How to House Hunt in Nigeria

House hunting in Nigeria is the absolute ghetto. You'd think it'd be easier in less busy cities but that's not the case. It could take months, but if you put your mind to it, there's definitely a house waiting for you. There are so many things to consider when looking for a new place to live in and if you ignore any of these factors, you end up spending a year or more living in regret.

Some of these factors to look out for are very obvious but you're likely to skip them if you don't pay much attention. It's not going to be an easy task but brace up, go along with a pal for a second opinion if you may and explore your options.

Get an agent

First things first, you need to get a house agent. Except it's from a verified site, it's not advisable to meet up with just anyone that claims to be a house agent. Preferably, get a contact from a trusted person. Also, get more than one house agent for more options. Most agents would charge you a consultation fee for each day you go out inspecting houses.

Choose a budget

Telling your agent the amount you can afford to pay saves you both a lot of stress. It makes their job easier and faster. If you don't do that, they would do the Nigerian thing of sizing you up, taking you to places they think you can afford based on your appearance.

You don't want to go way over your budget getting a house that you can't afford its subsequent payments. That would put you through the stress of moving again the next year.

Size

The size of the space you want is one of the driving forces of your search. If you're going for a bigger space for example, you might encounter a lot of spaces with a large living area only to find out you barely fit into the kitchen or the bathroom. It's best you have a mental picture of the type of space you want before beginning your search.

Working amenities

In a sane environment, a rented apartment should have basic amenities. Except you're buying a house, there's no reason why a new tenant should be the one doing all of the fixing and renovation in a house they just rented. Be sure to check that all major amenities like toilets and taps are in good working condition. If they're not, you should point it out to the agent for fixing.

Also, there's the caution fee you pay that's meant to be refunded when you decide to move out. A refund is possible only when you didn't destroy any facility in the house. Now, if you didn't initially make your concerns known when you first move in, it is assumed whatever faults are discovered later on are entirely on you.

Check all doors, windows, ceilings, floors, and walls, noting any faults. It is important you get clarity on whether or not repairs would be made by the landlord because when you pay your rent, you're on your own.

Other important amenities you should consider are the electricity and water situation. There's nothing as frustrating as moving into a new place and not having electricity. It is very well known that electricity distribution in Nigeria is horrible but some areas have it worse than others.

Make inquiries from existing tenants and neighbors to get an honest view of the light situation. Find out how the electricity bill is sorted among the tenants and also be sure there are no backlog payments from the previous occupant of the house that is going to be transferred to you.

Be sure there's a working borehole water system in the house, you don't want to have to go distances to get water.

Accessibility

Except you're fine with being cut off from the rest of the world, there's no reason to live in an area that's inaccessible. There should be ease of movement to work, the hospital, gym, markets, and in case of emergencies. It's advisable to go house hunting in the rainy season in Nigeria because that's when you see the true nature of the roads leading to the house.

The road network in most areas is horrible and when it rains, it gets worse. House hunting in the rainy season tells you if the area is waterlogged so you can decide if you want to deal with having a pool of water in your living room or riding a canoe to work whenever it rains.

Security

It really is not advisable to live in a house not fenced. It's no guarantee that it will keep you safe but a fenced, gated house in Nigeria is way better than being out there in the open. Better still, gear towards gated estates with security.

The other factors

There are other things you might not remember to factor in in your search that are very important. Imagine finding the perfect house with all of the amenities in check only to realize you have a next-door neighbor with 12 occupants that are very noisy or a neighbor who pounds yam every day for dinner.

There's also the possibility of being bundled up with people you don't know by the police because you unknowingly found yourself in a criminal den. This is why you need to be observant and make inquiries when you go to inspect the house.

Some areas have no internet access so be sure to go along with your mifi device or test the internet on your phone. There are places that have it worse with no call reception at all. Avoid such places as much as you can.

With these pointers, you definitely should get a convenient place in a good location. As earlier mentioned, it's not an easy task getting all of your requirements met in one house. Adjusting and sacrificing some needs for others will come in handy especially when there's a scarcity of available houses.