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Top Five Construction Challenges in Cameroon and How to Overcome Them

What a man desires most at the end of a hard day’s work is a comfortable bed to lay down. Shelter is a basic human need and to a large extent determines your overall quality of life. Sadly, housing has been a major challenge in Cameroon for decades and although the government has embarked on a couple of housing schemes, there are some setbacks such as:

Growing rural-urban migration

Every year, about 100,000 people migrate to the cities of Yaoundé and Douala, in search of better opportunities and these people need houses. This movement puts pressure on Cameroon’s urban needs (Examining the Growing Housing Problems in Douala, the Economic Hub of Cameroon) estimated to be short of one million units. In an attempt to provide a solution, low-cost houses are constructed. However, the long-term effects of this are low-quality housing, dilapidation and the frequent need for renovations. A long-term sustainable option is to create innovative housing strategies and infrastructure to provide comfortable and affordable homes in well-structured, gated communities for the masses.

Read More On the Growing Housing Problems in Douala, the Economic Hub of Cameroon

Constant rising and unstable project costs

One major problem facing Cameroon’s construction industry is the constant rise in project costs. This is typically due to the fluctuations in the prices of building materials like cement, sand, steel, glass, etc. This problem is further fueled by the weakening of local currency (FCFA) against the dollar. Projects estimated to be completed at a certain cost usually end up requiring more than what was budgeted for, which tends to slow down the building project. Based on this issue, providing quality homes using superior building materials will reduce the cost of maintenance in the long-term and thus; make the whole building project sustainable and worth it.

Lack of skilled labour

Lack of skilled labour cannot be eliminated when talking about the problems facing the Cameroon construction industry. Disputes constantly arise over the prevalence of unskilled labour like inexperienced architects or contractors who do one of the following; abandon projects halfway, fail to show up as agreed to complete the job, incessant excuses over poorly executed work, use of cheap unskilled labourers or opting for inferior methods of constructing buildings.

For fear of these problems, most Cameroonians dread working with local labourers, which is comparatively cheaper to importing skilled labour, who often demand high salary; wages. This inconsistency leads to poorly built houses that do not encapsulate the elegance of modern architecture.

Research has shown that the problem isn’t always lack of houses but lack of suitable houses built to taste. It’s common to find unoccupied houses in urban areas because the real demand is undeniably for the first-class infrastructure.

Fraudulent property titles

Sadly, selling property with inappropriate land titles is common in Cameroon. Due to the tedious process of obtaining genuine property documents, some property sellers dupe unsuspecting buyers of their hard-earned money by selling plots of land with forged documents. Some properties are even sold to multiple individuals, and these individuals are left stranded during the construction phase. In this case, working with a competent real estate company makes all the difference in buying properties in Cameroon. A good real estate company will buffer you from losing your money or getting entangled in court cases. The answer is always to partner with a reputable company.

All You Need To Know About Owning your first home in Cameroon

Cost of houses

The costs of built houses in urban Cameroon are not cheap. The cost varies depending on the quality of the building and the location. A four-bedroom apartment for instance could go between 30,000,000frs – 300,000,000frs. As the demand for affordable housing increases, low-cost houses are constructed often with low quality materials for the average Cameroonian. Our goal on the other hand, is to provide top-class, affordable homes.

Our solution

Our focus is on structure: developing planned, gated communities. We are providing innovative solutions to the current housing challenges; developing basic infrastructure like paved roads, street lightings, sewage systems, proper drainages systems and security simultaneously while constructing buildings.

With Diamond Realty, you win in two ways; increase in value appreciation and better quality of life. Our gated communities offer unmatched amenities, designed to promote a live-work-play environment and the innovative improvements on the lands offer greater rewards in the event of a resale or rental.

(A Live-Work-Play Neighborhood In Cameroon: Dream Or Reality?)

 Expect your home value to appreciate up to 15 – 50% yearly, coupled with the continuous influx of population and high demand for quality, affordable housing, you can expect to leverage on unheard profit surpluses.

Your dream home is just a call away. Call us today at +237 695723371 / 682859009 or send us an email at info@diamondrealty.estate

For more detailed information, visit our website at www.diamondrealty.estate.

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