HOUSE HUNTING IN LAGOS

 

 

HOME IS A SHELTER FROM STORMS

 

By Comfort Joseph, Lagos.

Source:Google

Lagos is a premier metropolitan city in Nigeria, due to the water bodies surrounding it,it has been divided into two parts; the mainland and the island. the island consists of major places like Victoria island (VI), Ikoyi, Lekki, Banana island,while the mainland consists of many other local government,including Ikeja, Surulere,Alimosho,Festac. the third mainland bridge been the boundary. 

Getting an apartment in Lagos can be a daunting task. for some category of people, it is one thing they rather not face in the city. Lagos is considered one of the toughest places in the the world to live in; it is ,however, also one of the fast growing cities in the world. little wonder the city is referred to as the economic and commercial capital of Nigeria.

it is where the country's money is; more reason people  want to live here. what this means is people come into Lagos in their thousands on a daily basis in search for greener pastures. with dreams and hopes for a better future because the city provides opportunities for all.

living in Lagos is stressful, finding that perfect house is no easy feat. you have to deal with difficult elements like scamming/frustrating agents, terrible houses, troublesome, misogynistic and tribalistic landlords, gender discrimination and so on.this has been a norm for quite a long time.

house hunting in Lagos is not for the weak. it is an extreme sport. this is a statement almost everyone who has gone through the hurdles of house hunting in Lagos can attest to.Aside cost,one of the major factor people consider before taking a house is proximity to place of work or business location.

it is advisable to do your house hunting exercise during the rainy season to avoid taking a house in a swampy area.though most areas in Lagos are permanently saturated or filled with water but a properly sand-filled area are manageable. people living in some part of Lekki uses canoe to link the main express-way during  rainy season.yes it is that bad.while some part in the mainland and island you will have to stay awake with a bucket, bowl and a rubber shoe when it is raining.

Accommodation in Lagos as a whole is generally expensive; however, you will find the cheapest rates  on the mainland. An added perk is that there are fewer incidents of flooding compared to the island. Despite how fabulous the island is said to be,it does not have any airport so, you still have to travel all the way to the mainland before can jet off anywhere by air.

3bedroom Apartment in Maryland is 3,000,000.Room and parlour in Ogudu 700,000.  3bedroom maisonette in GRA ikeja 3,500,000.3bedroom flat in Yaba is 1,500,000, Furnished 2bedroom in Gbagada 1,900,000. Furnished 4bedroom in Opebi 6,000,000. 3bedroom in Lekki phase1 6,000,000.3bedroom flat in Banana island 10,000,000, Self contain chevy view estate chevron 1,500,000.2bedroom flat in Ajah 1,600,000.2bedroom flat in Magodo 2,000,000.

this is an experience from a close friend ABIODUN AZEEZ he said it took him about four months before he finally got a manageable place to rent. "house hunting was very stressful for me, I met with  a number of dishonest agents and landlords with too many rules; ranging from closing the gate by 10pm,no female visitors, no parties etc. it was my first time so i wasn't familiar with the challenges i came across. one out of the Landlord i met told me to my face that he doesn't want a yoruba/single man in his house and that was the only reason he rejected me as a tenant"

folks that inherited houses or have not lived outside their parent's abode and their enclave will not appreciate the challenges of renting an apartment in Lagos. it is a truism that house demand in Lagos exceeds its supply.