Beat Omo onile hands down!

You've just bought your land, paid for Omo Onile through your contact man or agent and now you are ready to commence building, you got to your site and suddenly, people started appearing intermittently all claiming to be Omo Onile and ready to extort your life savings from you.
What will you do? I guess you've been paying and you might still keeep paying until we trash out this issue. What after settling everybody, work commences, seting out and digging started but before you know it after one hour of work, three old men of over 70 years old, yes I mean seventy years old came to the land started scattering your materials on site and laying claim to the site one of them lying to you that the cassava you cut on that land belongs to him, and he is ready to take you to the police station bragging to you that you are going to pay him millions for this , telling you that this is what he uses in feeding and sending his children to school. You asked them what the problem really is, they are not ready to tell you anything, not ready to compromise and you saw them carrying the cassava stem away running and breathing heavily and you thought the case might be beyond money; everything seems to confuse you, you are at a dillemma on what to do next, you call your contact man frantically no response or he keeps promising to come to the site but he is far away and too busy attending to the problems of other sites afterall he has collected money for your own, you may no longer be too important. I want to state categorically that this happened to me in MOWE. Ogun State, is not a made up story, so read on.
Yes, what is your experience? Let talk about few of mine first then may be you'll tell me yours, let analyze the power of 'Omo Onile'

(1) They are illegitimately legitimate

The government of the land does not recognise Omo Onile and their nefarious activities but they don't go against them either even when they unwillingly extort money from the hapless Nigerian. To the Omo Onile's they believe they are in a legitimate business backed indirectly by the quietness of governmet of the day, afterall nobody is fighting them back.

(2) They see you as someone coming to take away their inherited land

and by the time you are through with your building, you;ll simply lock your gate against them and write beware of dog on your gate as the usual saying. So they don't have any pity for you.

(3) They believe they have nothing to loose afterall

you are the one with the money and you are desperate to see that your building is on so that you won't have to convert money with you into other uses. This is one of their strength, they know you are desperate.

(4) They also know you don't want trouble and you are intimidated by their incessant harrasment.

These and many more are what the 'Omo Onile' have going for them and they are tapping into making it work for maximum exploitation. What you must do and not do Don't show them that you have so much money to throw around because the more you spend, the more they are going to ask for . You've been given them stipends before you've finally made up your mind to start something on your land does not mean they aren't going to ask you for more money. No matter what you give, it will never be enough so if you are afraid of confrontation I'll advise you look for someone that can stand in for you for the main time.
Omo onile wins by Psychology, if you play the game well with them, you'll laugh best. Their intention is to suck you dry by wearing you out, if I were you I will be ready for this. Try to find out among landlord in your area how much did it take them to settle the Omo Onile, find the average and use it to determine what you are going to give out. I will advice whatever your contact man is asking for to settle them give him half of the money, take the other half as what you will use to settle others that will come to trouble you on site.
Don't however pay a dime but after so much haggling, you will find out =N=1,000 or =N=600 atimes will save you a lot of stress. Don't give anybody large sum of money to settle Omo Onile, except for good. Estate agent or land, the moment your contact man collects money from you expect him to remove 60% of that money for himself. This is the same money you could have used to settle himself and other that will come. Though you need someone to always point or direct whoever is disturbing you but this usually is not enough. Intimidation is by far their greatest weapon, you may have as much as 6 groups laying claims to the land and coming at different time of the day to collect money from you. If you give in to intimidation or they discover an element of fear in you then you are done for.
A case is one 2 bedroom flat I was about to raise, yes after paying to our contact man, and he himself assuring us that nobody will come to disturb us, people started showing on site in drove at one time and another, fortunartely the owner was not around so I had to face the heat by myself. Imagine you are on a site 20 hefty looking young and old men smoking marijuana and puffing it to your face challenging you angrily and few of them even making comment of beating you up, if you are not ready to cooperate with them. So, facing the kind of situation what will you do? Run? If you do you are finished, you won't have peace on that site again and that is what they expecxt you to do by putting fear in your mind. My advice don't run talk with them not too gently and make them to realise the owner is coming to pay. As I said earlier, the more you pay, the more you're still going to pay that is the logic, until when you get angry and you don't know what to do. Your contact man will always pose as someone working for your interest but not until he leaves the site to inform the other 'Omo Onile' about activity going on in your site.
Another one is to use guerrila method.
If you have a very small project like 2 bedroom flat there are some activities you may involve around 5 pm, 5 am - 7 am and night in the evening especially when your artesans (workmen) are staying around. This may give you the opportunity to be able to avoid some of them because that is their job, that is what they leave on they can not stop coming until everybody is settled one way or the other. I have used this tactic before.
Going straight to meet the Baale or king of the land which will eventually cost you much, but will save you from incessant harrasment is also a good method of reducing the nuisance.

Building Professionals

(1)The soil scientist:

The soil scientist work is to determine how suitable is the land for the purpose of which is going to be used for.They check the strenght,ph content and gives report on the effects of building on such lands.They are important indeed to avoid settlement of land due to weight of building in the future. They use different ways to investigate soil conditions.For simple residential buildings on reasonable sites digging several holes about three spits deep, drilling holes up to 2 or 21/2m deep with a hand auger or driving a pointed steel bar about 1 1/2m into the ground are generally sufficient. With larger buildings or more difficult sites,the following methods are applicable. (i)Excavating trial holes about 1 1/2m deep deep outside the perimeter of the building. (ii)Drilling boreholes by percussion or rotary methods.The percussion method uses a steel bit with a chisel point screwed to a steel rod.The rotary method employs a hollow rod with a rotating bit and a core of strata is forced back up the hollow rod. (iii)Load testing often using a reinforced concrete slab about 1.20 to 1.50m2 and 300mm thick,to which loads are added at about 2 hour intervals and the amount of settlement is determined with a level .The safe bearing capacity of the soil is found by dividing half the load applied prior to appreciable settlement into the area of slab.

(2)lawyers:

Lawyers are needed right from when you want to purchase your land,they help in all legal dealings. From contracts to agreements between you and the "omo onile" landowners; you need them .It is the job of a lawyer to find out the true owner of the land because the person selling to you may actually not be the right person to do so, they will do a thorough scrutiny on the agreement papers and give their legal advice on your investment.The money you pay for this service may be worthwhile considering the possibility of loosing your money if you refuse to contact them.


(3)Land Surveyors

These people map out the the area or plot of your land.They see to it that your land is properly dermarcated from your neighbour with their instruments and skill they will give you the accurate length of your plot .There drawing is what you take to the architect for design of your building. You also needs survey plan for validation of your land when you want to register it.

(4)Architects:

They liase with you i.e the clients on one on one to achieve the type of building you want .Architects give professional supports to the clients not only on the design of the building ,the execution ,but general support even the viability of the building .The work of an architect is extensive because they are generally closer to you clients than every other building professionals. He is in the best position to know what meets your dreams and how to help achieve it. He conceives or dream and put pen to paper and sketch out what you have in mind,gives you to criticise to suit what you want properly, and make the necessary adjustments .He is the bridge between you and the other professionals and artesans on site ,by his position he is the head of the building team.

(5)Quantity Surveyor:

This professional estimates and see to it that you won't embark on a project that is beyond your financial means .They cost and determine the amount of money you will require to build your house so that you don't end up abandoning your project midway. This people are very important unfortunately Nigerian of today do not see the need for them and that is why we have abandoned projects dotting our landscape. It is nice to have a beautiful and befitting house .It also helps to promote the architects that designed it for you when your house is very beautiful, though for small projects your architect can give you an idea of what your building will cost ,but you may not really get the perfect and non-sentimental estimate as to what a quantity surveyor will give you. The quantity surveyor has nothing to lose if the house is very ugly his job is to make sure you have a financial understanding of what you are about to embark on. On big projects ,they maintain and award money to artesans and labour based on the input each worker is putting.

(6)Civil or Structural Engineers:

The civil or structural engineer in building industry is to see to it that, the stability or structural disposition of your building is not compromised. I mean they give calculations and recommends based on the Architect's drawing, what kind of reinforcement or iron or any other structural elements that can make your house stable and will not collapse. And they come out with the drawings on this to help the builder on site to carry out is work effectively.

(7)Mechanical Engineer:

These people see to the mechanical aspects of the building especially large projects they give out detailed drawings and specified on plumbing work in the building, the plumbers work with them and help carry out instructions for the good of the project.

(8)Electrical Engineer:

As the word implies they see to it that there house is properly lightened. Dangerous electrical connections has led to the death of several people. I will advise you have the electrical engineer in your plans when embarking on a building project. They give instructions to the electrician on large project sites.

(9)The Builders:

These are one of the most important professionals in the building industry, unfortunately, the Nigeria of today is a case of dog eats dog. A situation where you claim you can do the work of somebody else and no law to discourage you against such impersonation that is what we are seeing in the building industry at presence. "Collapse of buildings" The builder is trained to carry out or execute on site or transform or bring into reality on site the drawings and intentions of every other building professionals, may it be the Architects, the Civil Engineer, the Mechanical Engineer and the Electrical Engineer. His duty is to see to every artesans or workers on site carries out is job effectively. Unfortunately every jobless person with some money in Nigeria are now claiming to be building contractors and people out of ignorance do not even know the difference.
Even other professionals too are jostling for each others job. A situation where a town planner or a surveyor lays claim to the fact that he can design a house plan for you or when a quantity surveyor is doing the work of a builder will not give you the best you deserve. A building contractor yes, is important in a construction industry but their work is not to bypass any professional rather they are to work with the professionals or consult with them to carry out the project effectively except if the contractor is a professional himself. They are probably the one to finance the building project atimes, but to get a very good job you must insist on knowing the professional they will be working with.

Causes of Building Collapse

Collapse of buildings is not new to Nigeria, neither is it only peculiar to Nigeria, however that will not stop us from taking critical look at the situation and finding a solution to it.
Collapse of building though can happen to any kind of building but the casualty of multistorey buildings can be so terrible.
The collapse of storey buildings in Nigeria, especially in Lagos usually goes along with it attending casualties which can be more than 20. But what really motivates multistorey buildings.
Multistorey buildings are either built because of social status, there are places you get to and all what you see are very high building so you don't want yours to be unnoticeable among them.
Commercial viability of a location also make more people to build storey structures in an area because more people will jostle for space to exhibit or get contact with their customers or client.
Area accessibility, some location are routes to a lot of places so high vehicular and human traffic is usually associated with such places, hence more commercial activities.
So why the peculiarity of big cities like Port-Harcourt and Lagos. You will see that the criteria above one way or the other affects this two cities.
There is always a tendency of man habiting very close to water because of the opportunity of controlling the waterways which can give opportunity for inter trade between nations. Lagos and Portharcourt have so much prominence today because of their nearness to water. Their closeness to water naturally gave room for shipping ports in these areas, shipping port in turns promotes commercial activities, and commercial activities naturally generates heavy human traffic and human being requires shelter for himself, his goods and services. So building springs up in these places and that brings competition for very few available spaces. Hence to meet demand, designers and building constructors will have to settle for multistorey building because of increasing unending economic value of these places. That is why in Lagos Island or Isale Eko Portharcourt and other area where ships can berth, there will always be influx of people and buildings will keep springing up due to this. political activities or decision is also a factor that have contributed in making these cities bigger. Also availability of Natural and human resources is important. Natural resources had also contributed to the growth of some towns in Nigeria.
Now, the soil in these areas are sandy and loose soil they are not strong or compacted soils. Hence, the requirement of building construction professionals are usually high here. For most of these buildings, they dig long and strong piles foundation, however few still collapses. Most houses of 3,4 or storey buildings in Lagos Island are at best good for 15 years. Remember the land themselves are not strong, and people builds on these lands using templates used for better and more compacted lands. So what causes the collapse of this houses or buildings.

(1) The first problem is boycotting the professionals -

This issue has been overflogged both in print media and electronic media but the same problem still persists. There is also a problem of eggheads professionals, that believes they know all and are not ready to take advice from a colleague. There are known cases like that, that has turned awry, the big buildings that are collapsing in Lagos business district were handled by professionals.

(2) Contractors cutting corners -

Contractors trying to make gains at the expense and lives of the users of the building is another problem that have to be tackled. There should be a check from policy makers to make sure specification is thoroughly followed by contractors.

(3) Human activities on building -

As insignificant human weight may seem to be, the moving up and down of the live loads and dead load contributes overtime in no small measure in wearing down the building. It will take long time though, but houses also expires, and in the case of the types of buildings we have in Nigeria, there lifespan is shorter than others in civilised world.

(4) Inadequate foundation -

This is the most important part of a building, unfortunately a lot of people are not giving adequate monitoring to this and is causing more problem. A registered Structural Engineer is very important to you if you are planning on building a strong and solid multistorey building. (5)Aging Building - Many do not know that buildings also have their life span most of the building in Lagos Mainland have spent 25 years and above, despite that they are of shallow foundation and very low quality materials are used for them. As you lay your bed, so you'll lie on it. If you had used low quality material thereby thinking you'll cut cost, then also be expecting to park out of that building very soon.

Artesans in Building Construction Industry makes money than you

The building construction industry is one of the most lucrative industries in the world may be after information Technology (I.T ) and oil and gas. It is very diverse and seems everybody that can play his card well can actually make money from this industry, with little wisdom.
Yes, I know you are thinking right now, that as a graduate working as an artesan or negatively put, a labourer in the construction industry can not be for you. Well, I have a news for you, in most building construction industries, artesans make enough money that can compete with the average white collared job consultants.
You don't still agree with me? Not when you make money coordinating them with your level of education. You say is not possible? Then wait for this, the biggest architectural firm in a major city in Nigeria is owned by a philosophy graduate! Also one of the biggest electrical company in Lagos that now consults even for "Shell Nigeria Plc" and installs transformer all over the nation is owned by a graduate of Economics.
Just read on and I'll show you what to do. There training can take you from just one month to two years depends on the one you choose:
(1)Bricklayers:
Bricklayers are one of the most prominent and most sought after by anybody, before a house can be built you need to talk to one. Their jobs are relatively tedious no doubt but they are compensated with frequent jobs especially when the person is skillful and takes his time to get a perfect job.
With your level of education you can learn this perfectly well for just 3 months if you are dedicated. The bricklayers lay block; they are closer to the architect on site and they help in general work that involves concrete.
(2)Carpenters:
Next to bricklayers are carpenters in order of importance, they help to make the formwork for concrete pouring, roofing work and frames etc. You can learn this even under 6 months.
This people do not get anything less than what average people in other endeavour get for any work at all, they even make more money when they are contacted on contract basis.
(3)Electrician:
They see to the wiring and lightening of the site their job and money depends on taste and money available to the client. Electrician may be given more jobs in a house than any other artesans based on clients disposition. Some even work with contractors that installs transformers. Under a year you'll be good in this.
(4)Plumbers:
They see to it that your liquid wastes are properly channeled to soakaway pit, other accessories that requires water to function is also taken care of by them. They rely on hydraulic pressure, force of gravity and other physical elements to help in getting water, drains from pipes and other accessories in the house like Lavatory washhand basin, spa, bathtub, shower, watercloset etc.
(5)Painters:
Helps in the finishing stages of the house, this job, to the outsider is the easiest job to do, but this may not be totally true until you go through the work yourself. Another thinking is that you don't need special training to do this job. This is not true, if not you might find yourself messing up when giving a bigger and more complex paintings to do. The choice of paint colour and what they represent is important for general success of a painter. You can train for this within 2 months and there money is also as high as the rest, but you are bound to get more customers in high brow area.
(6)Draftsman:
These people at times work with architects to sketch out plan and they also sketch and own offices of their own, there are known draftsmen that are even richer than some architects, it only depends on how you can market yourself.
(7)Welder/Iron benders:
They see to cutting, bending and fixing of iron rods or reinforcements in the building. Their work does not take much time as others except for big projects but they also earn as high as the rest.
(8)Tillers:
These are tradesmen that do laying of tiles in building and they usually charge higher than the other artesans. Their work requires patience and better expertise to get a nice finished work.
A graduate can tap into this work and make money for himself, if tenacity of purpose is applied then you may make millions from this. Latest addition is the "Plaster of Paris or P.O.P" ceilling that is becoming more popular, they are also used in various ways in the building if you can learn what it all involves.
(9)Aluminium roofers/workers:
From aluminium roofing, to aluminium windows to doors, the opportunity opened to this group of people is endless.
(9)Tractor Drivers:
These are required in the big construction sites and you may do this rather than being jobless.
(10)Storekeeper:
This does not involve any serious training, though little clerical knowledge is required. In big sites, there are storekeepers that have lived on tips from suppliers.
(11)Terrazzo Contractors:
Most of these work here is handled by contractors that knows little or nothing about the work .But none of them that does not make gains running into several thousands of naira. What if you understudy somebody and join one of these people. Some do better job of laying terrazzo floor finish than others, and other combines the work with tilling.
(12)Furniture Makers:
This is also lucrative,especially when you have a very creative skill. You can work with more established furniture company or interior decorations. Other jobs like rug laying etc. are also profitable.

Nigerians in Diaspora house building mistakes

Many Nigerians abroad have been defrauded back home trying to build a house. The stories of bitter experiences are everywhere, but often time, the main cause of the problem is you. yourself in the diaspora, that always wants to eat your cake and still have it and at the long run you end up losing so much.
Nigerians, no matter how civilised have consistently finds it difficult taking right channels in their endeavour and this is causing a lot of problems. Building a house at home can be as easy, as going to the supermarket to shop, however you have to pay the price through proper channel and save yourself from heartache or you pay the hardway and God help you don't end up loosing your money altogether.
Money is easily lost in overdependence on relatives and friends alike. When you entrust your money to these people because they are close to you, is good but if you're unlucky to have the very terrible relations you may be in trouble without knowing.. Family ties will prevent you from taking legal action against them. These are what you must do to avoid these problems.
(1) Let Professionals Handle your Project: This is where many a lot of people get it wrong and uptill now are still lauguishing in ignorance. People believe contracting the professionals will increase your cost of building, this is absolutely untrue, though at the surface to you layman, a professional charges so high an amount of money, he stretches you to the point of investing a little beyond your budget and you're wandering why you have to spend several thousands of naira to a man that will only come to your site, look for a tree to sit under, stays for 30 minutes to 1 hour in your site and is collecting all the money. Ask those that have faced the repercussion of not consulting professinals the evidence are dotting the landscape of Nigeria.
Paying for the professionals is not a waste but you are paying for him to save you money unknowingly, not clear to you. Yes, at the face you look for quacks, they charge so low to get the job done, you are not bothered with peanuts you paid them, guess you're seeing yourself as being smart, but wait for just two years and see what have become of your house. You'll start spending so much more correcting errors of the quacks and it has to be may be till when the building finally collapses. There are houses in Nigeria, that you have to paint every 6 months for them to look okay, yet some have stayed for 10 years without repainting and still looking better. What of the cracks all over your houses, how did your quack respond to challenges on site that were not initially there. If rain fall what becomes of your house? many and more of what the professionals would have stood on their ground to make sure you have a befitting house, unfortunately everybody sees one as a thief.
One of the safest way is to engage the services of notable Architectural firm in the country, yes they will charge more, but they have a reputation to protect and won't run away with your money. Building and construction companies that are very good are in the country, why not engage their services.
(2) Don't Send down all the Money at Once: Sending lump sum to your closest relatives may afterall be your undoing. A naturally nice person may change on the sight of large money, he would have committed the crime and used your money for his personal gains before blaming the devil. This become even easier since you are not there to monitor things yourself, all he has to do is to send pictures of a beautiful house somewhere to you.
If you delay a little, the worst that will happen is just a little rise in your price but you'll have had enough chance to cross check either by you coming home or through other friends as third party before investing heavily: also create artificial scarcity, there is errorneous belief that people abroad has a lot of money to throw around.
(3)Crosscheck and don't allow anybody to bamboozle you into buying or paying for anything when your mind is not thoroughly cleared about it.
(4)Find a time may be once in a year to come home and monitor the progress of your building. It is two ways if you are impressed with what you see it may encourage you to work better and the other way round is to get discouraged, and this will give you the opportunity to take stocks and make the necessary steps to achieve your aims.
(5)Your property documents are what you need and will stand proof of ownership in case of legal tussle or private incursions. If Government, then they should be able to pay you compensation.

Building Professionals

(1)The soil scientist:
The soil scientist work is to determine how suitable is the land for the purpose of which is going to be used for.They check the strength,ph content and gives report on the effects of building on such lands.They are important indeed to avoid settlement of land due to weight of building in the future. They use different ways to investigate soil conditions.For simple residential buildings on reasonable sites digging several holes about three spits deep, drilling holes up to 2 or 21/2m deep with a hand auger or driving a pointed steel bar about 1 1/2m into the ground are generally sufficient. With larger buildings or more difficult sites,the following methods are applicable.
(i)Excavating trial holes about 1 1/2m deep deep outside the perimeter of the building.
(ii)Drilling boreholes by percussion or rotary methods.The percussion method uses a steel bit with a chisel point screwed to a steel rod.The rotary method employs a hollow rod with a rotating bit and a core of strata is forced back up the hollow rod.
(iii)Load testing often using a reinforced concrete slab about 1.20 to 1.50m2 and 300mm thick,to which loads are added at about 2 hour intervals and the amount of settlement is determined with a level .The safe bearing capacity of the soil is found by dividing half the load applied prior to appreciable settlement into the area of slab.
(2)lawyers:
Lawyers are needed right from when you want to purchase your land,they help in all legal dealings. From contracts to agreements between you and the "omo onile" landowners; you need them .It is the job of a lawyer to find out the true owner of the land because the person selling to you may actually not be the right person to do so, they will do a thorough scrutiny on the agreement papers and give their legal advice on your investment.The money you pay for this service may be worthwhile considering the possibility of loosing your money if you refuse to contact them.
(3)Land Surveyors:
These people map out the the area or plot of your land.They see to it that your land is properly demarcated from your neighbour with their instruments and skill they will give you the accurate length of your plot .There drawing is what you take to the architect for design of your building. You also needs survey plan for validation of your land when you want to register it.
(4)Architects:
They liase with you i.e the clients on one on one to achieve the type of building you want .Architects give professional supports to the clients not only on the design of the building ,the execution ,but general support even the viability of the building .The work of an architect is extensive because they are generally closer to you clients than every other building professionals. He is in the best position to know what meets your dreams and how to help achieve it. He conceives or dream and put pen to paper and sketch out what you have in mind,gives you to criticise to suit what you want properly, and make the necessary adjustments .He is the bridge between you and the other professionals and artesans on site ,by his position he is the head of the building team.
(5)Quantity Surveyor:
This professional estimates and see to it that you won't embark on a project that is beyond your financial means .They cost and determine the amount of money you will require to build your house so that you don't end up abandoning your project midway. This people are very important unfortunately Nigerian of today do not see the need for them and that is why we have abandoned projects dotting our landscape. It is nice to have a beautiful and befitting house .It also helps to promote the architects that designed it for you when your house is very beautiful, though for small projects your architect can give you an idea of what your building will cost ,but you may not really get the perfect and non-sentimental estimate as to what a quantity surveyor will give you. The quantity surveyor has nothing to lose if the house is very ugly his job is to make sure you have a financial understanding of what you are about to embark on. On big projects ,they maintain and award money to artesans and labour based on the input each worker is putting.
(6)Civil or Structural Engineers:
The civil or structural engineer in building industry is to see to it that, the stability or structural disposition of your building is not compromised. I mean they give calculations and recommends based on the Architect's drawing, what kind of reinforcement or iron or any other structural elements that can make your house stable and will not collapse. And they come out with the drawings on this to help the builder on site to carry out is work effectively.
(7)Mechanical Engineer
These people see to the mechanical aspects of the building especially large projects they give out detailed drawings and specified on plumbing work in the building, the plumbers work with them and help carry out instructions for the good of the project.
(8)Electrical Engineer
As the word implies they see to it that there house is properly lightened. Dangerous electrical connections has led to the death of several people. I will advise you have the electrical engineer in your plans when embarking on a building project. They give instructions to the electrician on large project sites.
(9)The Builders
These are one of the most important professionals in the building industry, unfortunately, the Nigeria of today is a case of dog eats dog. A situation where you claim you can do the work of somebody else and no law to discourage you against such impersonation that is what we are seeing in the building industry at presence. "Collapse of buildings" The builder is trained to carry out or execute on site or transform or bring into reality on site the drawings and intentions of every other building professionals, may it be the Architects, the Civil Engineer, the Mechanical Engineer and the Electrical Engineer. His duty is to see to every artesans or workers on site carries out is job effectively. Unfortunately every jobless person with some money in Nigeria are now claiming to be building contractors and people out of ignorance do not even know the difference.
Even other professionals too are jostling for each others job. A situation where a town planner or a surveyor lays claim to the fact that he can design a house plan for you or when a quantity surveyor is doing the work of a builder will not give you the best you deserve. A building contractor yes, is important in a construction industry but their work is not to bypass any professional rather they are to work with the professionals or consult with them to carry out the project effectively except if the contractor is a professional himself. They are probably the one to finance the building project at times, but to get a very good job you must insist on knowing the professional they will be working with.

Ways of Financing your Building Projects.

To get a loan to build a house, you must understand that a collateral is always needed. But not everybody is comfortable with this arrangement. What becomes of you if you are unable to pay back? Let’s talk about all the means then you choose the one most suitable for you.

1. PERSONAL SAVINGS

This is by far the most popular method people are using to get their house built, there is no fear of creditors knocking on your door and it gives a lot of rest of mind. Honestly, no matter how small your salary is, you can build a house if you set your mind towards it. There is always a case of you saving from whatever your income is. Study has showed that 30% of the moderate level of what we get monthly goes to buying very unimportant goods and junks. So you can cut unnecessary costly foods in costly restaurants.Sit down, make an inventory of wasteful spendings and start saving 20% only of your income, no matter how small in 2 years time you will start a home of your own,whatever you are able to save will be enough to start your house. Professionals benefits most from this type, with up fronts, profit sharing and commissions amongst others.
Personal savings amongst others is the first option if you want to acquire a land and building a house.
ADVANTAGES
i. There is no debts to service or pay no matter the turns of things. ii Rest of mind, since there is no creditor coming to knock on your door. iii.It is healthy at the long run, when your mind is free of fear you are most likely to live a heal their life and avoid hypertension. iv. It gives you room to channel your earnings towards something valuable and gives you more responsibility.
DISADVANTAGES
i. It may take a long time to achieve your dream
ii. It bites on your income and may moderate your style of living iii.Staying for too long, might make somebody to loose interest altogether and abandon the project.
iv. There is alway fear of families of (Omo Onile) Landowners rising up to lay dubious claim on your land especially when the seller is dead, because of long time of building.
v. There is always probability that the savings might be converted for other uses.
vi. Inflation on cost of materials and labor may also be seriously catching in.

2. WORKPLACE MORTGAGE AND LOANS

This is most attractive to workers that are planning to invest in Real Estate. Though it is mostly used for personal buildings, but giving honest advice from me, it is better for you a young man or woman to build it, then rent out and let the building pays for the loan back while you sit down and collect rents . Then now use the dividends to finance another project.
The National Housing Fund remains the most attractive leeway for those who desire to build with loan especially the civil servant. It is designed by the government to aid the federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, with less bureaucracy unlike before and it offers presently a maximum of N5m at an interest rate of 6% and a whopping 25 years of repayment tenor. This fund can be joined through any of the mortgage banks in Nigeria.
ADVANTAGES
i. Fast completion of building
ii. The paying back period is long and is remove automatically from your monthly income without you feeling the pinch because it is usually very small.
iii.The interest rate is very low.
iv. If you understand real estate, this opportunity can turn you into a millionaire.
DISADVANTAGES
i. You are indebted for a very long time.
ii. Interest rates no matter how small will still eat into your pocket.
iii.Sudden severance of your job, may leave you in the cold against your creditors, what if you are unable to get another job.

3. THRIFTS AND COOPERATIVES’ HOUSING SCHEMES

This method is becoming more popular among the young workforce and a lot of cooperative housing schemes are springing out daily. It employs the same old mold of operation, only that in this case you are expected to own a home. All members pool resources together to build houses for each member in areas of choice. This is an alternative to mortgage for the low income earners, who makes monthly minimal contribution overtime.
ADVANTAGES
i. Just as in mortgage loans, fast completion because of readily available funds.
ii. At times members purchase large expanse of land and divide between members which is more comparatively cheap, they get professionals to do the projects in large volume, and the professionals in turn charge less because of large numbers of jobs. Housing cost can be reduced by 25% with this method.
iii.Encourages other mutual benefits and promote friendliness.
DISADVANTAGES
i. It definitely goes without saying that the cooperative society of choice must be well researched and thoroughly investigated to ascertain the commitment and integrity of its members. Some members can decide to default and this may lead to the collapse of the cooperative club.

4. LAND SPECULATION & CAPITAL MARKETS

Have you packed into a developing area before, which is still full of vegetation? Within 3 months what you will notice is a surge in inflow of people of that location either they are trying to secure their land or are encouraged by the moving into the location by you, and are sure of meeting neighbors to talk to, transact business or probably for security, whichever, there is always a trend of people moving into a location because somebody like you have just moved in. So what happens? as you have more traffic, the value of properties in that area will naturally increase. So when you are buying a land, why not make it two or more, as you build one, the other plots will appreciate in value sell them and use it to complete your resident house.
ADVANTAGES i.
You may not feel the pinch of paying so much because of your investment that will augment for you.
ii. This may be a starting point for you in real estate investment, this will give you a first hand knowledge on how it works
iii.Benefits like naming of the street after your name and others.
iv. You are not bothered by repayment of loans, since you are building from your investment. DISADVANTAGES i. Because this is a fresh area with less development, you may not have access to some infrastructural facilities already existing in the main towns.
ii. It may take some waiting for other lands to appreciate before you can complete your project.

5. SOURCING OF LOANS FROM YOUR BANK

With consolidation of Nigerian Banks, there is a lot of money now available for business transactions, so banks these days are ready to loan you money to be able to complete your building, though this process is the most difficult to choose.
ADVANTAGES
i. Completion of job in time because of availability of funds ii.If you are sure of the location then you may sell the building and make quick profit because of fast completion
DISADVANTAGES
i. Request for collateral
ii. Bureaucratic bottlenecks

6. DIVIDENDS FROM HIGH YIELD INVESTMENT PROGRAMS (HYIP) AND SHARES

Some smart young couples are making use of this program to develop their homes stressfully. Though high yield, high risk, this is by far the best and the easiest way I can recommend to anybody when building their house. Before present problems with most of the HYIPs, There is an high yield investment program being promoted by an Oil and Gas firm in Nigeria called Nospectus, you invest N450,000 in their company and they in turn by the end of every month will be paying you N40,000 in 12 months you would have made 100% turnover, and the good thing about this company is that you can withdraw your capital of N450,000 anytime you want to.( Also you have Clubfreedom among others.)
A couple grew theirs to N200,000 per month i.e. 5 slots and they build their house of choice so stressfully, imagine having N200,000 per month as an additional salary without any further effort. “Note: though I am not recommending them, I know of quite a few people in this scheme. There are a lot of HYIP’s also going on internet but you have to consult those that are already into it before you get defrauded. Less risky ones is to buy shares, bonds etc and use the profits to build your house. "My general advice is to start small”
ADVANTAGES
i. Very easy to generate steady flow of cash for your building. ii. The more investment , the more money to help in financing your building project.
DISADVANTAGES
i. High risk
ii. Shares may plummet
iii.Companies can pack up tomorrow
iv. Wrong decision by the investment company may lead to closure of business thereby affecting you.

How to Supervise your Building Projects

To get a building constructed can be very easy if you follow these steps I will be explaining to you. Before you begin at all or planning to do anything is better you know what is involved on that thing, and in your plan know how much you are going to spend,and you need to know the numbers of people you'll be using so that you don't end up paying people on your site that didn't work for the day.
There are stages in building constructions that you must follow and requirements of labor varies but have it in your mind that anybody you bring to your site, work or not, they will have to be paid. And in case your first plan doesn't work you can try another one.
A lot of books are out there advertising new innovations on building, you may be surprised to find out that what you need right now are right in those papers , and you have more opportunities of alternatives.
The reputation of your professional or contractor; how honest is he and which of his past jobs can he point to? who can stand for him, or recommend him to carry out your job. Make sure this person is actually qualified for the job.
Whatever you estimate, our economy is besiege by unending inflation, you will always be expected to spend more at the end of the day, so earmark 20% of the estimate for your building for exigencies, though make sure you don't stretch your budget to the limit, or what is the essence of a shelter if you don't have money to provide food for you and your family?
It is important you approve your building plan because of future occurrences, the government can decide to turn your building to a road, what will you use to fight back or at least be paid compensation for your property. If you are a businessman with an approved plan you can turn your property as a collateral to obtain loan from the bank to help your business. You and your contractor must have written agreement on a specific task he is to perform and also documents amount you pay him and always let him sign under to confirm amount of money you have paid to him, if you fail to do this, the probability is very high that you'll quarrel over money with your contractor as the job progresses. I have seen several cases of this. If you feel what he's charging is a bit on the high side is better you price lower and find out how your building will reflect the amount of money you are paying. Though the cheapest price is not always the best and the cheapest at the long run may end up being the costliest.
The safety of your workers on site is very important to avoid disaster let your contractor stipulates his health measures for his workers especially in a large building.
When you are not sure of a step you are about to take, please don't hesitate to ask the professionals before you embark on it, it may ruin your plans when you don't seek advice, and local contractors and professionals can be of immense benefits also when you need them at short notice. Remember you are employing and creating a job by giving out your project to be managed by a professional who may actually be your friend, but in this case this is business and should be treated as such.
When purchasing materials, always go for the best quality and don't hesitate to ask for discounts, you will be shocked by the amount of money that will be returned to you. When your contractor is offering you a deal that is too sweet to your hearing and too generous to your purse then you may be heading for disaster. Building work is not always as smooth sailing as some people will make you believe.
You can also save cost unknowingly when you build the biggest possible size you can afford as it will cost less if done at the initial stage rather than as extension later on especially when you are sure of your capabilities.
There is no need for being unnecessarily apprehensive to get your building completed very fast, be patient to watch out for favorable weather when building and also give room for waste management, so that you don't end up having no space for your septic, refuse and other wastes. Whatever kind of material you are purchasing make sure they will be ready when you need them and always make sure of the presence of services on the site before you purchase them.
Where you keep your materials is also important, are they safe? Using an artisan (bricklayer, carpenter, welder etc) to do the job of a professional like Architect, Structural Engineer etc. is not advisable on your site make sure everyone is qualified for the job at hand and don't allow any contractor to decide for you because you are the boss and pay only when the job is satisfactory however, don't cut corners because it will cost you more later.
You can get the best quality of materials in Nigeria, you may not need to go abroad for this, don't accept poor quality material or workmanship for your job.

Building Stages

At times you get confused on where to start from, how to move and what to do to jump-start your project. Knowledge of building stages also helps to save time and gives you the opportunity to plan ahead and reduce cost. When you are thinking of building a house what comes to your mind should be in this sequence.
(1) Concerning what type of house you want, what purpose is it going to serve? residential or commercial? or others, this will give you an idea of the location, and the size of land you need to get. It is however important you seek advice from your Architect on what type and size of land can suit your dream of what you are planning. After this you need to see-
(2) Your land speculator or agent, that will help you in getting land that soothes your purpose, a lot of them advertises on papers these days so getting one may not be too difficult. He arranges with the Omo Onile, pay their dues and you also get a lawyer to help you in preparing and checking the documents to make sure you are not buying a land that is Government acquired from the wrong person,and to avoid land with dispute.
(3) Now you need the local town planning authority in your area to make sure that land can be used for the purpose you have in mind and they can give first hand information about development pattern in this area ,Land under Govt acquisition would best be found out here.
(4) Meet the Land surveyor to demarcate your land and draw out the site boundary, he will also put the corner pieces demarcating your land from your neighbor.
(5) The drawings of the land surveyor is what the Architect will use to come out with a befitting plan after talking with you, he may also be responsible for approving the plan in town planning office.
(6) Is now time to move to site, for let's say 2-3 bedroom bungalow at starting, get 2 trips of sand, 2 trips of gravels, look for a secured place you can keep your bags of cement get a tanker or drum where you can always have water to use, after you must have cleared the site. Buy for a starter 1000 blocks or as calculated from your estimation.
(7) It is time of setting out, some bricklayers uses blocks to set out a foundation especially when it is a small building and the ground is level, or your Architect or Builder can collaborate with bricklayer to do this in a more complex plan. They will buy wood, ropes, nails and you have to pay for the services or based on contract as you deem fit.
(8) After setting out digging begins, then concrete is poured round the foundation, then blocks are layed by bricklayer on top of concrete to 3 or more coaches serving as the d.p.c level. It is then filled with sand and rammed (beating to make hard) then oversite concrete or German concrete is poured round to cover the d.p.c (for waterlogged, sloppy or sandy area you may need to apply reinforcements or Iron at the edges of building and nylon-like membrane is used to cover some site especially when there is a threat of water disturbances).
(9) Blocks are now laid to window base, 4 coaches or layers after marking out the doors, then after the 4 coaches you mark out the windows and go another 5 coaches, the entire opening in the house is now ready for concrete lintel.
(10) Get your Iron benders or welders, they will have to make their estimate the carpenter and the bricklayers are all going to work here the welder is responsible for cutting and bringing in the Iron, the carpenter makes the frame or boxes to accommodate the concrete, and the bricklayer with labours or casters pours and see to it that the boxes are properly filled with concrete. After this, add 2 more layers of block and you are ready for roofing.
(11) Get your carpenter, cost the timber or steel for larger projects. The covering roof proper that can be aluminum, asbestos, plastics, galvanised zinc etc.
(12) If you are thinking of conduit wiring or plumbing, then you need the help of electrician and plumbers now, and you can be putting your ceiling after or simultaneously. Digging of your soakaway pit and connection of pipe services by your plumber should commence, and tillers or terrazo contractor if you are using one comes after plastering by the bricklayer, Electrical work also continues, fixing of door frames, wardrobes by furniture maker, windows and other accessories can also go along based on taste, style or pocket.