Lagos is one of the choicest city to live in Nigeria, followed by Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Enugu. Buying a house in Lagos is the dream come true to every Nigeria both home and abroad. Some of the reasons may be because Lagos is a metropolitan city, one of the biggest and most attractive city in Nigeria and attracts many visitors who visits for business and tourism.

Apart from the visitors, Nigerians abroad always as their main home, the place they dream to buy good houses to settle down whenever they desire to return back home. Lagos is truly the center of excellence in Nigeria. But now Lagos alone, other major cities also has their own share. I have seen many leaving Lagos to buy homes in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and other places.

However, it is not always easy to buy a house in any city in Nigeria, especially Lagos. Lagos is one of the biggest and present the most daunting task when purchasing a house.

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Below are some of the steps you need to take to make your buy as simple and rewarding as possible. These practical steps is fundamental and applicable in any location in Nigeria. Whether you are buying for property business or just purchasing a home, you need these steps to get it done in the most seamless manners possible.

Here Steps To Take When Buying A House In Lagos

Prepare You Budget – A majority of the people buying house in Lagos make the mistake of not preparing and properly defining their budget before setting out to buy house in Lagos or elsewhere. They end up buying on impulse, and sometimes spending more than necessary. Buying a house is not the same as household items or fashion materials. It is one of the biggest and most important buys you can make. From legal, property levies to agency fees, there are extra and sometimes hidden costs you need to be aware of.

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Also, you need to know how much you can afford so you know what area to research and where to draw the line or put a pin in the course of your search. There are plenty of choice properties for sale in choice location but you need to know what you can really afford to avoid wasting much time and resources searching for houses in places that may not be within your budget.

Make Thorough Search And Compare – The moment you find a house that catches your fancy and fits your budget, ensure you pay the property a visit to inspect its and its environs. Check for signs of structural damage or things that may need fixing. It is sometimes necessary to do the inspection with someone who is knowledgeable in property quality, two eyes are better than one and that person may see what you did not see.

Your observation will afford you the opportunity to renegotiate on price or withdraw interest. Do not be pressured into buying a property that is defective and below standard.Such house may be too costly to maintain and will end up driving your cost very high even when you negotiate cheaper.

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If after inspection you still love the house, investigate the house, find out the who the owner of the property is, who is selling the property, who the previous owners were, why the house was put up for sale etc. Then, arrange for an appraiser to provide an independent estimate of the value of the house you are buying. The appraisal lets you know if you are paying a fair price for the house.
Verify the documents

Before you make payments for the house, confirm there are authentic documents to prove ownership of the house. Also, ensure you verify the documents being presented. Check with the local registry and the state government – The bureau of lands of Lagos state to know if the property is registered as a government acquired properties and if there are pending litigation or issues on the property.

The bureau of land is responsible for all land related matters in Lagos state. Verification is a very important thing as it confirms the validity of your purchase and saves you from fraudsters or any future heartache with the government.

Make Sure All Documents Are Available Before Paying – Make all payments regarding the house with your lawyer. After making payment, make all efforts to collect every related receipt forms. Also, from deed of assignment, contract of sale, letter of allocation, affidavits, purchase receipt, deed of gifts, letters of administration, e.t.c, there are so many documents you need to ensure you collect after making payment to guarantee authentic ownership.

After you have collected the necessary documents and receipts, file them with the State Government. It is important you do so, that way you purchase is valid in the eyes of the law.