How To Inspect A Property For Purhase – The Cardinal Principles

[Motolani Olayiwola]

A. Developed Property: When you intend to buy a developed property, please take particular note of the following points in the course of inspection:

Structure: check the structure if its sill solid.

Roof: Is it made of aluminum long span or corrugated iron sheets? Is the roof leaking? The easiest way to detect this is if there are brown patches on the ceiling/ or asbestos board. This point is also very important if you do not want to start changing the roof too soon.

Tenants: Are there tenants in the property? Are they aware the property is being sold?

Amenities: Does the house have good toilets, bathrooms, and kitchens? Are the rooms spacious enough? If a block of flats, does it have basic amenities? Are the spaces enough to accommodate your belongings? Check the balcony and verandas? If a tenement building, check how many tenants share a kitchen and toilet.

Ventilation: Does the house and the apartments have good ventilation for fresh air? Check out the space between the building and the fence wall or the next building, is it sufficient?

Water Supply: The importance of water in daily living cannot be over-emphasized. Does the building or apartment have running water? Is water supply from the main source, borehole or well?

Environment: Is it a waterlogged area where you will not be able to enter whenever it rains, or where you will need a canoe/boat to get you to your house during rainy seasons? Is the area easily accessible? How many access roads lead to the area? A very important point of note is when inspecting during the rainy season.

Electricity And Water Bills: Is the building connected to the national grid? Is there power supply to the building presently?

Plumbing/Wood/Electrical Works: Check to be sure there are no blocked or broken pipes or leakages on the toilet or water pipes. Check the doors, windows, keys and hinges.

Parking Space: Check if there are enough parking spaces in the premises. If the parking space is not enough, confirm how safe it is to park outside.

Tombs, Shrines, etc: There are instances when the property you intend buying may contain the tombs of some deceased owners or relations or the shrine of a family deity. This should not discourage you if you are interested in the property. All you need do is to confirm from the seller what he intends doing about the tomb/shrine.

The Neighborhood: It is a common phenomenon in the big cities of Nigeria to find street gates/barricades on virtually every street. These are for security purposes. Most of these street gates have their opening and closing times written on them. Check to be sure that the time is convenient for you.
The neighborhood question is also important where, for instance, you intend to use the property for commercial purpose, e.g., warehouse or hotel. Would such a venture be suitable in that neighborhood? Would your customers have easy access, free from harassments or intimidation by neighbors? Would your neighbors tolerate such a venture?

Neighbors: Check out who your prospective immediate neighbors are. If you find them at home at the time of inspection, try getting personal with them to know the kind of persons they are.

Security: This is equally a very important point to note especially where you intend to personally occupy the property. Some areas are more susceptible to burglary/theft/robbery attacks than others, especially the secluded areas or an area just developing. Ask what security measures are in place.
Is the building itself adequately protected? What type of entrance doors are fitted, wooden or iron? Are the entrance doors strong enough? Are there burglary-proofs on the windows? Are there fire escapes/alternative doors/routes in cases of emergencies?

B. Undeveloped Property: Slightly different guidelines apply when you are inspecting an undeveloped property. So when inspecting such, please keep the following points in mind:
The Access Road: How easily accessible is the land? Is it motorable, even if not tarred? This becomes important because you need access to the land during construction and when you want to start living there.

Size: Is it up to a standard plot? Is it as big as the seller claims it is? Does the size correspond with the size stipulated on the survey plan or other documents shown to you?
The size of the land is equally important in deciding the type of structure you want to erect on the land.

Signs Of A Previous Owner – Many buyers make this mistake when they go to inspect a property, especially a land. The buyer will stand at a location just at the entrance to the land and merely view it from there. This is wrong. You are supposed to move round the land, walk through it, perchance you may stumble on any sign of a previous occupier. This is why it’s called inspection. Except, of course, if it is thick forest or bush.

Power Supply To The Area: Does the area have power supply, i.e., is it connected to the national grid? This is easily discernible by looking for electricity poles, cables and transformers in the area.
Water Supply: Does the area have water supply or would you need to construct a borehole or well? Even with water supply, how regular is it? Would you still need to construct a borehole or well to augment?
Environment: Is it a waterlogged or swampy area? Please note that swampy land is more expensive to build on because you may need a raft foundation and/or German floor.

The neighborhood: What types of buildings are permitted in that neighborhood? In some estates or housing schemes, there is a prototype of the building which every buyer of land in the area must comply with. Is that prototype within your budget? Is it the kind of building you have in mind?
Again, if the land is in a housing estate with a pre-design, e.g., the government housing estates, you may not be permitted to construct anything different from the other residents. Where you are buying a flat in a block of flats, regulations may not allow you to convert or modify it.

Tombs, Shrines, etc: Again, watch out for these elements and ensure you sort out the excavation or relocation with the owner before you pay. The presence of tombs/shrines should not exactly put you off the property. But be sure there are concrete arrangements with the sellers on relocating these before you pay.

Your Neighbors: As in developed properties, try to interact and get familiar with your proposed neighbors. They may serve as a good source of information on the title of your seller or whether there is any dispute on the land.

Ventilation: This point is particularly important where the land is in between developed properties. Please check the available space at both sides and the back of the building.

Security: Please ensure that your area is not exposed and susceptible to robbery and burglary attacks. Confirm if there are security arrangements by the residents of the area.

Drainage system: Many areas, especially in the big cities, suffer flooding because of a poor drainage system. Please be sure that proper drainages exist in the area of your choice. Further to this, be sure that the flow of water does not terminate on your land

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