To buy or build a house

According to Kiganda Noah Ssonko, the managing director Ecoland Property Services, if you plan to buy an already built house, try and find one that has the potential for expansion so that you will not be limited to the choice of the previous homeowner.

Buying a house at its pre-construction stage would be a good option because then you will be able to customise the house while it is being built. There are some people also that build their houses and for one reason or another, they want to sell it. These can also be good to buy from.

Some property agencies have already built houses in very well-planned estates with good access roads, clean safe water running and social amenities in the vicinity.
Kiganda says: “Property agencies usually offer uniformity for all their houses since they usually have a particular type of roofing, tiling and architectural design. Here, the buyer has fewer options on the structure of the house since the house must fit in the standards of the other houses and may not have the option to change its style.”

Here, you have the opportunity to include whatever you may have wanted in a dream house depending on the phase of construction you find it like a kitchen or basement and you may need less in terms of maintenance. Note that a clear title to a property is one of the most important factors to be considered before purchasing a house.

“The disadvantage, however, is that sometimes these houses do not suit the taste of the buyer or is relatively old so they may have to re-invest in repairs, renovations and remodeling especially if they want additional features on the house,” Kiganda says.

An already built house may be more expensive than if you had built one by yourself. You should also keep in mind that all of those luxury features and amenities that you want when customising a new home can add up to make the home substantially more expensive. Sometimes you really have no control over location of the house. The house may be built far away from amenities such as schools or hospitals. You may buy a house that has fewer features than you may have wanted if you built your own house.

Empty piece of land
If you decide to buy an empty piece of land, if you have the means, buy a big one even if it means going out of town. Such a big space will give you the option of building a smaller house strategically in one corner with little money and your dream house at the center of the plot later on after you have saves enough for it.

Kiganda says: “Owning a house from an empty piece of land requires that you hire a contractor to do the survey, planning and engineering work, which is different if you have to buy a finished one. It may be a long and tedious process but it is worth it because you have the chance to put your dream to reality.”

Some property agencies still have the option where you buy land from them and they build for you.
According to Anatoli Kamugisha, managing director at Akright Projects Limited, people can acquire land and a house through real estate companies on an instalment payment basis. He remarks: “A client can describe the kind of house they want and what their budget is. We then agree on the terms of payment, work on a few other modalities, then payment is made; either the full amount or installment payment.”