For many middle-class families, the dream of owning a home is often overshadowed by the challenging task of building it. The unorganised construction sector, riddled with unreliable contractors, opaque pricing, and frequent delays, has frustrated aspiring homeowners.
“You come to us with a plot and we will take care of everything else to ensure your dream house is built in the promised time schedule,” Sripad Nandiraj, Founder-CEO of WeHouse, told businessline.
WeHouse, a Hyderabad-based prop-tech startup founded by Sripad Nandiraj, claims to address this challenge by bringing professionalism and transparency into the home-building process. Sripad said his encounter with the chaotic world of construction while helping a friend renovate their home ignited the spark for setting up the startup. He witnessed firsthand the lack of control, transparency, and accountability that plagued the industry.
“I saw there is a huge opportunity in this space. I have decided to establish a tech-based platform to simplify the entire process, from design and planning to construction and handover. The whole process is transparent. We allow our clients to keep an eye on whether the project is cruising well,” Sripad said.
Milestone-based construction
The six-year-old startup addresses the pain points of middle-class homebuyers by dividing the construction journey into 24 well-defined milestones. The first milestone covers the site survey, the second covers the foundation, the third addresses the plinth, and the fourth focuses on the slabs.
“This approach provides clients with complete visibility into the progress of their project, ensuring that they are always informed and empowered. By collecting payments in installments aligned with these milestones, we ensure trust and transparency, eliminating the fear of hidden costs and unexpected delays,” he said.
He said the startup prepared a 250-checkpoint list, factoring in the minute details of the construction process. This ensures that every aspect of the project, from materials to workmanship, adheres to the highest standards.
Home-building platform
“We’ve brought the entire ecosystem onto a single platform and built a framework. Our tech is now a six-module platform that handles the onboarding of our clients and allows them to monitor the process from anywhere in the world,” he said.
“We partner with a network of vetted architects, engineers, and contractors, ensuring that clients have access to the best talent in the industry,” he said.
WeHouse’s pricing model is designed to be transparent and competitive. In Hyderabad, the cost per square foot ranges from ₹1,800 to ₹2,700. The startup also offers flexible payment plans to accommodate the financial needs of its clients.
After completing over 400 projects, WeHouse is planning to expand beyond Hyderabad, Chennai, and Surat. “We are looking at expanding to the West and and tier-ii cities like Vijayawada, Mysore, and Coimbatore,” he said.
The company recently secured ₹10 crores in funding to support its expansion plans and further enhance its technology platform. So far, it has completed one million square feet of construction and built a network of over 1,000 qualified partners across 24 leading material brands. The company, which presently handles an order book of ₹150 crore, is looking at breaching the ₹500 crore mark in the next two years.