When Ali Sekate, a boda boda rider and a resident of Kitti village in Wakiso district, saved money to buy a plot of land, he bought one of 45x95ft. His friends asked him why he had settled for that small piece of land instead of a 50x100ft.

He told them he was happy to own land however small it was because land is an asset.

Muhammad Nsereko, an architect in Kampala, says you can achieve a lot even on a small piece of land.

“If you want a flat, you simply have to add your floor plan, and it must be well-planned, such that you don’t regret in the future,” he says.

According to David Kireli, a civil engineer, before drawing a floor plan, think about the landscape, other surroundings and property around your proposed home.

If you don’t take these aspects into consideration, chances are your home will not be what you originally envisaged it to be and will, therefore, not be pleasing to you.

“A floor plan is important as it gives one a quick idea of what the house’s layout will look like.

“And while preparing this plan, you should include the details of the kind of house you want, the open areas, number, size and design of rooms as well as other architectural features and fittings,” he says.

According to Kireli, there are certain mistakes many homeowners make when drawing floor plans, which end up being costly.

For example, locations of the rooms: this should be the most significant aspect of the plan, as it would be very costly, or nearly impossible to change once the house has been built.

Fred Lukoda, who has been in the construction industry for the last 12 years, says you should consider the aesthetics, views and busy areas such as roads and streets, and design and plan according to the surrounding activities.

“You do not want to have, say the master bedroom facing a busy street.”

If you are to buy a plot: 

Only a survey made by a licensed surveyor can legally define what you have purchased.

Your survey thus gives you a form of protection in addition to clarifying what you have bought, since it will reveal any encroachments or other irregularities that might be the cause of potential land disputes with your neighbours later on.

Value of your plot:

Plots derive their value from the eventual dwelling that will or should be built on it. Establishing that value is important and it can be fairly straightforward to assess.

A house is simply assessed in direct comparison to similar houses in the area and the value they have on the market.

A single search of local estate agents can quickly inform you about the local market, the types of houses being sold, asking prices and which houses on sell.