Demand for ready-made houses on rise in Munshiganj

The demand for ready-made tin and wooden houses of Munshiganj is on the rise.

Aesthetically pleasing designs and affordability along with the comfort of living are making these houses popular not only in the district but also in Shariatpur, Faridpur, and Tangail.

These elegant houses can be up to three-storey high and are primarily made of wood and tin. Light and air can easily circulate in the rooms, thus they remain comfortable to stay in both summer and winter. The life span of the houses is about 50-80 years depending on the type.

The expatriates of Munshiganj especially prefer this gable roof and Dutch gable roof houses of various designs.

Currently, there are ready-made house construction workshops in Sadar, Tongibari and Louhajong upazilas of the district. Most of the houses are constructed using imported Nigerian ironwood, according to the construction workers.

The houses are made of teak, shal, bachalu and oak wood. It takes about 4-5 days for 5-7 workers to build each house depending on the type.

The ready-made houses are sold at Tk 2.5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh. The more expensive ones are made basing on order. About 4-5 houses are sold every month.

The workshop owners buy the trees from traders in Chattogram. They are then cut to size at sawmill and wood artisans design them as per need.

The tins are usually brought from Dhaka where designed tins are easily available.

The cement and iron poles used to erect the houses on the ground are made by construction workers. Afterwards, the workers put the house together.

There is a demand for workers from the Gopalganj in the house construction shops of Munshiganj as they have a good reputation.

Most of the shop owners have been in this business for 10-15 years. According to them, the sales had dropped severely and the industry received a massive blow during the Covid-19 pandemic. They demanded the government provide loans on easy terms to overcome the losses.

The buyers of these ready-made houses can make two types of contracts with the house dealers. The buyers can either transport the houses at their own cost or pay the traders to go and set up the houses at their desired spot.

Awlad Mridha, the owner of Aolad House Traders, in Bajrayogini union of Munshiganj Sadar upazila, said he has been in this profession for 14-15 years.

“I have various designs of ready-made houses at the shop to be sold. We use 32-34-42 and 48 mm tins in the houses,” he said adding that they also take custom orders for houses but they cost more.

Islam Mridha, a house dealer from the same area, said he sells 8-10 houses every month. His shop has ready-made houses worth Tk 3 lakh to 4.5 lakh.

Md Swapan, the owner of Swapan Ghar Bitan, said he has been in the ready-made house trade in the Churain area for eight years. “I sell 4-5 houses worth Tk 5-6 lakh every month, but the business has been down in the last two years,” he said.

Abdur Rahman, the owner of Kothamoni Ghar Bitan in the Dhalagao area of ​​Sadar upazila, said their shop has 15-16 houses ready to be sold at all times.

“Sales went down due to Covid-19, but with the easing of the pandemic, sales are slowly picking up. However, with the rising prices of raw materials, the business is becoming tougher day by day,” he said.

Construction worker Nihar Bala said after working as a mason for four years he came to work as a house builder in Munshiganj about three years ago.

Carpenter Manoj Bairagi said most of the construction workers are from the Gopalganj district as they are more skilled and experienced.

Wood artisan Md Emon of Sadar upazila said that in the last 14 years, he has designed over 1000 houses. Five other members of his family are involved in this work. “The idea that people feel comfortable and enjoy residing in the houses I have designed makes me feel good,” he said.

Suman Sarker, a house buyer, said these houses are popular among the people of the district. “We can own a house while avoiding the hassle of constructing a house and settle in with peace,” he said.

Due to the aesthetic designs, buyers come from different parts of Bangladesh come to Munshiganj to buy ready-made houses. Due to good air circulation and the materials, the rooms remain cool in summer and insulated in winter.

Many people buy ready-made houses from Sadar, Tongibari and Louhajong upazilas of Munshiganj due to their affordability and eye-catching designs.