As I write this article, I still have PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) from what I went through in Lagos's hands of house agents! It was by the Mercies of my savior, Jesus Christ, that I was not consumed! Literally!
Let me quickly mention hat you may not have to face this stress I faced if you have money in abundance, that’s in millions and billions. This stress is not for you, so you can just keep reading for the fun of it. But if you are like me, just starting out adulthood in your own little way, then this piece would help you avoid some of the stressful parts of house-hunting. I would summarise my experience in just five tips to note as you hunt for houses in Lagos
1. Start on time!
See! If you plan to move into your own apartment in May, start house-hunting in January! I am not even kidding. This was how my own stress began. I wanted to get an apartment in January. I started house-hunting in December, and oh! I suffered. Asides from the fact that starting your search on time keeps you from being homeless when you are actually ready to move in, it also prevents you from making a decision in a hurry. When Lagos House Agents smell that you are desperate, they will take advantage of you in more ways than you can imagine. They will waste your time and charge exorbitantly because they know you don’t have a choice. The worst thing is to be desperate and to actually show it. I was looking for an apartment, and I went about telling the agents I met how I had to come to my office on the Island every day of the week from Berger, located on the outskirts of Lagos. They loved to hear this, and they stressed me and used me to catch cruise so much I almost shed tears at some point out of frustration. So yeah, start your search on time. Getting an apartment is already stressful. You don’t want to add more stress by being in a hurry or being desperate.
2. Talk to people who have their own apartments.
This is a trick I hacked weeks into my search for a place in Lagos. Talk to people, guys! This thing is deep. You need all the support you can get. Some of the people you would talk to would have empty apartments in their houses, and they could notify you. The thing with Lagos is that houses are hardly empty, people are in the queue, and once one person moves, another person is moving into that apartment. The house I currently stay in, I got it through someone who knew someone whose neighbor had moved out, and the house was only vacant for a couple of weeks. So I didn’t even get an apartment from all the personal waka about I did. I got it from ‘connection.’ The apartment behind mine was vacant for only about a week, I hooked up a friend who needed an apartment with my landlord, and she moved in almost immediately the occupant moved out. The point is, speak to people! Tell them way ahead of time of your intention to get a place and let them be on the lookout on your behalf. Also, get a support group of people who also need apartments. As funny as this may sound, these people would cheer you up when the stress is getting to you. I had almost five friends who needed apartments at the same time as me, we would search together and share contacts with one another, and it was really helpful.
3. Be ready to walk!
Hello ladies and gentlemen, you will walk! Say it after me “I will walk”. Yes, dears, if you will find a good place and not pay for a house that is about to crash, you will walk. I walked, even though it didn’t eventually yield results. And this is closely related to my next point. So, prepare your mind to do the walking and get your comfortable shoes ready.
4. Don’t trust Lagos Agents and their pictures and videos
If you are the type that is swayed by pictures and videos, house-hunting will humble you. Don’t even try to make your decision based on what pictures and videos house agents would send to you. Fix a ‘sighting date’ and let your eyes see the house you want to pay for. In Lagos, you can see a different house in pictures and end up paying for something that does not even come close in any sense. Do your own investigation and be certain that you are comfortable with what you see. Also, do not trust the promises of the agents to do certain repairs after you have paid for the apartment. Often, any repairs not done before you move in may never be done, so be prepared to live in the house the way it is. If you are not satisfied, do not pay! Lagos Agents can show you videos of an uncompleted building and promise that immediately you pay, the house will be roofed, and all things would be fixed. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Don’t trust them.
5. Pray
House-hunting in Lagos is a war against principalities and powers, I am not even kidding so like everything, pray about it. You may just be shocked at how God would make the journey easy for you despite the stress that is involved. He knows what is best, and he can work things out and put you in a very serene environment. Like that popular hymn says, sometimes we forfeit some peace all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!☺️
There you go, guys! If you missed the last two blog posts, please go back to read them, so this one can make sense to you. For my people who have been following us since the “living alone series” started, what do you think?
Knowing all of these, are you ready to move out and get your own apartment? Let us know in the comment section. If you have ever had to look for an apartment in Lagos, what challenges did you face? If you have ever gotten an apartment in other states, how was it for you? Just share it all with us.
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