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As I have not written anything here for about a month or so, I figured that I’d provide an update on where we are at and also on some of the characters that I have mentioned in other parts of my blogs (the latter will be featured in part 2 of the story so far).
As far as the house is concerned, the roofing has now been finished. My last trip to Naija only permitted me to see the carpenter putting up the wooden framework for the roofing. I am very happy that I actually went home for this major part of the construction because the roof is one of the key design features of house. It has a glass/clear Perspex section which is meant to allow some natural light into the centre of the house. Being there, I was able to notice some issues with the design but I was able to make amendments accordingly. Also, because of the good relationship I have with the carpenter, we were able to sit together and agree on the structure of the roofing. This owner oversight is so crucial which is why once again, I will reiterate a recommendation I have constantly stated in my blogs – no matter how much you trust or regard the builders and everyone else involved with constructing your house, you must go home often enough to see what they are doing. I have staged each project according to my budget, finance availability, family and work commitments in the UK. The foundation, decking and roofing for me were critical and the roof for me was my key design feature. I had to plan everything around me being there, which I was. I left Nigeria however before the roofing sheets could go up but not before choosing the sheet design and colour that I wanted. I tell you, I can’t wait to return home in a few months time as I am being told that the roof looks incredible. Please note that I a not one of those to do things for show (well, not all the time anyway) but I get a real kick out of creating things and then seeing them serve their purpose perfectly. This gives me a real buzz. As soon as I get the pictures and video of this stage of the project, I’ll post it here. However, it has not all been smooth sailing. My wife is having second thoughts about returning home. I don’t blame her though. I do too myself, but only to myself. When as a parent of young kids you read and hear of kidnappings which are now becoming the craze apparently in Nigeria – you become worried. I though this was isolated to the Niger Delta area, but apparently, it is now spreading across the nation. The worsening issue with electricity, abject lack of security and just…. you know it soon gets to you! Most recently, I was seriously thinking of selling the house in its current state. Why? You might ask. Simply because the level of development in the area is not anything worth writing home about. There are no infrastructures to even sustain or encourage development but I have to keep telling myself, this is a common occurrence in Nigeria, even on so called government estates which always command a premium. In any case, I keep telling myself and my wife also, that we are not planning to move into the house tomorrow and maybe we will just slow down the pace of construction as I don’t want to sell in order to go and buy a waterlogged plot for gazillions in a developed estate in Lagos only to regret it later. Lagos is of course is a busy area. It is also jam packed. Land is just TOO expensive. Ours is about and hour’s drive from Lagos so commuting would not be an issue for work or business, it is about 300 feet long by 100 feet wide and cost about 2million naira. You WILL never get a government land this size in Lagos for this amount. I was seriously considering selling up and going to buy a land in the Lekki/Ajah area. I figured that I would be surrounded by, to put it bluntly – wealthy folks and expatriates who appreciate that those of us who have spent so much time abroad are not used to urinating anywhere, shout across the roads, not saying please and thank you etc. Also, I thought that things would be remarkably safer as per robbers. I was wrong. A little research on the internet proved somewhat that these areas are not always what they make out to be. The roads are not fantastic; flooding appears to be an annual visitor due to the proximity to the ocean; and oh by the way - armed robberies do take place in these areas perhaps due to the high concentration of wealthy folks. I will admit that I have never ventured to this part of Lagos usually termed ‘the Island’. I am always warned about the traffic one must go through in order to reach these areas. Congestion I understand is also another issue. I understand that the current governor is doing much to improve the area. My biggest issues with this Lekki/Ajah business are that much of the land you buy in the area is waterlogged due to the area being reclaimed. I just fear that one day, and despite investment in flood barriers, the sea will come back to claim its own. Nigeria just doesn’t have a very good track record in maintaining such a complex mechanism. The waterlogging means that the cost of setting a foundation could run in excess of N4-5M plus. This is all on top of incredibly exorbitant land prices. I understand that toll roads are also being built around there meaning even residents will have to pay to get to their own home. My second issue is that I generally try to avoid the herd mentality that is so prevalent in the world today. Instead, I prefer to go with what feels right, what I can afford and what might yet be. So, as far as location, location, location goes, I think that I will stick with our decision hoping that the area develops faster or at least that the access road is not abandoned. This is the gamble one takes when relocating without wanting to go for the option of buying a house outright or wanting to buy land in high brow estates where all the rich cavort. Overall and despite the back and forth on location, I feel like we are in the best place for us, with lots of space, plenty of fresh air, a lot less overcrowding and noise. Lagos is just too congested for me.
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