Best time to scout for lands now - Expert advises

Land and property investment consultant, Mr. Kwame Ankapong, has encouraged property seekers to take advantage of the rainy season and the floods to search and acquire properties.

Mr. Ankapong said that in addition to the formal due diligence conducted by the Lands Commission and the Planning Authorities, it is also prudent to visit the site after a downpour to help give a better indication of the area's liability to flooding.

He said the rains and the running water allow prospective buyers to know if the property they are acquiring was built in or around a waterlogged area.

Mr. Ankapong advised, “The best time to buy land preferably is just a day after it rains. Call the landlord and or the property owner. Book a date immediately it rains and go and inspect the property. If you visit a site after a downpour you can immediately tell whether you are likely to face floods.”

“The terrain/gradient of the land can also help you predict if the land could flood. The general planning of the neighbourhood could also give a hint. Are there good drainage systems?
If you see big drains, it is a sign of an old stream or that there is a drain close-by, implying that when it rains too much, the water level would start rising.”

Many Ghanaians unknowingly acquire properties in waterways or close to shallow drainage systems. Such buyers lose properties and potentially their lives when it rains heavily. The land expert listed Dzorwulu, Adabraka, Circle and parts of Tesano as areas that commonly flood.

Accra is one of the cities in Ghana with a flooding history. This year alone, at least two people have died as a result of floods. In 2015, the city saw one of its worst disasters resulting from flooding and fire in the commercial district of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The 2015 disaster saw the death of over 150 people.

Managing Director of Lifestyle Property Development, Ernest Hanson, also points to the excessive use of concrete by homeowners as one of the less known causes of flooding in the city.

“Homebuilders have increased the footprint of their houses at the cost of garden space. Lawns and greenery reduce the speed of the running water and allow water to be absorbed versus that of concrete and tiles.”

Mr. Hanson also advised prospective homebuilders and developers to conduct a thorough hydrological test on the plots of land before they acquire them. “Most properties flood because a hydrological survey of the area wasn’t conducted before the land was purchased; you have to do that study and take a history of flooding in that area.”

The Managing Director of Lamudi Ghana is also cautioning property seekers to be extra vigilant when acquiring properties, “Buying land or a house in Ghana is a huge investment. For this reason, buyers need to conduct their due diligence to ensure what they are buying is not located in waterways.”