The 6 Deadly Mistakes of Home Buyers in Ghana

Your home should be a fortress of solitude—a place where you and your family are safe and secure. Yet, sometimes people become so focused on realizing the dream of owning their own home that they will do whatever it takes to build a home for the least possible amount of time and money, not realizing what the actual cost of doing so is: the loss of human life. Nothing is worth that. Here are six deadly mistakes that home buyers in Ghana make.

1 - Building Incrementally

With high interest rates and strict lending standards, many Ghanaians build a house incrementally over a long period of time. Not only is the incremental building process more expensive, but it also wastes resources. Often, the property becomes functionally unstable during the building process and is deemed obsolete or unsafe upon completion.

2 - Failing To Obtain Permits

The collapse of a shopping mall in Accra in 2011 brought quite a bit of attention to scarcity of building permits in Ghana. An investigation determined that the mall collapsed because the building’s foundation was not strong enough. The deadly disaster could have been avoided if only the developer had obtained the necessary permits.

3 - Bribing Inspectors

Even those who do obtain permits sometimes try to bribe corrupt building inspectors to pass something off that they know is unsafe. Cutting corners and bribing inspectors is never a good idea.

4 - Not Using The Right Lawyers

One of the most challenging aspects of building or purchasing a home is proving ownership of the land title. Failing to use the right lawyers to secure the land title can result in the government demolishing your home.

5 - Foregoing A Home Inspection

Many buyers forego a home inspection in an effort to save money on an already expensive process. If you are purchasing an existing home, a thorough home inspection is extremely important. This will alert you to any potential problems with the structural components, exterior faults, roofing, plumbing and wiring.

6 - Hiring The Cheapest Contractor

Another mistake that people make is hiring an unskilled contractor simply because of a low price instead of paying a knowledgeable craftsman a fair wage. This often results in sloppy work that, even though it meets the minimum building code requirements, will not hold up well over time and can even become deadly.

Let Ghana Homes build your dreams home at a price you can afford: a custom home that fits your style, on your own land with these three simple steps:

1. Select and finalize a House Plan here (we can customize as needed)
2. Work with Ghana Homes to get a bill of quantity (pricing)
3. Sign a contract to secure price
4. Make the require down payment (or with a pay as you build plan)
5. We begin construction

Contact Ghana Homes today for a personal consultation.

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