Where to Find the Best Houses for Sale in Accra

If you’re looking for some of the best houses for sale in Ghana, you can’t look past Accra. 

A hive of economic activities in the country, Accra attracts many business people, investors, and companies. That means the demand for housing increases.

The 1.8-million housing deficit in Ghana, a large chunk in Accra, is enough concern.

In response, individual home builders and some top real estate developers are doing their best to provide housing. 

To find that perfect home, though, you’ll have to dig around and look at many options. 

Why buy a house in Accra

As the biggest and most active property market in Ghana, real estate in Accra is a super attractive sector. Want a dream home? 

You’re more likely to find it when you look through the hundreds of houses for sale in Accra. Other real estate markets in Ghana don’t have as large an inventory as Accra. 

Also, it’s easier to resell your property in Accra than in any other part of the country. So, if you want to dispose of a property for a profit, your best bet for meeting that goal is doing it in Accra.

The overall draw and attractiveness of Accra to individuals and businesses make buying a house in Accra worth it in many ways. Here’s where to find that dream house for sale in Accra.

Real estate developers

You can walk into the office of any real estate developer in Ghana and check out some of their available properties. For many people, that’s the safest mode of buying a house in Ghana.

When you find a trusted developer, you’re not only buying a house from them. You’re also buying their track record, expertise, and goodwill over the years they’ve been operating.

In many instances, those intangibles will come at an extra cost. But they’re worth it, as you can enjoy relative peace of mind knowing you bought a house from a trusted name.

You’re also more likely to enjoy a smoother documentation process when you buy a property from a developer. Further, some developers have partnerships with banks, and it could be easier to get a mortgage to buy a house.

The only downside to buying from real estate developers may be that some of the top developers are out of the budget of many buyers.

Home and property fairs

While these property fairs are few and far between in Ghana, they still come along at least once a year. All you need to do is perk up when the time draws near and attend to see some homes on exhibition.

There, you can find your dream property for sale. And you can start the process of buying that house from an exhibitor whose offerings meet your needs. With the typical property fair, you have many options on display from many developers. 

With all these options under the same roof, you can take time to speak to many exhibitors while noting what you like – or don’t – about each property on display. That could only be good news for you as a homebuyer.

Real estate brokers and agents

Real estate developers and exhibitions at property fairs only account for a fraction of the houses for sale in Accra. The bulk of these properties on the market don’t show up in these fairs or fall under the portfolio of these developers.

That’s where real estate agents and brokers come in handy.

While some of them have partnerships with the developers, many of these agents and brokers represent individual property builders. If you want the lowdown on the houses for sale in Accra, talk to these agents and brokers.

They have a broad network of industry colleagues and could help you find just the property you want at the budget you want. Beyond helping you find your dream property, you can expect to receive expert professional advice from some of these real estate brokers. 

Aspects of this advice include how much to pay for a property in an area, the unexpired term remaining, and the general property trends. The downside to working with a broker/agent is the agency commission you’ll sometimes have to pay when you finally land that property. 

For example, if you buy directly from a developer, you don’t usually pay any commission. That commission may add up depending on the overall price of the property.

Property listing portals

You can find dozens of properties listed on the various property listing portals online. And that’s also another place to find houses for sale in Accra. 

You can compare prices, locations, and facilities for the many options that check your boxes of preference.

But it’s hard for every listing to be verified, and you must be super careful when dealing with online listings on web portals.

Points to note as you shop your dream house

Beware of scammers

Scammers have infiltrated online listing platforms and social media channels to dupe unsuspecting victims. You can’t be too careful on there. 

Some deals may be too sweet to be true. Watch out for that red flag.

Another red flag to look out for is inconsistent stories about the location of the property, the description, and ownership details. 

The fine details may vary from what was listed, and you should be on high alert in such situations.

Do your due diligence

Even if you trust the agent or verification process of the listing portal, you still need a dose of due diligence. That’ll ensure you’re buying what’s being sold to you. 

You’ll also learn of the actual ownership details of the property and the surrounding issues, if any. The land title system in Ghana isn’t perfect, and there will always be a few issues worth addressing. But these are more likely to come out when you do your due diligence.

Get a professional on your side

It’s easy to think you want to cut down on costs and ignore the services of a buying agent. But often, they’re worth the hire, especially if you’re new to the property-buying space. 

An agent can advise you to reconsider an offer, shop for alternatives, and look for other intangibles you may miss as a non-professional.

Things to note when buying a house in Accra

Closing costs

You can’t go around the closing costs of buying a house. You’ll pay a stamp duty of 1.5% of the property’s value as you transfer the title from the seller’s name to yours.

Sometimes, you’ll also have to pay agency costs between 1.5%-5% depending on the property’s final price.

Then there are legal costs – you need a lawyer as you close those deals.

Financing costs

Unless you have the money to pay for your home outright, you’ll need to find financing. 

A mortgage is one of the first options that come to mind. Talk to your bankers to see if you qualify for that facility.

If you’re buying the property as an investment, you can also consider an equity partnership to help you finance the deal.

These could take time, and you must factor that into your calculations. Here’s why.

Price and exchange rate fluctuations

Because of the recent insane inflation in Ghana, property prices have risen sharply, even abnormally. And then the rapid depreciation of the local Ghanaian currency, the Cedi, against the dollar has caused home price fluctuations.

To counter those cedi-to-dollar difficulties, many sellers now list their properties in USD. Those exchange rate changes are something to track as you buy that property, especially if you’re not paying for it outright.

Help yourself to the best properties in Accra

Despite the shortfall in housing supply, you’ll also find many houses for sale in Accra. Agents, brokers, marketers, and developers are trying their best to bring these properties to the attention of interested buyers.

Buyers are also busily shopping for properties that meet their home-buying goals and at the perfect price.

If you’re interested in buying a home, you’ve just seen where you can find houses for sale in Ghana.

And also some realities you’ll face in the home-buying process. All that’s part of the deal. Here’s to an even smoother home-buying process for you.

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We’re Hapgrid, and we strive to bring you some of the finest properties around town. Want to land your dream home? Give us a call today at +233-535-208-881 or info@hapgrid.com to get started.