Hello ... I am building in Ghana too! I hired a full time project manager to protect my interest and send me daily videos off all being performed from start to finished
I love the sharing of information. You do get what you pay for, but keep that communication open and accurate. If you can't see the problem, you can't fix the problem. Thank you, family, for inviting us on your journey .
Hi there it is nice watching your videos. I also bought land and built while I was here in America. My biggest mistake was using someone who was incompetent. Some of the contractors / masons talk the talk but they are not able to deliver. Some of the contractors do not even go to the site to watch what they are doing. A long story short, I pulled down the whole building and this time around did my research and got a competent construction firm and I am happy. They built my aunts home and they have relocated back home to Ghana. They should never give you an attitude when you are paying. It shows they are unprofessional. Ghana is tough when building but it is doable. One of you should be there to micromanage them.
Sounds like one has to pack a 40 foot container of patience in building, but it will all work out in the end. I agree to standing your ground in what you want and what's on the plan.
Thicker rods 16mm high tensile are used at the ground/foundation level to carry the load. For multi floor, my structural engineer said the current code is 6 binded rods for the Pilars because Accra is earthquake prone. I’m at finishing stage 3floor house.
I am experiencing the same issues. I am presently in the USA, but went I return to Ghana I need to micromanage because my contractor is taking advantage. I been in Ghana for 23 years and this is my second project.
It’s really not the workers this time. It’s the contractors. The workers only do what they are told. At the end of the day yes the work turns out good most times.
That's very frustrating and unfortunately it happens very often here! You need the right team otherwise the dream house will become a nightmare. In the end, you need a new contractor otherwise it will get worse. They have to understand that mistakes have been made. Stay strong, keep going and believe in Ghana. Things can only get better. Best regards Kwame James
Thanks for sharing. You need to be thick-skinned, even with some of us who live here, when we don't go to the building site some of these guys do what they want without consulting. I have changed them for the third time, now all is going well
Say less. Sack project manager and project manage the project yourself. From experience when your contractor starts being rude, they have scammed you out of enough money to not care whether you sack them or not. One of you need to be on ground any time construction is taking place. Stop sending too much in advance , not more than 1 week's worth of construction at a time.
Am about to take on this journey too. But we are here in the US TOO. WE ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME AS YOU STAY HERE AN MICOMANGER our projects also. Do you have any tips. I know they have very thin skin, i know it not going to be easy ooooh. But with God's help on some patients, he will pull us through. Do you have any tips to give me..
Look for a reputable company to build your home...Also, before you buy land, use a lawyer...In fact, anytime you plan on spending a lot of money, use a lawyer. I use a lawyer at M & O Law Consult, they are excellent and I'm pretty sure they saved me a lot of money. You need to visit at least once and establish contacts...I have a guy there who sends me pictures and videos twice a week, which is extremely helpful. In the early stages I had him do live streams so I could verify the room sizes before they put up the walls. I also have another project where a different person does the same...if it wasn't for these guys I wouldn't notice mistakes until I returned which would be too late. There is so much more, but finding a good builder is key.
@Uncle-Basil the lady that sold us he land and the contractor is a lawyer that’s why we trusted her. Whether you live there or not they will still make mistakes. You can’t be everywhere all the time. We are sharing our journey but correcting what we can and shedding light on people who don’t keep their word.
@@BlackLove-Gh That's great that you found a trustworthy lawyer that's really important. You are right, builders will make mistakes even if you're there. However, the key is to catch the errors early, which will save time and money because they will not offer to pay for new materials. I will keep you guys in prayer, I will be moving there in 2 weeks from NYC.
@@Uncle-Basil the lawyer wasn’t trustworthy LOL the lawyer sold us the e land and is the contractor as well LOL We were on them like white on rice and tried to prevent mistakes but they suck!
Hi, how y'all doing family. I've been watching your videos. I see the frustration. But I'm sorry to say but the rebars/ iron rods look too small for a story house. That could cause you house to cave in. I I was y'all , I would stop them before they pour the concrete for the first floor and go down there to overlook what's taking place.
I am frustrated that they build the old ways. I have to build a hose, than I would. build it myself, I would import my own materials and machines to do the work.
That’s the frustration I’m going through now. Embrace yourself for more. I’m Ghanaian who lives in the states. My experience with artisans in Ghana is crazy. They are poor but they don’t want to do the right thing to make money . I don’t get it.
@@BlackLove-Gh I’m almost done with my apartment complex. The only person I haven’t had problems with is the plumber. He is very good and honest. Every other artisan has been a problem. Right now the P.O.P guy is holding up the work. I have to beg him to do his job after he took my money. Is so frustrating. I love Ghana and that’s where I plan to retire but the people mentality is so hard to adjust to after you live in the U.S. U.S is a good place to make money but is not for me when I retire. I will come back home .
Exactly, Ghana is beautiful and the people are wonderful but when you need work done they are slow and act like they don’t understand. They want money but don’t want to do the work. I don’t get it
This is why i am extremely hesitant to start buying in GH .. it is a labor of love and patience.. which i dont have.. 😂 i know my limitations.. but i am gonna have to bite the bullet eventually
you have different sizes of iron, 5 mm 10 mm 15 mm and 20mm, take a measure of it because I would have used a 10 and 15mm iron for the first floor. Don't let them convince you that it is ok it is your house and your future what you want to do further.
You should not ever give them all the money up front. Ghana does not do that. He may never come back. Guys please watch. videos. This is very normal. Stop paying to much. They are very use to not getting money right away. This is normal. Enjoy. Even Ghanaians go through this. deal with them with no emotions. Know all their names. Call them by.their names often. Speak little but to the point. They don't like talking to women. They listen to men better. It's culture. They fear your husband. Don't trip get them to get it done. Ashanti queen built her house alone. They destroyed her. Let your husband be the messager after you both decide what the next step is. But they will and can leave you a mess. They will do it quietly. No emotionalism. They take it differently.
We didn’t give them all the money upfront, they do it in phases. The owner of the company we used to build our home is a Ghanaian living in America and his wife was to oversee the project because she lives in Ghana, she is American so we thought we could relate to them.
I'm glad about that . Many of us pay up front and do not take time to learn how to handle business of their culture. We are them but the differences are real. Time can change everything. Glad you guys are up on it. I have seen a few AA struggle to get back home after losing their land, unfinished house with just enough money to eat as thy travel back. I know Ghana will get better. We love it.
you should make sure you have a qualified technically trained person to manage the construction for you. You can't depend on the ordinary workers who can't read architectural drawings, somebody has to tell them what to do
I'm sorry, I just laughed out loud...I know shouldn't because it''s not funny...its just that I know exactly what you're dealing with. Unfortunately, you will have to bear the cost to fix this error that they made. The only solution is to be on site yourself or have someone video tape the process "every day" so you can catch errors early. One more thing, you should have someone take a tape measurer to verify that the room sizes are correct (hopefully do this at the very beginning as the first row of blocks are being laid)...they may be a bit smaller after plastering because plastering will consume a few inches.
Hello ...
I am building in Ghana too!
I hired a full time project manager to protect my interest and send me daily videos off all being performed from start to finished
That’s great, we actually thought our old contractor had our best interest at heart too. Talked a good game and then acted like they didn’t care.
I love the sharing of information. You do get what you pay for, but keep that communication open and accurate. If you can't see the problem, you can't fix the problem. Thank you, family, for inviting us on your journey .
Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks for sharing. You guys are nice and understanding. I hope things smoove out for you and your build
“Don’t drop the project and expect them to do the right thing”… nugget!!!
Yes, you have to stay on them, keep pushing, the most will see you through, building in the motherland, the promised land is awesome!
👀
Hi there it is nice watching your videos. I also bought land and built while I was here in America. My biggest mistake was using someone who was incompetent. Some of the contractors / masons talk the talk but they are not able to deliver. Some of the contractors do not even go to the site to watch what they are doing. A long story short, I pulled down the whole building and this time around did my research and got a competent construction firm and I am happy. They built my aunts home and they have relocated back home to Ghana. They should never give you an attitude when you are paying. It shows they are unprofessional. Ghana is tough when building but it is doable. One of you should be there to micromanage them.
Thanks for watching and congratulations
@@BlackLove-Gh thank you. Wishing you guys all the best and I know your house will be beautiful in the end. Keep pushing.
Sounds like one has to pack a 40 foot container of patience in building, but it will all work out in the end. I agree to standing your ground in what you want and what's on the plan.
Thicker rods 16mm high tensile are used at the ground/foundation level to carry the load. For multi floor, my structural engineer said the current code is 6 binded rods for the Pilars because Accra is earthquake prone. I’m at finishing stage 3floor house.
Wow that’s great. Congratulations
The frustration is real! Don’t let that stop you! We love Ghana but you definitely need thick skin to deal.
I am experiencing the same issues. I am presently in the USA, but went I return to Ghana I need to micromanage because my contractor is taking advantage. I been in Ghana for 23 years and this is my second project.
It is a common practice in Ghana. Keep pushing and lower the expectations of the workers. They do a good job at the end of the day.
It’s really not the workers this time. It’s the contractors. The workers only do what they are told. At the end of the day yes the work turns out good most times.
Annnd, you gonna need to reach back and get the old you sometimes to get through your build… Trust me! Stay strong, you guys are doing well
Thank you
Building house, hmmmmm. Its like fasting, many obstacles before you complete.
Yes, stay on them. Sometimes you have to micromanage them. If not, they will do whatever they want to do. I know it’s frustrating, but stay on them.
Break down and share the cost of build as it progresses so we can tell you if you are getting good value as I suspect you being massively overcharged.
That's very frustrating and unfortunately it happens very often here! You need the right team otherwise the dream house will become a nightmare. In the end, you need a new contractor otherwise it will get worse. They have to understand that mistakes have been made.
Stay strong, keep going and believe in Ghana. Things can only get better.
Best regards
Kwame James
Thanks we may have to look into it
@@BlackLove-Gh Whenever you are in ghana let's keep in touch and let me know if I can support you.
a. building place should be clean after work.
We didn’t experience that either..just sad! They really didn’t care
Thanks for sharing. You need to be thick-skinned, even with some of us who live here, when we don't go to the building site some of these guys do what they want without consulting. I have changed them for the third time, now all is going well
Say less. Sack project manager and project manage the project yourself. From experience when your contractor starts being rude, they have scammed you out of enough money to not care whether you sack them or not. One of you need to be on ground any time construction is taking place. Stop sending too much in advance , not more than 1 week's worth of construction at a time.
Am about to take on this journey too. But we are here in the US TOO. WE ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME AS YOU STAY HERE AN MICOMANGER our projects also. Do you have any tips. I know they have very thin skin, i know it not going to be easy ooooh. But with God's help on some patients, he will pull us through. Do you have any tips to give me..
Do you have land yet, and do you have a contractor? There are so many tips I can give you. Email us 1blackbeancoffee@gmail.com
Look for a reputable company to build your home...Also, before you buy land, use a lawyer...In fact, anytime you plan on spending a lot of money, use a lawyer. I use a lawyer at M & O Law Consult, they are excellent and I'm pretty sure they saved me a lot of money. You need to visit at least once and establish contacts...I have a guy there who sends me pictures and videos twice a week, which is extremely helpful. In the early stages I had him do live streams so I could verify the room sizes before they put up the walls. I also have another project where a different person does the same...if it wasn't for these guys I wouldn't notice mistakes until I returned which would be too late. There is so much more, but finding a good builder is key.
@Uncle-Basil the lady that sold us he land and the contractor is a lawyer that’s why we trusted her. Whether you live there or not they will still make mistakes. You can’t be everywhere all the time. We are sharing our journey but correcting what we can and shedding light on people who don’t keep their word.
@@BlackLove-Gh That's great that you found a trustworthy lawyer that's really important. You are right, builders will make mistakes even if you're there. However, the key is to catch the errors early, which will save time and money because they will not offer to pay for new materials. I will keep you guys in prayer, I will be moving there in 2 weeks from NYC.
@@Uncle-Basil the lawyer wasn’t trustworthy LOL the lawyer sold us the e land and is the contractor as well LOL We were on them like white on rice and tried to prevent mistakes but they suck!
Hi, how y'all doing family. I've been watching your videos. I see the frustration. But I'm sorry to say but the rebars/ iron rods look too small for a story house. That could cause you house to cave in. I I was y'all , I would stop them before they pour the concrete for the first floor and go down there to overlook what's taking place.
Thank you, yes we had a structural engineer come out to make sure it was correct
Thanks for watching family! And thanks for the advise also.
I am frustrated that they build the old ways. I have to build a hose, than I would. build it myself, I would import my own materials and machines to do the work.
That’s great if you have the money to do that
Please, be there for your construction. Workers are laid back. They need good supervisor looking after your construction
We agree
That’s the frustration I’m going through now. Embrace yourself for more. I’m Ghanaian who lives in the states. My experience with artisans in Ghana is crazy. They are poor but they don’t want to do the right thing to make money . I don’t get it.
That’s what we don’t understand, if you do the right thing you will get more work and make more money
@@BlackLove-Gh I’m almost done with my apartment complex. The only person I haven’t had problems with is the plumber. He is very good and honest. Every other artisan has been a problem. Right now the P.O.P guy is holding up the work. I have to beg him to do his job after he took my money. Is so frustrating. I love Ghana and that’s where I plan to retire but the people mentality is so hard to adjust to after you live in the U.S. U.S is a good place to make money but is not for me when I retire. I will come back home .
Exactly, Ghana is beautiful and the people are wonderful but when you need work done they are slow and act like they don’t understand. They want money but don’t want to do the work. I don’t get it
This is why i am extremely hesitant to start buying in GH .. it is a labor of love and patience.. which i dont have.. 😂 i know my limitations.. but i am gonna have to bite the bullet eventually
You just have to have the right contractor and good communication
you have different sizes of iron, 5 mm 10 mm 15 mm and 20mm, take a measure of it because I would have used a 10 and 15mm iron for the first floor.
Don't let them convince you that it is ok it is your house and your future what you want to do further.
Yes we expressed that to them
You should not ever give them all the money up front. Ghana does not do that. He may never come back. Guys please watch. videos. This is very normal. Stop paying to much. They are very use to not getting money right away. This is normal. Enjoy. Even Ghanaians go through this. deal with them with no emotions. Know all their names. Call them by.their names often. Speak little but to the point. They don't like talking to women. They listen to men better. It's culture. They fear your husband. Don't trip get them to get it done. Ashanti queen built her house alone. They destroyed her. Let your husband be the messager after you both decide what the next step is. But they will and can leave you a mess. They will do it quietly. No emotionalism. They take it differently.
We didn’t give them all the money upfront, they do it in phases. The owner of the company we used to build our home is a Ghanaian living in America and his wife was to oversee the project because she lives in Ghana, she is American so we thought we could relate to them.
I'm glad about that . Many of us pay up front and do not take time to learn how to handle business of their culture. We are them but the differences are real. Time can change everything. Glad you guys are up on it. I have seen a few AA struggle to get back home after losing their land, unfinished house with just enough money to eat as thy travel back. I know Ghana will get better. We love it.
@jamesclarke3248 thank you for the encouragement family
you should make sure you have a qualified technically trained person to manage the construction for you. You can't depend on the ordinary workers who can't read architectural drawings, somebody has to tell them what to do
Thank you, we are finding that out now
I’m building stress free royal kingdom in Ghana stress free if u guys want to build stress free get with royal kingdom
Thanks but we’re ok now, Mr Bright is our new contractor so things are wonderful.
Much success on your project. Keep in touch family 🫡
@ good
@ ur location look nice how much the plots go for if u don’t mind
@@angelopimpin ghc37,000
I'm sorry, I just laughed out loud...I know shouldn't because it''s not funny...its just that I know exactly what you're dealing with. Unfortunately, you will have to bear the cost to fix this error that they made. The only solution is to be on site yourself or have someone video tape the process "every day" so you can catch errors early. One more thing, you should have someone take a tape measurer to verify that the room sizes are correct (hopefully do this at the very beginning as the first row of blocks are being laid)...they may be a bit smaller after plastering because plastering will consume a few inches.