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33-year-old from Paraná, resident of Almirante Tamandaré, in Greater Curitiba, built a 200-square-meter house using YouTube tutorials as a construction manual. The labor savings reached R$ 150,000, a value equivalent to half of the original budget made with professionals in the sector.
A 33-year-old systems analyst from Paraná, Evandro Klimpel Balmant, decided to turn the internet into a practical classroom and built his own two-story, 200-square-meter house in Almirante Tamandaré, in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, practically by himself. The most striking detail of the story is that he had never had experience in civil construction, engineering, or architecture before picking up the tools.
The project was made possible with the help of YouTube tutorials, advice from family members who are engineers and architects, and the timely support of his father and a master builder during stages that required more hands. The result was an estimated saving of R$ 150,000 in labor, a value that reduced the original house budget by half.
How the idea of building his own house was born
The journey began with a more modest plan. The couple, formed by Evandro and his wife Ane, received a plot of land from her father while still living in a noisy rented area in downtown Curitiba.
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The initial intention was to build a simple wooden house, which would serve as a weekend retreat. When putting the costs on paper, however, the couple realized that the option was not as cheap as it seemed.
“Wood does not have good thermal and acoustic insulation, it catches fire easily, in 10 years the house is no longer very firm, the Eternit tile breaks in a hailstorm,” said Balmant in an interview with Tribuna do Paraná. The list of disadvantages made the duo rethink the project and opt for a definitive masonry construction.
The turning point came with the cost of the foundation
The first budget for the new house already brought an unpleasant surprise. The foundation alone would cost R$ 12,000 in labor, a value the couple could not afford even by combining both their thirteenth salaries.
It was at this point that Balmant made the decision that would change the entire project. Instead of seeking financing or postponing the project, the analyst decided to test an alternative: learning to do the foundation himself, based on YouTube videos.
The experiment worked. “If I can do the foundation, I can do the rest,” he explained. From then on, the construction was no longer managed by a team and became a personal project, built on weekends and during his free time from work as a systems analyst.
The secret of the house: interlocking ecological bricks
The choice of material was decisive in making the project viable for a single worker without experience. Evandro and Ane opted for ecological bricks manufactured in Curitiba itself, made from recycled waste.
The material was a little more expensive than conventional clay bricks, but it offered a decisive advantage. The ecological bricks fit together like Lego pieces, which facilitates laying and eliminates the need for complete plastering of the walls.
“If I used common brick, I would have to plaster, which would end up being more expensive and would be a job I might not know how to do alone,” the analyst explained to Tribuna do Paraná. The material also offers better acoustic and thermal insulation, a feature especially useful in the Curitiba region, known for its harsh winters.
What he did alone and what he needed help with
The almost artisanal construction does not mean that Balmant did everything absolutely without support. Some parts of the work require more than one person and cannot be executed in stages, which made it inevitable to resort to specific help.
The concrete structure and the roof were built with the help of the analyst’s father and a master builder. These stages concentrate loads and movements that make solo execution practically unfeasible, even with all the patience in the world.
For the porcelain tile part, with almost the entire house ready, Balmant decided to hire a professional tiler. The idea was to avoid gross finishing flaws in a stage that is very visible in the final result, precisely because the floor is always in sight.
How YouTube became a construction manual
The phenomenon of video channels as a practical learning tool is not new, but in Balmant’s case, it reached a rare level of depth. The analyst used tutorials to understand everything from foundation techniques to details of electrical and hydraulic installation.
The process combined video lessons with specific consultations with family members working in engineering and architecture, which helped avoid structural errors. This cross-referencing between open content and specialized technical guidance was what gave security to the project.
The case illustrates a movement that has been intensifying in recent years: the popularization of “do it yourself” on increasingly ambitious scales. What was once limited to home repairs has come to encompass, in some cases, large-scale projects such as an entire residence.
How much it cost in the end
The original budget foresaw the full payment of labor for a professional team. The final numbers, however, were very far from this scenario.
The savings reached R$ 150,000 just in labor, according to the analyst himself. In percentage terms, the house cost about half of the value originally budgeted when all services were expected to be professionally contracted.
The couple has been living in the new residence for about a year, but some details are still pending. The final touches on the upper floor are still waiting due to the tight budget, proof that even with all the savings, the project requires continuous financial planning.
The message the story leaves for those who want to do the same
The case gained repercussion precisely by challenging the idea that building a house necessarily requires a complete team of professionals. On the other hand, it is important to highlight that Balmant’s experience had elements that are not available to everyone.
He had his own land, time to dedicate to the work in parallel with his job, and family members trained in engineering and architecture who offered technical guidance. Without this background support from qualified professionals, a project of this size can bring structural and safety risks that are difficult to identify without technical knowledge.
The choice of modular bricks also considerably simplified the work. In conventional constructions, with ceramic bricks and plaster, the technical complexity and physical wear of solo work increase significantly.
The story of the analyst from Paraná who built his dream house alone shows a curious side of the digital age: open access to technical knowledge, previously restricted to vocational courses and on-site practice, has paved the way for projects that would have seemed improbable a few decades ago.
And you, would you have the courage to face a project of this size with tutorials as a guide? Do you believe this self-construction model will become popular in the coming years? Do you know anyone who has done something similar? Leave your comment, tell us about your experience, and tag a friend who dreams of owning their own home.
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