Dear NLers,

Building a house is a major project for anyone. As a very busy employee in diaspora, going home to build by oneself is often difficult.

I tend to rely on friends and family.

However, the latest experience has left a very bitter taste in my mouth.


When I decided to double check some quotations like labour cost, I found it to be about 40 to 60% inflated.

Don't get me wrong, I know there's no free lunch in Freetown. I expect maximum 15% inflation (price to pay for having no time) but up to 60% is incredible.

There are some projects I lost out on when I noticed rip off approaches before I even started.

Also I give money to the relative/friend after each phase of work (though not officially agreed on) to avoid over-inflation but to no avail.

Double or even tripple checking quotations is causing friction.

A project that should cost about 10m could end up costing nearly double.

So NLers home and abroad what's the best approach to this matter?

Please relate your experiences and solutions that helped here. Apart from giving it to builders.

MacLovington: Dear NLers,

Building a house is a major project for anyone. As a very busy employee in diaspora, going home to build by oneself is often difficult.

I tend to rely on friends and family.

However, the latest experience has left a very bitter taste in my mouth.


When I decided to double check some quotations like labour cost, I found it to be about 40 to 60% inflated.

Don't get me wrong, I know there's no free lunch in Freetown. I expect maximum 15% inflation (price to pay for having no time) but up to 60% is incredible.

There are some some project I lost out on when I noticed rip off approaches before I even started.

Also I give money to the relative/friend after each phase of work (though not officially agreed on) to avoid over-inflation but to no avail.

Double or even tripple checking quotations is causing friction.

A project that should cost about 10m could end up costing nearly double.

So NLers home and abroad what's the best approach to this matter?

Please relate your experiences and solutions that helped here. Apart from giving it to builders.

that is what we basically do,we help people in diaspora to build their houses without the intervention of family and friends....strict confidentiality is assured....Email:kingrules187@yahoo.co.uk

@ Alex187,

Ok, I wish I knew this last year!

Do you work nationwide and what's the process?

men if your own family could ripped you off, what did you expect form strager? It always better to be there yourself make little diffrent either, that those not mean they can't rub you oh my brother. So,so every whrere it just became way of life for many,they don't see anything wrong with it.Only God can help in diaspora, if you ask to much qeastions find way to eliminate you will be next.

The best is to keep your friends and family out of your project. Your family and so called your friends can make things difficult for you by telling the contractors to inflate their price so that they can get money from the client through the contractors. I have come across so many of them during electrical/plumbing installations and I dont listen to them. But they will later turn me to their enemy.

It really depends on how organised you are, can you go home at all, how much of a hurry are you to complete. I have used family and contractors and for me I am done with that and neither i'm I in a hurry.

I have seen a few contractors on Nairaland that have given price at each stage and they have been fairly reasonable. The one I am referring to is that of spyder

You can achieve a lot in 1-2 weeks if you get really organised. I have family that come in 2 weeks over easter and get a whole lot done.

Okay. I have had my share of this when I know nothing about building. I once enlisted the service of a friend to help buy plot of land in Lagos. Little did I know he had added so much money on top which I found out later. I also told him to do the fencing and he gave me 3.5 Million Naira to fence a plot of land and he has forgotten he told me he spent 8million on his own Bungalow.

I just added 2 plus 2 together that you want me to spend 50% of what you spend to build your house to fence a plot of land. I now give my projects to some of the 3 major guys (lagos based) on this forum to manage. Brabus, Aventure, Segcmore and Spyder are very good.

With the level of internet and information sharing in Nigeria now, you are well informed and people can hardly cheat you. I can now question my engineer on some decisions in building projects.

Ok keep it coming guys. I can only stay about 10 days when I come home. It doesn't usually coincide with my projects. It has been for a funeral or some other reasons. Perhaps better planning then.


In the past, I got projects done remotely with minimal inflation (I hope) but it's something else these days. There is the impression in some quarters that money is easy to make here.


I am an impulsive person, if I get the money, I want to invest it before I divert it to something else.

@ Poster,
I live in the USA and have built few houses in Nigeria for investment purposes.
No matter who you contract to supervise your project, trust is a big problem.
Nigerians at home take it as their right to rip you off without batting an eye.

I have recently adopted these options.

1) Contract a professional to supervise your project (after due process and checking their work)
2) Travel home at least once or twice in a year, especially during major stages like foundation, decking,
roofing and finishing.
3) Get at least three quotes for every stage. This may be time consuming and stressful, it will be an eye opener.
4) Don't pay the professional and workers directly. Delegate a "trusted" friend or family to disburse funds
after cross- checking the quality and completion of work. Ask them to email pictures too.
5) Don't send all the money at once, the trusted friend or family member may be tempted or start thinking you are
a money bag. If possible use more than one person.
6) Don't make decisions too quickly, do your research and compare notes with other nairalanders. It is your money!
7) Painstakingly document everything ( I use Google drive, and I can access it anywhere instantly).

Investing in your home land is never a mistake. Good luck.

@Sagewood,
You are right man. When a project is done in Milestones, I think there is a need to get more quotes from outside for other Milestones other than the Contractor that worked on the last Milestone. They kind of get too comfortable along the line and they start to rip you off.

amanikondo: @Sagewood,
You are right man. When a project is done in Milestones, I think there is a need to get more quotes from outside for other Milestones other than the Contractor that worked on the last Milestone. They kind of get too comfortable along the line and they start to rip you off.

You got it. Experience is the best teacher.

Very good points there by Sagewood and amanikondo.

Already doing some of those: multiple quotations, trying to do it in phases etc.

Additionally, adopt the decipline of multiplying every quote by 0.65 and stand on the result. This applies mostly to labor costs. For materials, leverage Nairaland to get the cost of materials. Specify to them what you want before you make the funds available. Once someone starts pushing you to go with an option, ask them to give you a rationale driving their decision. At that point, just listen. 95% of the time, they talk out of point (for the most part, that is where they will benefit from). Everyone is a contractor is Nigeria. Forget contractors. If you have questions, open a thread on NL.

topsy23: The best is to keep your friends and family out of your project. Your family and so called your friends can make things difficult for you by telling the contractors to inflate their price so that they can get money from the client through the contractors. I have come across so many of them during electrical/plumbing installations and I dont listen to them. But they will later turn me to their enemy.

Sad, but true. Just a few decent people left.

topsy23: The best is to keep your friends and family out of your project. Your family and so called your friends can make things difficult for you by telling the contractors to inflate their price so that they can get money from the client through the contractors. I have come across so many of them during electrical/plumbing installations and I dont listen to them. But they will later turn me to their enemy.

Sad, but true. Just a few decent people left.

Like someone rightly pointed out; do not rush. Do things stage by stage, and don't send huge amount of money at a time. Come down to Nigeria to supervise the major stages like foundation, decking, roofing, et al.

Also try as much as possible to cordinate things from there. Don't just send money and relax. You have to let them know you're in charge and that you know what you're talking about. Do your researches and ask your questions on Nairaland especially; it's a great resource.
It may also help to entrust money to be disbursed for materials and labour to a trusted teenage family or friend. Note the keyword there "Teenage". May not work for everyone, but I tend to believe that smart and intelligent teenagers have their heads screwed on right. They're your best option.

I also told him to do the fencing and he gave me 3.5 Million Naira to fence a plot of land and he has forgotten he told me he spent 8million on his own Bungalow. DAMN! How do you say ripoff in chinese?

Due diligence I would say!
You can all get in touch for the processing of your Approved Building Plans and Titled Documents( C of O, Governor's Consent,Ratificatn Cases, Survey Plans, Buying of Property etc), within Lagos and Ogun State.
I work as a Town Planner/Consultant with the Lagos State Govt.
I can be reached via- select500@yahoo.com
Cheers!

fuqua: I also told him to do the fencing and he gave me 3.5 Million Naira to fence a plot of land and he has forgotten he told me he spent 8million on his own Bungalow. DAMN! How do you say ripoff in chinese?

.

Na wa oo.

New development on another on-going project!

My supervisor quit last week. I have been doing multiple quotations especially on labour. His turned out up to 60% more expensive and I saved nearly 200k in one case! He got frustrated of the tight monitoring and quit.

Of late he was inflating surface area by 400%. Najia will never settle, there is too much dishonesty.

I am relieved that he threw in the towel. I didn't know how to fire him without causing family rift so I tightened the monitoring.

MacLovington: .

Na wa oo.

New development on another on-going project!

My supervisor quit last week. I have been doing multiple quotations especially on labour. His turned out up to 60% more expensive and I saved nearly 200k in one case! He got frustrated of the tight monitoring and quit.

Of late he was inflating surface area by 400%. Najia will never settle, there is too much dishonesty.

I am relieved that he threw in the towel. I didn't know how to fire him without causing family rift so I tightened the monitoring.

Good for you! Once you double down on closer monitoring and oversight, you will see the true situation of things.
More savings and better value for your money!!

MacLovington: .

Na wa oo.

New development on another on-going project!

My supervisor quit last week. I have been doing multiple quotations especially on labour. His turned out up to 60% more expensive and I saved nearly 200k in one case! He got frustrated of the tight monitoring and quit.

Of late he was inflating surface area by 400%. Najia will never settle, there is too much dishonesty.

I am relieved that he threw in the towel. I didn't know how to fire him without causing family rift so I tightened the monitoring.

Truth dey bitter, but I go tell you the truth and if you no like am, go and jump into the lagoon.

You are a sadist, a poor churchrat sadist who thinks that every nigerian is a criminal that wants to steal your money just because he lives in nigeria.

You want to turn to FBi and spy on the life a professional just because you give him job of less than a million. He will be made to slave for you? Wetin? You and your family will haras his life and sack him and you come here to spew rubbish that he ran away because you monitor him close, you owe the man money and you sack him because you no get money to pay the contractor so you sack him

You want to spy on his life and yet you dey jand dey do yahoo yahoo and expect people not to chop ya money, oloshi!

7842I:

Truth dey bitter, but I go tell you the truth and if you no like am, go and jump into the lagoon.

You are a sadist, a poor churchrat sadist who thinks that every nigerian is a criminal that wants to steal your money just because he lives in nigeria.

You want to turn to FBi and spy on the life a professional just because you give him job of less than a million. He will be made to slave for you? Wetin? You and your family will haras his life and sack him and you come here to spew rubbish that he ran away because you monitor him close, you owe the man money and you sack him because you no get money to pay the contractor so you sack him

You want to spy on his life and yet you dey jand dey do yahoo yahoo and expect people not to chop ya money, oloshi!

HHMMM BROS i beg, na you be the contractor in question??

cyntiathis:

HHMMM BROS i beg, na you be the contractor in question??

.

No mind am. Na one of those who like to reap where he did not sow. Another confirmed thief. He must have been caught cheating also.

People like these are dangerous, they can send armed robbers/kidnappers after you when you go home. Confirmed criminal.

To begin with, who told him he is a professional?? That's why they sit Jamb ten times or have to bribe to get admission.

May other people rob him of the money he made with his sweat.

He's one poor church rat and doesn't know how much it costs to do decking nor how much it cost to roof a house or he would not mention one million Naira.

Let him be taking panadol for other people's headache. Let him be looking for people abroad to dupe instead of working hard.

You see his primitive mentality that everybody abroad is doing yahoo yahoo so, he thinks he's taking his share from yahoo yahoo money... You too go abroad and do yahoo yahoo. He wakes up everyday looking for which crime to commit. Onyara.

You think it's like Naija that people get away with murder. Ask your brother Ibori (the man who could have become president of Nigeria if he was not too close to Atiku)) in British jail and see how easy it is to escape justice here.

The slightest criminal record here and bye bye to your legal, accounting, actuarian, medical, engineering or any decent professional career.
Of course that anu has no career and wouldn't know what I mean.

1. DIY - You can save at least 30% of the your build cost if you get it right. But there's a caveat, if you're in least doubt PLS BACK OUT or ask questions from those who have been there before.
2. Pay As You Go - I build for people and I ask them to pay only when milestones are met. In fact, there's a penalty if we fail to deliver on schedule.
3. Be Involved - You're not expected to save on cost alone. A badly built house is worse than been ripped off in some cases. Get a professional to check the work as milestones are met.
4. Get Quotes from other contractors.
5. Be Flexible - We all make mistakes. If you're too rigid, you may end up getting shoddy jobs as the contractor, builder or relative handling your project may end up patching up to make you feel good.
6. Don't sign up with Baba Bricklayer! - Get a professional to handle your project and get a contractual agreement signed by both parties.
7. Break the project into stages and have the contractor list out the material requirements, and deliverables.
8. Be in Charge - Remember you're the project manager (whether in Diaspora or Home). Fire, dismiss, sack that contractor before he take advantage of you. You won't loose a thing doing so. There are millions of people looking for job.

brabus: 1. DIY - You can save at least 30% of the your build cost if you get it right. But there's a caveat, if you're in least doubt PLS BACK OUT or ask questions from those who have been there before.
2. Pay As You Go - I build for people and I ask them to pay only when milestones are met. In fact, there's a penalty if we fail to deliver on schedule.
3. Be Involved - You're not expected to save on cost alone. A badly built house is worse than been ripped off in some cases. Get a professional to check the work as milestones are met.
4. Get Quotes from other contractors.
5. Be Flexible - We all make mistakes. If you're too rigid, you may end up getting shoddy jobs as the contractor, builder or relative handling your project may end up patching up to make you feel good.
6. Don't sign up with Baba Bricklayer! - Get a professional to handle your project and get a contractual agreement signed by both parties.
7. Break the project into stages and have the contractor list out the material requirements, and deliverables.
8. Be in Charge - Remember you're the project manager (whether in Diaspora or Home). Fire, dismiss, sack that contractor before he take advantage of you. You won't loose a thing doing so. There are millions of people looking for job.

Correct talk Brabus. I follow most of your threads anyway. I thought you would be in Spyder's investment group too.

I have done projects from diaspora since nearly years and dishonesty is just getting worse. But thank God there are still some transparent people, but sadly few and far between.

Brabus are you to do jobs in Ikorodu, Lusada/Agbara and Ibeju-Lekki axis? I know a few people short of time to come home and do projects but could potentially do in phases/stages if there was a reliable person.

True people are being put off because of previous bad experience and end up doing nothing.

MacLovington:

Correct talk Brabus. I follow most of your threads anyway. I thought you would be in Spyder's investment group too.

I have done projects from diaspora since nearly years and dishonesty is just getting worse. But thank God there are still some transparent people, but sadly few and far between.

Brabus are you to do jobs in Ikorodu, Lusada/Agbara and Ibeju-Lekki axis? I know a few people short of time to come home and do projects but could potentially do in phases/stages if there was a reliable person.

True people are being put off because of previous bad experience and end up doing nothing.

Sure, I can build anywhere in the Southwest Nigeria. I wish I could be in that investment group too but there are too many things competing for my time now. Spyder has my 100% support. Infact, we are working on the first construction collabo (Spyder and Brabus team) on Nairaland for another Nairaland friend in PH

brabus:

Sure, I can build anywhere in the Southwest Nigeria. I wish I could be in that investment group too but there are too many things competing for my time now. Spyder has my 100% support. Infact, we are working on the first construction collabo (Spyder and Brabus team) on Nairaland for another Nairaland friend in PH

.

Good to know that. I can now constructively contribute when people raise this matter.

How does your procedure looks like?

Can you do foundation as phase 1, Up to lintel/window level as phase 2, lintel and final as phase 3, Roofing as phase 4 etc with gaps of say 2-3 months in between?

Do you charge per phase?

MacLovington: .

Good to know that. I can now constructively contribute when people raise this matter.

How does your procedure looks like?

Can you do foundation as phase 1, Up to lintel/window level as phase 2, lintel and final as phase 3, Roofing as phase 4 etc with gaps of say 2-3 months in between?

Do you charge per phase?

We can work based on whatever route you choose. Of course, we break the project into 4 stages.

1. Substructure
- Setting out
- Excacation/Blinding
- Foundation works
- Sand filling
- DPC

2. Superstructure (Ground Floor)
- Block Setting
- Lintel, Columns and Beams

3. Slab

5. Superstructure (First Floor)
- Block Setting
- Lintel, Columns and Beams

4. Roofing
- Woodwork
- Roof Covering
- Ceiling Noggins

brabus:

We can work based on whatever route you choose. Of course, we break the project into 4 stages.

1. Substructure
- Setting out
- Excacation/Blinding
- Foundation works
- Sand filling
- DPC

2. Superstructure (Ground Floor)
- Block Setting
- Lintel, Columns and Beams

3. Slab

5. Superstructure (First Floor)
- Block Setting
- Lintel, Columns and Beams

4. Roofing
- Woodwork
- Roof Covering
- Ceiling Noggins

Nice breakdown. I was talking to a young colleague last time: he doesn't want to spend more than 1m on land in Lagos.

He got offered a 120 x 60 plot in Ibeju-Lekki and a 120 x 120 plot in Ikorodu for 900k and 950k respectively. He's thinking more ahead, hoping there will be more development there over say 3 to 5 years. Although he wants to start building soon.

Objectively, which of these two plots would you go for?

Considering that Ibeju-Lekki land will almost certainly involve raft foundation.

I was actually advising him to increase his budget but he thinks that's all he can afford for now.

MacLovington:


Nice breakdown. I was talking to a young colleague last time: he doesn't want to spend more than 1m on land in Lagos.

He got offered a 120 x 60 plot in Ibeju-Lekki and a 120 x 120 plot in Ikorodu for 900k and 950k respectively. He's thinking more ahead, hoping there will be more development there over say 3 to 5 years. Although he wants to start building soon.

Objectively, which of these two plots would you go for?

Considering that Ibeju-Lekki land will almost certainly involve raft foundation.

I was actually advising him to increase his budget but he thinks that's all he can afford for now.

The cost of construction in Lekki - Ibeju isn't as expensive as you think and you can get away with a strip foundation in some areas. I'll do Lekki - ibeju

Get someone to upload video clips of the work in progress at each building stage/ milestone (keep it on your You Tube channel) as a form of monitoring.

Ho I have read alot of your mails on this and other thread .
And all infor on contractor ,relatives,baba bricklayer etc are correct.
From my experience most time the owner is to be blamed, how do you give a sum to anybody that has not seen that kind of money in say in the past one year
You guys aboard make us feel we don't have creadible guys around here !!!!!!
Mainwhile you in most cases fraternize with half baked guys during ur short stay in here.
If you guys did not see spider and coy, probably conclude negatively.

A little estimate is this----bungalow cost below N60,000 per floor area in meters may be wanting in standard .

My stake is that you look well o.
Always remember the difference in cost btw different grades of materials canbe up to 100%
This can affect your quotes . My take is that if you can buy materials yourself the better.
My studies case is benin city as a case sturdy
QED