First of all, we must bear in mind the difference between buying a house and buying a home. Buying a house is buying a piece of real estate; but a home is a house you intend to live in and that is a whole new ball game.

Let’s take a look at the basics of buying a home before we zone in on two of the country’s major hustle spots.

The location: Builders, landlords and agents are always singing about the right location, but there’s more to it than they would tell. Factors; access roads, factories (pollution, and waste matter), proximity of schools (for the kids), hospitals, shopping malls, markets and decent leisure spots, electricity, water, flooding, ventilation and emergency exits (buildings built too closely together), security, population, pedigree of your neighbours, and night life.

In addition to that, some locations carry stigmas and you get a stereotype just for living there. For instance, labels like: smugglers’ zones, traders’ zones, advance fee fraudsters’ zones, touts’ zones. Even if you don’t mind the stigmatization you should at least take the time to find out how true the stories are before you buy the house.

Legal: ‘Buyers Beware’ is something you must take extremely seriously. Do not fall into the misfortune of buying a house from someone who had no right to sell it in the first place. Where there is joint ownership, ensure that all parties are consenting and they all indicate that consent in print – and with their signatures. Where there is a legal issue hovering above the house, steer clear of it no matter the assurance the seller gives you. Understand that real estate cases can be unpredictable and never-ending. Also ensure that the house is not encroaching on government land.

The Viewing: When you are going to see the house do these:
Go there in broad day light. Go there in the mid-morning. Never rely on light bulbs or twilight; you could miss cracks, water marks and other things. If you like what you see, arrange for a second viewing and make it mid-afternoon this time for a different perspective.

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