SMART TIPS TO CONSIDER PRIOR TO BUYING YOUR LAND OR DREAM HOME IN GHANA: GUIDE TO FIRT-TIME BUYERS, DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS - AFRICAN CONTINENTAL ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION NETWORK

SMART TIPS TO CONSIDER PRIOR TO BUYING YOUR LAND OR DREAM HOME IN GHANA: GUIDE TO FIRST-TIME BUYERS, DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS

In my field of work as an industry thought leader in Ghana’s real estate and construction industry, I have had several personal encounters with first-time land and home buyers and there is always one thing common among them. Their priority and curiosity have always been on the property title.  Interestingly, many have been stereotyped to think that title verification must be the first checklist item to watch out for, but that is really not the case. 

This remark is however not to suggest that the title verification is not relevant but the point I am trying to make here is this, there are equally other important preliminary information that must precede site inspection and the title verification exercise and that should be the basis for one’s decision to acquire a property at a given location in the first place. Regrettably however, many prospective buyers do not know anything about this preliminary information, and the few that are aware of this tend to overlook it. 

 

In fact, it is disappointing to say here that, many of the real estate sector players I have personally dealt with over the years do not also know about these smart tips themselves and how they influence client’s buying decisions. 

What many do is acquire lands to develop or sell to prospective buyers who do not understand the implications of these smart tips on their property investments. Hence, many real estate sector players have succeeded consciously or unconsciously in misleading the general public into making property investment decisions that later turned out to be very disappointing. 

 

This is not gut feelings, I had the opportunity to interview quite a number of diaspora property buyers who were lured into acquiring properties in some parts of Tema Community 25 and later had to dispose them off to relocate because they later discovered that they could not sink wells nor drill mechanized boreholes to bridge the water supply gap from Ghana Water Company which was later known to be a perennial problem. 

This is because underground water around the Tema Community 25, Community 26, Prampram through to Ada is known to have high sodium chloride (salt) concentration, leaving many residents on this stretch in constant acute shortage of potable water supply.

The reality is that, they fell victims because they did not have the requisite information to make informed decisions. 

As a result of the profit motive, central to many land or property dealers, certain information relevant to support buyer decision making are most often withheld, leading many into making regrettable investment decisions. 

Therefore, the purpose of today’s article is to shed light on the importance of having these  tips we are going to discuss in this article as your guiding checklist  to support the decision making process in acquiring that dream home or property of yours.

The objective is to correct these systemic anomalies by bridging the information gap through industry focused articles such as this to save the masses from putting their hard earned resources into bad property investments. 

But before we go into the nitty-gritty of these tips, let me set the tone for this discussion by defining the scope which shall cover geographical, environmental and legal factors that embodies what we termed as the smart tips relevant to your property investment decision making.

Now, without any specific order, we are going to run you through these fundamental smart tips which includes but not limited the following; land topography, soil and geology, hydrology, weather conditions, natural hazards, ecology, pollution etc. Let us have a brief look at each, citing practical examples and their relevance to real estate developers, investors and first-time buyers alike.

Smart Tip 1: Check Land topography

This focuses on the study of the land’s shape, slope and elevations. It could be valleys, mountainous, plain, plateaus, hilly etc. The topography of the land has a significant impact on the cost of building. A typically flat and leveled land with rocky top and subsoil will mean somewhat less cost on the building foundation. 

Contrary to this, a low-lying topography or waterlogged land is most likely to increase the building foundation cost because one will have to stabilize the ground first, raise the foundation up, fill it in order to enhance the soil’s load bearing capacity and also mitigate the impact of future flooding et cetera.

Citing a few examples, on a flat plain leveled land, depending on the soil nature,  one does not have to spend so much on the building foundation compared low a lying and waterlog areas such as Kasoa or a mountainous area such as McCathy Hills etc. Building at the mountain base at Aburi may require cutting the land deep down in order to get the requisite levels to put up the building foundation. 

It is therefore important for the prospective investor to beware of these and their implications on the investment before making any buying decisions.

Smart Tip 2: Check Soil type  

This looks at the soil composition, its stability, drainage or water retention properties, load bearing capacity and the potential for erosion etc. Soil type could be rocky, loamy, sandy or clayed. This helps one to estimate the load bearing capacity of the soil, water retention capacity et cetera even before a substantive geotechnical test is conducted. 

Besides, the mineral composition of the soil is also very crucial in this process; it could be saline, acidic, sulfate etc. This will inform design considerations, give a fair idea of the foundation type to use, the choice of building materials etc. 

Clayed soil will definitely pose load bearing capacity challenge and may require raft foundation or any foundation that may be recommended by the structural engineer. 

Therefore, those who have interests in acquiring or developing properties in some parts of Oyibi, Adenta Frafraha, Amrahia, Amasaman, Pokuase, Kasoa etc that are known to have high clay deposits and waterlogged should beware of this information to advise their property investment decisions. 

Smart Tip 3: Check Location’s Hydrology Data

This focuses on both surface and underground water availability, quality and the potential for flooding. This helps the buyer make the right choice of building foundation and the building materials that can withstand the impact of rising dampness in the event the location is known to be waterlogged for instance. 

Apart from this, the mineral or chemical composition of the soil water of the given location is equally important. Take for example the Tema Community 25 and Prampram soil salt content mentioned earlier.  Soil salinity has an impact on the steel reinforcement used, the impact of salt in sea breeze on the roofs of the building etc. All these will inform both the architectural, structural design of the property and the choice of building materials etc. 

 

For example, one may have to choose fiberglass polymer reinforcement rather than regular steel to mitigate the corrosive impact of the saline soil water. Stone quoted roofs or clay roofing tiles to reduce the corrosive impact of the sea breeze on the roofs. This will reduce future maintenance cost on the property and make the investment worthwhile.

Smart Tip 4: Check the Weather Pattern

This looks at the average temperature, precipitation and extreme weather conditions. This will inform the choice of ventilation design options for example. Building at the top of the Aburi Mountains compared to a location such as Tema Community 25 whose weather conditions are vastly different is a perfect example to site in this case. 

For ease of understanding, let me use locations outside Accra. Take for example the weather conditions in Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani and compare that to the five (5) northern regions. The difference in temperature alone must inform your choice, buying and building decisions.

Smart Tip 5: Check out for Potential Natural Hazards

This looks at the likelihood of natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, floods and erosion. Its purpose will inform a choice of design that can withstand these potential risks. Take for instance areas such as McCathy Hills and Weija which are known to be earthquake fault zones means that buyers need to know about this so they can stay away or opt to buy but have their building designed to resist seismic pressures in the event an earthquake strikes.  

Similarly, places such as Weija, Kasoa, Kaneshie, Adabraka and some portions of Sakumono et cetera known to be high flood risk zones will definitely inform a buyer that his building design must be resilient enough to withstand the impacts of storm water.  This is the reason why you do not just buy land anywhere and ask a draftsman to render a generic design for you and the property gets developed accordingly.

Smart Tip 6: Check Location’s Ecological Features

This is the assessment that focuses on the presence of wetlands, wildlife habitats, lagoons, mangroves or other environmental reserves or species of living things. For instance, one will definitely not like to build or site his property close to the monkey sanctuary in Afienya if he is not interested in the excesses of monkeys. Or the Shai Hills Resource Reserve which is known to be home of pythons and all variety of snake spices. 

One will need information about these reserves and their impact on his life to make sound property investment decisions. In most African cultures, there are many communities that have sacred animals and plants as their totems and these animals are not supposed to be killed. In search for the ecological assessment information on a given location, all these should come to play and must inform one’s decision to settle for the given location.

Smart Tip 7: Check Location’s Pollution Data

It is always very important for one to have a fair idea about the air or water quality or both to be able to predict future air or water quality of a given location to make informed decisions. Citing Tema as a classic example, air quality is compromised by virtue of its design as an industrial city. 

The presence of the two (2) major industrial enclaves namely, the Tema Heavy Industrial Area and the Tema Free Zones enclave together with their spill over around the Kpone Community, Tema Community 7, Tema Community 21, Community 22, Community 25, Community 26, Tema Gulf City, Ashaiman area etc are all facing significant air quality challenges because of the heavy industrial fumes discharged into the atmosphere on daily basis.

Similarly, industrial noise, waste pollution and soil contamination or even volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration must all be taken into consideration. A person who is asthmatic or allergic to VOCs will definitely not choose to settle in Tema particularly in the aforementioned localities.  Even apart from the air quality challenges, soil pollution from both industrial and domestic wastes is a major health concern. 

The three (3) major landfills in Tema are significant risk to residents. The landfill behind the Tema Free Zones enclave, the one adjacent B5 Plus Group and the recently decommissioned one on the Kpone Kokonpe stretch still poses significant soil and underground water pollution in Tema. All these pieces of information helps the prospective first-time buyer who has interest in settling in Tema to beware and make informed decisions as to which part of Tema to settle in order to mitigate the impact of these environmental hazards on his or her life.

 

Smart Tip 8: Check Location’s Zoning and Land Use Information

Zoning laws are crucial as they dictate how land can be used, ensuring compliance and compatibility between different land uses and maintaining order within cities. It is only lack of information that may make a rational investor buy lands on Ramar sites, or  lands zoned for residential purpose for industrial purposes. 

Many people have bought wetlands, earthquake fault zones, forest reserves etc for residential purposes without knowing. This is very rampant in Accra. Many fell victims and had their properties demolished few months ago at the Skumono Ramsar site.

I have interviewed innocent persons who bought portions of the Laloi Lagoon site located between Prampram and Kpone which is zone as wetland and not fit for residential purpose. 

Even though they could not obtain building permits from the local assembly because of this, many still went ahead and built. Eventually, disaster may wipe these investments away or they face demolishing. The Songor Ramsar is also under siege, industrial quarry concessions are also been sold as residential properties in the Afienya, Shai Hills areas etc.  Vibration of fireworks of blasting explosives affecting the structural integrity properties etc.  All these information must be available for prospective investors to enable them make informed buying decisions.

Why these Smart Tips are Essential

This helps real estate developers, investors, first-time buyers and all other stakeholders make strategic and legally compliant development or purchasing decisions.  This helps in identifying potential risks, opportunities and the remedial strategies to eliminate or mitigate the risks. 

Also, it is important to note that, it is not everywhere one buys a land or a house because the location is prime. This is what many have been told and some ended up buying Ramsar sites, wetlands, earthquake zones, industrial lands for residential purposes etc. In fact, many have since been living with lots of regret for these decisions till today. The benefits are enormous and among them are these;

 

Site Suitability and Risk Assessment

This helps the prospective buyer in question identify suitable locations for development based on terrain, soil, flood risk and seismic activity. This helps reduce exposure to natural hazards such as floods etc.

Cost-Efficient Design and Construction

This guides the decision on the type of building foundation, drainage systems and construction materials. This also helps one to avoid unexpected costs from land instability, waterlog or contamination etc. 

Avoidance of Legal and Regulatory breaches

These tips help prospective buyers to know the environmental and urban planning master plans, regulations etc. This ensures compliance with local environmental planning regulations to avoid project permit issues, project halts, penalties or demolitions for unauthorized developments.

Ensures Land use Planning and Optimization

This informs developers, investors and first-time buyers alike on how best to use every part of land in compliance with appropriate design functions such as residential, commercial, parks etc.

Marketability and Investment Confidence

It is important to note that, projects sited on safe, compliant and sustainable sites are more attractive to prospective home or land buyers, financiers, investors etc. This brings of ease of sale of the properties and also leads to value appreciation of same.

 

Sources of Information on the Smart Tips

The question now is, how will the vulnerable first-time buyer, investor or developer be able to access to this information.  Do they have to conduct these tests themselves?. 

The answer is no because it is expensive to conduct many of these tests. But the good news however is, they can obtain these reports from state departments and agencies such as the Ghana Hydrological Authority (Hydro), the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA), the Ghana Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies (MMDAs) et cetera. 

The rest may be environmental consultants, geotechnical engineers, urban planning professionals and sometimes from seasoned and objective real estate professionals and developers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these smart tips are not optional and based on the individual’s choice to either seek this information or not but it is a strategic tool that helps real estate developers, investors, first-time buyers build smart, safer and more resilient properties, maximizing the profitability of their investments. Ignoring it can lead to legal setbacks, poor investment returns and damage both reputations and the environment. 

But remember that our motive is not to scare you into searching the whole universe for a problem-free land which in anyway never existed. The aim is to arm you with the information you need to choose wisely, and one will need to mitigate the risks associated with the given choice of location. In conclusion, let me be quick to add that, the views or opinions expressed in this article or any article by this writer are not to be relied without obtaining legal or other professional advice when taking a step or entering into a legally binding agreement.

For real estate consultancy services, land banking strategies, real estate financing consultancy, title registration, off-plan development advisory services, shell housing development strategies or bespoke advisory on general property investments across Ghana and Africa, contact the Africa Continental Engineering & Construction Network Ltd. We have you covered 360℃.

Reference

• • Ghana Geological Survey Authority (2021): Ghana Earthquake Fault Zones.

• • Ghana Hydrological Authority (2023): Ghana Flood Risks Zones Map.

• • Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (2024): Master Planning Reports