Common mistakes Ugandans abroad make while building houses back home, how to avoid them

Many Ugandans abroad take s much time to make a living and invest back home mostly in real estate.

However, since it is not possible for them to physically be present at the premises, most cases delegate the site supervision duties to confidants and relatives.

There is no doubt several have been fleeced, while unlucky ones have ended up sending money for years but do not find even a foundation for the building they have been expecting.

Nile Post in conjunction with Firs Village technical and Construction company discuss the common mistakes many Ugandans abroad commit and how they can be solved;

Trust

Some Ugandans abroad are too overly trusting, they trust their friends and relatives back home too easily. But very often, people change quickly when money is involved.

The naive and dependable uncle you left 5years ago might have been worthy of your trust, however, this doesn't mean that he will always be trustworthy since people and circumstances change a lot. He might now be jobless and poor, and instead of using the money you are sending for your dream house, he might be diverting it for his own use.

What to do: There is no harm if you want to trust your relative or friend. But have someone to monitor them as well in order to ascertain that he is spending the money you are sending for its purpose.

Delegating without follow up:

This is the worst thing anybody can do, much less a Ugandan abroad building a house back home. When you don't follow up on the tasks you have delegated, people do not take you seriously and tasks you have assigned end up not being accomplished.

Saying you are too busy is not an excuse. If you do not have time to follow up with your house in Uganda, then forget about it. you are just throwing money down the drain. You should follow up every week with them by phone and they should send you detailed project updates by email or WhatsApp every week.

The project update should include pictures of the house, budget any rises that might have happened. In addition, have someone else drop by every week to validate what they are telling you.

What to do:  If you know that you can't follow up on your building project back home, it is better to keep your money in your bank account for the time to monitor by consistently calling or sending external parties (ie people you didn't send money to, but can be relied upon to tell you the truth) to monitor the project and report back to you.

You can also engage professional construction companies that deal with attorneys or legal representatives.

3. Not using professionals

Do not use your relative instead of a trained engineer even though your relative will tell you they can perform the task of an engineer; that they can drill a borehole. Tell your relatives to hire a professional and follow up to make sure that the professional knows what they are doing.

What to do: The best thing to do when you are trying to build a house in Uganda is to come home first and hire the professionals needed for the house. You can even have your friends and relatives search for such contractors before you arrive in Uganda.

While you are in Uganda, check the authenticity of the contractor and lay down all the necessary foundation before you handover the management of the project to your relatives and head back abroad.

Sending too much money at once

Because they want to make the plan a quick reality and yes they have dollars or pounds and need to show money is not a problem, Ugandans abroad make another mistake of sending all the money needed for the construction of the house upfront.

NEVER do that because huge amounts and you are not sure how much temptation you are causing.

What to do:  Do not spend huge sums of money at once, instead, send the money gradually. For instance, send money for the foundation of the building one month. After you have verified that the foundation has been completed, then send the next amount, you can verify this by sending a third party that has nothing to gain by checking if the foundation is in place before sending another amount.

Using people, you respect so much

Since most Ugandans are brought up not to talk back or disrespect their elders, it is better to avoid predetermined obstacles by not engaging with your uncles and aunts that you will not be able to question when things do not add up.

What to do: It's money-wise to engage with the right people who would listen and accept whatever suggestion you have.

Other tips

Do not rely on photographs alone

Photos can be deceiving, so let them send you a video as well, of the actual construction going on. A digital camera relatively too easy to come by, so that shouldn't be a problem

Do not be secretive

Most Ugandans abroad are often very secretive about their building projects. When they get their brothers to handle their projects, they may not inform their fathers that the brother is handling the project.

This has actually caused lots of problems for families. You should ensure that all your family members are aware of the person in charge of your projects so each of them could serve as a check to the other.

Research

There is considerable risk in everything that involves money and investments. This is especially true in Uganda. You should research and ask a million questions before you decide to build a house in Uganda.

You should be ready to have the patience of a saint because things in Uganda are done slowly, and every day is a holiday.

Be prepared to go to Uganda and see the construction your self if you feel that something sounds fishy and you cannot get a straight answer from people. Money is too hard to come by, so why send it down the drain by not doing the diligent follow-ups.

First Village Construction Company

With First Village Construction Company you are relieved from all that construction stress. They claim they will build for you and handover keys to you after the project is fully completed and at high standards and quality.

They are technically professional, do construction, renovation, construction site management, building designs, real estate development, electrical installation and maintenance , plumbing, alterations, compound works, green park, quick property repair, and about digester septic tank.

In case you want them

Call 0787040412/0703040412