What a house costs to build, and what we've learned from people funding builds they can't stand over — choosing who builds it, the agreements worth making early, where the money actually goes, and how to keep a record that settles questions instead of starting them.
Rates per square metre and the all-in cost of a three-bedroom house in Harare, Nairobi, Lagos, Gauteng and Accra, from named, dated sources — and what moves them.
3 min read
A three-bedroom house in Harare costs about $97,000 all in, at $450–560 a m² for the house itself. What's in that price, phase by phase, and what moves it.
6 min read
A three-bedroom house in Nairobi costs about KSh 9.9 million all in, at KSh 50,000–62,000 a m² for the house itself. What's in that price, phase by phase, and what moves it.
6 min read
A three-bedroom house in Lagos costs about ₦41 million all in, at ₦160,000–230,000 a m² for the house itself. What's in that price, phase by phase, and what moves it.
6 min read
A three-bedroom house in Gauteng costs about R2.2 million all in, at R10,700–12,900 a m² for the house itself. What's in that price, phase by phase, and what moves it.
6 min read
A three-bedroom house in Accra costs about GH₵890,000 all in, at GH₵4,200–5,500 a m² for the house itself. What's in that price, phase by phase, and what moves it.
6 min read
Most builds that go wrong from abroad go wrong at the start. How to find, check and choose a builder or project manager you can't meet, before you pay.
7 min read
A simple system for keeping control of a construction project you can't visit: one fund, phase budgets, receipts against every payment, and a photo rhythm everyone can keep.
7 min read
The eight things worth settling in writing before money moves — scope, who buys materials, how receipts work, and what happens when the price changes mid-build.
8 min read
What each stage of a build actually pays for, which phases hide the surprises, and the questions to ask at each one before the money is gone.
9 min read
