) European Index.

About LafargeHolcim in France

In France LafargeHolcim operates in three business segments: Cement, Aggregates and Ready-Mix Concrete, LafargeHolcim France develops innovative solutions to meet the challenges in sustainable construction and circular economy. The company is also strongly engaged in reducing its impact on the environment (ISO certifications, Unicem CSR chart, engagement in biodiversity recognized by the SNB (National Strategy for Biodiversity)).

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Business,

LafargeHolcim successfully launches a EUR 500m Hybrid bond

LafargeHolcim today successfully settled a EUR 500 million perpetual hybrid bond at an initial fixed coupon of 3 percent with a non-call period of 5 years and a quarter. Investors have expressed a strong interest, with a total order book above EUR 5 billion.

Earlier this week, the Group also recorded successful results with its tender offer on three outstanding euro series of notes, bearing interest from 4.75 percent to 5.875 percent and maturing from July 2019 to March 2020.

Both transactions reduce the financing costs of the Group.

LafargeHolcim reaffirms its objective to strengthen its financial structure in line with the “Financial Strength” value driver of Strategy 2022 – “Building for Growth” and to reach a leverage* (Net Debt divided by Recurring EBITDA) at 2.0 x or less by end of 2019.

About LafargeHolcim

LafargeHolcim is the global leader in building materials and solutions. We are active in four business segments: Cement, Aggregates, Ready-Mix Concrete and Solutions & Products. With leading positions in all regions of the world and a balanced portfolio between developing and mature markets, LafargeHolcim offers a broad range of high-quality building materials and solutions. LafargeHolcim experts solve the challenges that customers face around the world, whether they are building individual homes or major infrastructure projects. Demand for LafargeHolcim materials and solutions is driven by global population growth, urbanization, improved living standards and sustainable construction. Around 75,000 people work for the company in around 80 countries.

A bridge over a body of water
Business,

ACC sets a world record in northern India

ACC, our Indian subsidiary, had its technical know-how put to the test when it supported its customer Hindustan Construction Company in pumping high-quality concrete for the Sainj Hydroelectric Power Project over a world-record distance of nearly 2.5 kilometers. This challenging build on the Sainj river, around 500km north of New Delhi, India, will provide sustainable energy to one million people

Sustaining long-term economic growth requires the discovery of new, sustainable sources of energy. For the people of northern India, the Sainj Hydroelectric Power Project is one such source. Situated in the hilly terrain and high altitude of Kullu, the project has been developed by the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) to provide 100 MW project for one million people.

The project’s main construction partner is the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). We have supported the plant and HCC for five years by supplying 75,000 tonnes of cement from our Indian subsidiary ACC, drawing on their plant in nearby Gagal. Over this time HCC has trusted us to maintain a timely and high-quality supply — no matter the challenge.

Demonstrated expertise

Nowhere was ACC’s can-do attitude more on display than in pumping high-quality concrete over a world-record distance of 2.43 km. The project required rigorous concrete mix design trials at the customer’s lab so that the concrete could be pumped across that world-record distance and still meet HCC’s standards of quality and workability when applied on the other side.

Building customer trust

Thanking ACC for providing support during this record-breaking feat, HCC’s Contracts Engineer Prajakt Atey said, “The Sainj extends its regards to ACC for achieving this record feat. We look forward to working with ACC again in the future.”

A path with trees on the side of a building
Construction,

SGR project spotlight: Sustainability

Lasting, strong infrastructure requires appropriate materials, and for many projects there is but one choice: concrete. Those who understand construction know it is a material not without challenges and effects on the environment. The partnership of Bamburi Cement with the CCCC on the SGR allows us to share the story of a team dedicated to going a step further to protect the natural world beyond our plants.

Cleaning up our act

Bamburi Cement and LafargeHolcim are no strangers to environmental concerns in Kenya. Environmental challenges emerge at almost every stage of the cement manufacturing process. The exhausted limestone quarry in Mombasa seemed to be an example of what concrete-making can leave behind. The area just outside the Bamburi plant is within walking distance to the ocean and there was a concern that any more exploitation could risk groundwater pollution.

In 1971, hoping to find ways to heal the landscape, Bamburi Cement reached out to René Haller, a Swiss naturalist, to transform the area. Today, the area where this journey took place is not recognizable as a quarry. It is now a nature park teeming with animals, some of which cross and visit the cement plant next door to the extent that plant safety protocols have to account for visiting antelopes.

Lasting results for local species

Haller Park has become a popular tourist destination in Mombasa, a testament to the dedicated rehabilitation and conservation efforts of many over nearly 50 years. Today, the area surrounding the quarry has more than 400 species of indigenous trees, shrubs, and lianas. Many of the indigenous species are now reproducing in the restored ecosystems and supporting a diverse animal population, including more than 180 species of birds, 80 species of butterflies, 17 species of dragonflies, 14 amphibian species and 34 different mammals.

Haller Park and Forest Trails demonstrate that a dedicated long-term approach to rehabilitation really bears sustainable results. Lafarge Eco Systems Ltd.’s greening of over 600 hectares of land has also contributed to pollution control, helped retain hydrology and provided a renewable source of timber and firewood. No longer a wasteland around a cement operation, the area has been transformed into a thriving and self-sustaining ecosystem.

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architecture, Business,

SGR project spotlight: Infrastructure

At this very moment, thousands of people are erecting new infrastructure globally with material that only LafargeHolcim can provide. One such project is the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Africa’s largest infrastructure project, which is being led by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

New infrastructure for a changing world

Bamburi Cement – our Kenyan subsidiary – has provided cement to help complete the SGR. This extraordinary project is part of the Belt and Road initiative (BRI), the largest infrastructure initiative on the planet, which touches 65% of the world’s population and almost half of global GDP.

SGR: the journey to better lives

While Nairobi is Kenya’s capital and business center, a large portion of its global trade goes through Mombasa. Mombasa is the largest port of East Africa, situated on the Indian Ocean almost 500km from Nairobi. Here, goods from around the world arrive for distribution and Kenya’s many exports are loaded onto ships destined for Europe and Asia.

Until just a few years ago, the journey between Nairobi and Mombasa took up to 15 hours on crowded roads, or up to 24 hours on an unreliable Victorian-era rail line.

The SGR will reduce this journey to 4.5 hours. The railway will also alleviate traffic on roads between the two cities as more cargo will now travel by rail. As the railway is extended, Nairobi will be connected over bridges and tunnels to Naivasha, and later to Uganda, to Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bringing people, cargo and change.

Focus on: Phase one & beyond

Kenya’s SGR project is being executed in phases. Phase one connects Nairobi to Mombasa and costs around USD 3.6 billion. This phase required an amount of labor and material that was unprecedented in Kenya’s history, so the CCCC selected Bamburi Cement, entrusting them to deliver large volumes of material to their own precise specifications.

Phase one was completed in about half the estimated time. This highly successful collaboration between Bamburi and CCCC has been a major success in overcoming the challenges of building modern train lines in highly populated areas.

The next phase will be opened to the public in just a few months, also likely to be ahead of schedule.

A man wearing a helmet standing next to a building
Business, Real Estate,

Only LafargeHolcim Can: Surpass expectations on Kenya’s SGR project

From its vast national parks to the quickly growing cities and ports, Kenya is a country of contrasts. Supporting the country’s development, as well as that of the region as a whole, requires innovative, sustainable building solutions that benefit people and the environment equally.

Nairobi is the only capital city with a national park inside its city limits. Within walking distance of the busy downtown, on an area of over one-hundred square kilometers, a diverse population of lions, impala, giraffes and many other iconic African animals is just nearby.

Many more people will soon have a chance to glimpse the park fauna from a distance that is safe for both humans and animals — atop the recently finished super-bridge, which is part of the first phase of Africa’s largest infrastructure project, the Standard Gauge Rail (SGR) project.

The SGR is being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), in collaboration with Bamburi Cement, the local LafargeHolcim subsidiary. The CCCC has renewed its partnership with Bamburi for the second phase of the SGR.

Bamburi has proven itself as the only building materials supplier in Kenya which has the right solutions to meet the CCCC’s standards. Its high-strength cement solution has been specifically customized for the railway and used for the first time for this project. Bamburi also expanded its 20-strong truck fleet to 140 trucks to ensure on-time delivery over this project’s tight timeline.

A separate production line was activated at Bamburi Cement’s Mombasa plant and has been working on providing building materials for the train line for years. The material is then fine-tuned to fit the needs of bridges, tunnels or the railroad ties. All processes are monitored by a group of experts using special software connected to sensors. This is process automation at its finest, creating a durable product that will last many human lifetimes.

The SGR is an example of how infrastructure built with help from LafargeHolcim can create lasting change for an entire region, as well as open a path into a more sustainable, more prosperous future.