It can take years to save up enough money to build your dream home in Ghana—some people save for 10 years or more! After waiting this long, you may be in a hurry to get things started and choose a house plan without really thinking every aspect of the home through. Instead, take your time and take these factors into consideration when choosing a floor plan.
- Are the bedrooms grouped or separated? If you have young children you probably don’t want a floor plan with the master bedroom on one side of the home and the other bedrooms on the other side of the home.
- Is there enough space? You want to make sure that your existing furniture will fit. Also, if you have a large extended family that will frequently gathering in your home the size and openness of the common living space is an important factor.
- Can you afford the cost of construction? Bigger isn’t always better. Many people do not realize just how expensive raw materials and labor can be. According to a report titled The Housing Market in Ghana published by the Bank of Ghana, the average prices of new construction homes are:
- One Bedroom: 33,145.00 Ghana Cedi (17,500 US Dollars)
- Two Bedroom: 41,668.00 – 48,297.00 Ghana Cedi (22,000 – 25,500 US Dollars)
- Three Bedroom: 60,608.00 – 68,184.00 Ghana Cedi (32,000 – 36,000 US Dollars)
- Can the house plan be modified? House plans that are expandable offer you more flexibility if your needs change in the future.
- Is the house plan engineered correctly? Once you submit your building permit application and floor plans to the Ghana Land Commission, it can take up to 3 months for approval. You want to make sure that the plans are engineered correctly so that you can obtain a permit without further delay.
- Do any areas of the home need to be handicap accessible? If so, you want to choose a floor plan without stairs. The doorways and hallways may also need to be wider.
- Is outdoor space important to you? An outdoor leisure space such as a covered porch can expand the usable square footage of your home and make it more enjoyable.