I believe a
number of us will agree we do not have the best housing and real estate
practices within Nigeria and Africa, as there are so many elements that
contribute to our living satisfaction and frustration asides location, when
renting or buying a property, we ask questions like; oh how is strength of the GLO or MTN network here? How much power supply does the area get? Is
the Landlord or lady staying within the same compound? the best of us will
ask about the inflation rate on rent, honestly these are all important
questions, but there are a few other things that need to be addressed that
contribute greatly to your living peace and tranquility.
This is why
we at builtadvice have decided to draw out 10 very important discussions you
need to have with your real estate agent or landlord before renting or buying a
property, you could pose them in form questions or just sit and talk about
them, whichever way, do not be passive or brief about getting an answer, if
your recipient is slow or reluctant to give a detailed answer, it is a huge
blood type red flag, you too be slow and reluctant to sign the agreement,
quickly now, let’s dive into it.
1.
WASTE
DISPOSAL & STORAGE
As simple
as it sounds, it’s something you need to ask in detail, also getting an answer
in detail, emphasis on answers in detail as do other things you will discuss
about, getting a waste disposal system that works for you and your working
schedule plus finances is important, are you going to be paying any money and
how often?, you also need to ask about storage if you need one, don’t be shy
about it.
2.
DAMAGE
CONTROL
Ever had a
landlord or lady that didn’t want to fix anything, well that is why we cannot
emphasize this enough, go straight for it, in the event of a damage within or
around the property, how do you handle it here? do I have to pay for it even if
it has nothing to do with me? Do I have a stake in paying for damages that have
nothing to do with me? What is your reaction time? Do you have designated
handymen and how efficient are they? I think you get the point.
3.
SECURITY
This is
also something you need to talk about, what is the security like around the
area and in the compound? What is their job description like? How much do I pay
for the estate or street security if any? Do I, my family or guests have to
look forward to any harassment or are they professional? How much is my contribution
to the gateman’s salary? Also ask yourself if any of it is reasonable? do I get
to see or have proofs for these payments, you can’t be too careful on security,
it’s the life of you and your family or organization we are talking about.
4.
ELECTRIC
BILLING
Well I am
sure at the rates electric tariffs are going, we do not need to remind you how
important it is that you are paying for what you actually use, you need to talk
about shared electricity meters or billing estimates if any, also are there any
outstanding payments from past issues with your power authority? You need to
ask this, as it is not news that people with past issues usually broker a deal
with the authority in charge to spread their outstanding on their prepaid
meter, thereby hiking the electric tariffs, meaning there is a possibility you
are paying for power you did not use, usually your recipient would lie if such
an agreement exists, hence why your own housing agent has to make the trip to
the power authority and do due diligence, you can’t just be paying agents 10 to
20% for brief inspections alone, we at builtadvice employ you to try as much as
possible to avoid estimated bill and shared meters, as according to our housing
research in the last 6 months, electric bills have contributed greatly to strife
and quarrels between fellow neighbours, as the fellow using an electric cooker
will always suspect or monitor the neighbour with an air conditioning system,
asides that estimated billing is more expensive, as your power authority is
more interested in accounting for their loss of revenue than they are at making
sure you pay for what you use.
5.
PARKING
SCHEDULES
This is
straight to the point for vehicle users, if you are a 9-5 worker, you obviously
don’t want your car backed up by a night crawler neighbour, are there enough parking
spaces? Are they organized or designated per neighbour? How many vehicles are
allowed per occupant? Can i or my guests park on the road outside the compound?
Can I pay the gateman to wash my car? Is there a security risk to owning a
certain type of car? These are a few of many questions, you should ask as a
vehicle owner.
6.
PROPERTY
HISTORY & FUTURE
How many
times have you heard of people getting an unexpected quit notice or government
notice, it is for this reason we at builtadvice believe you ask about the
history and future, so you can understand the background and ownership or
management of such a property, if there are any existing disputes or vested interests
on the property, whether with the government (EFCC, AMCON, etc) or within
family members or organization partners. Also if you are a new tenant, you need
to ask about the future, is there a plan to sell in the foreseeable future?, be
sure that you tenancy agreement contains outlines that indicate the matters
regarding the future, that protect you from haven paid close to 45% on charges
your first year, then suddenly you are being asked to leave after one or two
years.
7.
LIMITATIONS
This might
sound counterproductive but you really need to ask and make sure you have a
short list of limitations, these will include things you cannot and should not
do as an occupant of a property, whether as a new home owner or tenant, you
want to know how much noise is allowed, or if your neighbours are allowed to
cook some smelly fish, can you put stuff here or there, as funny as it might sound
you need to ask if there is a curfew, are you or your neighbours allowed to
hold gatherings or parties? also what is
the occupancy ratio per apartment, so you don’t pose a problem to your
neighbours and most importantly they do not pose a problem to you, also as a
new tenant, question the limitation of your landlord or lady, they should not
be allowed to barge into a legally rented or leased property, if for
inspection, there should be a notice and a set number of inspections per year,
as you can’t have people coming in and out of the place cause they own it. Discussing
and coming to an agreement on all these will allow you some leverage and right
as a tenant or home owner.
8.
SANITATION
Although in
relation to waste disposal, we believe it is deserving of a separate discussion,
first you need to note that a property or area without a detailed sanitation
plan is a huge red flag, as it is a small sign to the management style of that
property and area, you must ask how the area or compound get cleaned? Is it at individual
occupant’s discretion or is there a set charge for it? How often do you
fumigate? Who is to clean the gutters outside and how much is paid for that
service per month or per year?. It is mostly as simple as that.
9.
LOCAL
ASSOCIATION AND COUNCIL
This is one
of the most ignored topics, it is almost impossible to find people asking about
this, but we at buildadvice believe it is important that you as a tenant or
home owner know in clear details firstly the type of local association or immediate
governing council, is there a landlords association, how often and where do they
meet? Secondly what is the leadership structure of that association? Thirdly do
you have an actual say in the decisions being made by that association? And
finally ask yourself if the answers are reasonable enough for you, this is
because no one wants the type of governance they have no say in.
10.
MOST
IMPORTANTLY DEMOGRAPHY
As the most
important of all 10, it would normally come first, but I decided to treat it
last so it rings, believe me when I say this is probably the single most
important thing you need to get right when renting or buying a property, as
this will bring the most contribution to your living satisfaction or
frustration, you can get every other thing right but getting this wrong will
leave you frustrated, in a situation where the first 9 are terrible, as long as
you get this right, you can always set up the first 9.
The demography
of an area and property is simply the dynamics or composition of the people
within that area and property; basically you need to understand in details the
type of people in the said area or property, you can classify them however way
suites you, know what sort of tribal clusters are there if any, is it an old
people environment? Are there crazy people? Are they snobbish neighbours or
friendly folk? Is there an extreme to youth exuberances in that area or
property? Is it a small young family community or adult children area? Is it a
children friendly environment? Should I be worried about certain people? go as
far as discussing the sort of job or work your potential neighbours do, it
might seem like you are crossing some sort of information boundary, but best
believe that having a neighbour that supports and gives you peace of mind is
nothing to joke with.
For more
inquiries on our services, feel free to send a direct message, email or put a
call through using the cell digits provided, and you will get direct access to
one of our professional consultants.
Thanks for
reading
Do have an
awesome day.
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