This is the article I wish I had read three years ago. I invested in an off-plan project in Lekki based entirely on the developer’s brochure and a friend’s recommendation. The project stalled after eighteen months. When my lawyer finally checked the land registry, the title was not even in the developer’s name. The entire process you described…[Read more]

The point about visiting at different times of day is something I genuinely wish I had done before signing my last lease. The estate looked lovely on a Sunday afternoon but the generator noise from a nearby business made weekday mornings unbearable. A few honest reviews from residents could have flagged it. Now I always read reviews and visit on a…[Read more]

I always make a point to mention the check-in process in my reviews because it is the first thing that sets the tone of a stay. I have had hosts who were incredibly responsive and made arrival seamless, and I have had ones who took hours to respond to basic questions. Future guests deserve to know which type they are dealing with

The Google Business Profile point is one that almost every Nigerian agent ignores completely. I set mine up properly about eight months ago, added photos, collected reviews, and updated my services. I now get between three and five direct inquiries every week from people who found me through Google Maps alone. It is completely free and the results…[Read more]

The point about Lagos landlords demanding two or three years rent upfront is something so many people just accept because they do not know it is illegal under the Tenancy Law. The law says one year maximum for yearly tenants and yet landlords collect two years routinely. More tenants need to know they can push back on this legally.

Question nine about Governor’s Consent is the one that catches the most buyers off guard. People execute a Deed of Assignment and feel the transaction is complete, not knowing that without that consent the transfer is legally incomplete. I have seen this cause serious complications years later when owners tried to resell or use the property as…[Read more]

The cleaning schedule point is the one that breaks most shared apartments in Nigeria. Everyone agrees informally at the start that they will keep things clean and within two months the kitchen has become a battlefield. Write it down, assign specific days, and review it every month. Informal agreements about cleaning do not survive contact with…[Read more]

The Lekki-Epe corridor is where the smartest money is going right now and the infrastructure story around that axis is very real. The deep sea port is operational, the refinery is running, and the airport is coming. Anyone who buys land or property there today is buying into a corridor that is still in its early appreciation phase. The window will…[Read more]

The point about common areas is something I genuinely overlooked when I bought my flat. The entrance looked fine during viewings but reviews mentioned the lifts were constantly out of service. I dismissed it as one disgruntled resident. Two years in, I understand exactly what they were talking about. Read the patterns, not the outliers.

The point about developer responses to negative reviews is something I wish I had paid attention to. The developer I bought with never replied to a single complaint online, and when my handover was delayed by eight months, the communication was just as poor. Those ignored reviews were a warning I missed.

The point about checking how agents respond to negative reviews is underrated advice. I actually eliminated two agents from my shortlist because their replies to complaints were dismissive and borderline rude. If that’s how they handle public criticism, imagine how they handle difficult negotiations on your behalf.

The shortlet model is genuinely transforming how Nigerians think about rental income. I converted one of my 2-bedroom apartments in Lekki to a shortlet two years ago and within eight months it had earned more than the entire annual rent the previous tenant was paying. The numbers are real but the management side requires serious attention.