A policeman was quoted to say, "How the rent from house I built with local material will soon complete another edifice. What are we talking about? Anybody that is determined to be a landlord can be a landlord".
When you start small, you can grow big and you are better off compared with someone that has not even started for whatever reason.
House is one important achievement one must strive to make in a lifetime. No matter what anybody may claim to have, if he or she does not have a house, the person has not started.
That is why in Lagos, you see somebody who had in a mansion and duplex apartment could be relegated to live in a room and parlour or single rooms in tenement buildings over night.
Such things happen to people because they never thought of building their own house. No condition is permanent. Anything can happen. No matter the job one has, the security of the job is not guaranteed.
Even if the business is yours, anything can happen and the person can start from the scratch or what we call, square one. The following story, narrated, is one that should inspire you to desire and work towards owning your own house. It goes as follows:
Case Study: How The Policeman Built A House With Local Material
As a policeman, I have been transferred to so many parts of the country. I have seen things and come to discover that the problem of housing is not as difficult as people try to paint it. Some people prefer to remain tenants in township and in beautiful houses they did not build.
Few years after my marriage, the need to have a building of my own came up. I discovered any little mistake an officer makes in the police force can lead to dismissal.
Some of my friends and colleagues who were dismissed from the place force were immediately evicted from the barracks. The next thing is they start drinking and smoking about the streets.
Before you know it, they withdraw their children from the school and send them with their wives to the village. I decided that wouldn't be my lot.
When I was posted to Imo state, my life changed. God turned my story to glory. I was one of the policemen posted to Addax Oil Company in Oguta.
Apart from the same salary the government was paying us, the Oil company placed us on a very good allowance.
They gave us a lot of things to make us happy and guide the company well. While serving here, I was able to save a lot of money which I sent to my parents to help me buy land in Agbani, Enugu State.
They bought the land for N200,000. The land is more than two plots. I was still praying seriously to God to remain in Addax Oil so that I would be able to do something tangible on the land.
God heard my prayers. I raised some money and decided to fence the plot so that people will not trespass on the land. In the process of fencing I discovered that the cost of building materials was too high.
That was when I considered the option of using Locally produced building material like burnt bricks made with laterite.
Immediately I started moulding the blocks some relatives called me on phone to scold me. The news went to my wife's village that after so many years in the police force, all I could do was to come back to build a mud house. I was not bothered because I had seen so many strong and beautiful buildings built with it.
Funny enough these mocking me did not even have a plot of land where they could plant maize or yam.
Affer they finished moulding the blocks, I discussed with one Architect at Owerri who helped me to design a 30 room bungalow hostel for students to hire.
I discovered that students of Enugu State University of Technology were in dire need of accommodation.
When actual construction work commenced, we started building the house using cement minimal to support the laterite in the structuring of the walls.
I have seen how somebody used it to build magnificent buildings in Akwa-Ibom. So I know what I was driving at.
Before people knew it, the sprawling structure was roofed. I ensured that the construction process was done between November and May when the weather was dry.
In Enugu, land speculators are known as bush inspectors, the type they call omo-oniles in Lagos. But what they collect is very low compared to Lagos.
It is a "we, we"level. With N10,000 , you settle everything and start your building. The people are happy that you are building a house for people to live.
Thereafter, I started the plastering of the walls with cement, did the ceiling, fixed the doors and aluminum sliding windows.
I wired the house and installed an electricity generator for the students to fuel with their own contributions.
Within a month, I put the hostel out for lease, students rushed in. We must change our attitude towards locally produced building materials, claiming they are not good. We have to start from somewhere.
When I was building my first house ( this hostel), there was this uncle of mine that made some derogatory remarks and I was told when I visited home.
But when his second son got admission to the University in Enugu, he had to call me to reserve a room for his son.
He said he could not believe one could achieve such a building with local materials. It is cheaper and within the reach of so many Nigerians to build their own houses and also become landlords.
The issue of durability does not come in at all; the building I was born in is a mud house that is still standing over fifty years ago. The problem of Nigerians is ego. We claim to know too much.
The rent I have collected from that hostel is almost completing another house for me in Imo State. What are talking about? Anybody that is determined to be a landlord can be a landlord.
What Lessons Do You Learn A Story From Policeman?
1. No matter how small your salary, just plan.
2. You can not build a house cheap and fast with your salary alone. You need to consider some other extra streams of income you can build a house fast and cheap.
3. Go and attend a seminar on how to build a house with local materials.
4. Call a property expert and they will teach you what to do this or that. Read magazines on property management or local materials or cheap quality materials or construction techniques, etc and it helps you know and plan financially.
5. Learn to sell accommodations to people who are in dire need of accommodation for monthly rents apart your house.
Inspired Quoted From This article
1. No matter what anybody may claim to have, if he or she does not have a house, the person has not started.
2. Anything can happen. No matter the job one has, the security of the job is not guaranteed. Even if the business is yours, anything can happen.
3. Anybody that is determined to be a landlord can be a landlord.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoy this article. What are you doing? How do you do it? Drop your commen
t here below in the comment box. We want to hear from you.
Happy Reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment