From Land to Home

In Ghana, we have a way of talking about land that sometimes gets us into trouble. We call something “cheap” when really we mean the price was lower than we expected, without stopping to ask why. I have been in the construction industry for fifteen years now, working across the Ashanti Region, Greater Accra, and […]

There are two prices on every piece of land in Ghana. One is written on the receipt. The other one shows up slowly, over the months after you have already started building, and by then it is far too late to negotiate. I have been a project manager and contractor for fifteen years now, working

There is a phrase I have come to respect more than almost any other in this business, and it is one most people are afraid to say out loud. “Not yet.” In a culture where building your own house is treated as one of life’s biggest milestones, right up there with marriage and sending your

There is a particular excitement that comes with deciding to build. You have found the land, or you are close to it. You have started saving seriously, or a relative abroad has promised to support you. In your mind, you can already see the finished house: the gate, the compound, the veranda where you will

There is a particular kind of confidence that comes with money in hand. You have saved for years, or a loan has come through, or family abroad has sent something substantial home, and suddenly the plot you have been eyeing feels within reach. You call a mason. You buy a few trips of blocks. The