What to check before you pay for any land in Delta State

Use this on any estate in Delta State, including ours. If a company cannot answer these comfortably, that itself is the answer.

The company

• What is the registered company name and RC number? Verify it on the Corporate Affairs Commission register yourself.
• Where is the physical office, and can you or somebody you trust walk into it?
• Who is the person behind the company, and are they publicly identifiable?

The land

• Which Local Government Area is it actually in? Confirm this independently rather than accepting the brochure, as it is more often wrong than you would expect.
• Is there any dispute, family claim or government acquisition affecting the land?
• Can you see the beacons for your specific plot on the ground?
• What is the plot size in square metres, stated precisely?

The documents

• What exactly will you receive, and when?
• Is the estate-wide Certificate of Occupancy issued or in process? Ask for that answer in writing.
• Is the survey plan registered, and what is the survey number?
• Is documentation included in the quoted price, or invoiced separately later?

The infrastructure

• Which facilities exist on the ground today, and which are planned?
• Is there any government project committed to the area? Can you photograph the project board?
• Who is responsible for internal roads and drainage, and by when?

The money

• What is the full price, and what does it include?
• What is the minimum deposit and the completion window?
• What penalty applies if you default, and in what amount?
• What is the refund policy, and what fee is deducted?
• Which account do you pay into, and is it a corporate account in the company's registered name?

The three answers that should end a conversation

Walk away if you hear any of these:

• A guaranteed return or a promised percentage. Land is ownership, not a regulated investment product. Companies that promise returns on land have a poor record in this country.
• Earnings for recruiting other people. If income depends on who you bring in rather than what is sold, you are not looking at a property business.
• Pressure to pay today. Genuine scarcity is a fact and can be stated calmly. Manufactured urgency exists to stop you checking things.

Finally, get it reviewed

Take every document to your own lawyer or surveyor before any money moves. It costs a small fraction of the plot price and it is the single most useful thing a land buyer can do.

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