Building a House in Ghana From Abroad: How the Money Goes Missing and How to Protect It

Short answer: most building projects that go wrong for Ghanaians abroad fail the same way: money is sent in large amounts to one trusted person, the photos look fine, and years later the building is far behind, the land has a problem, or the money was used for something else. You protect yourself by checking the land before anything else, getting a building permit, paying in small stages against proof, and having someone independent visit the site.

How the money goes missing

• The land was never clean. It was sold to more than one person, it belongs to a family that did not agree to the sale, or the documents are fake. You find out when someone else starts building or a court case appears. This is the most expensive mistake, because everything built on the land is at risk.
• Lump sums. You send money for "the whole roof" or "the next three months". Once it is sent, there is no reason for anyone to hurry or to spend it carefully.
• Inflated quantities and prices. You pay for 100 bags of cement and 70 arrive. Prices are quoted above the market and the difference is kept.
• Recycled photos and videos. Progress pictures that are old, from another site, or taken from an angle that hides what was not done.
• Money used for something else. A family emergency, a funeral, another person's project. Often the person meant to pay it back. Often they cannot.
• A house occupied while you are away. Squatters or "caretakers" who refuse to leave once the building is habitable.

None of this means your relatives or your contractor are dishonest. It means a project run from thousands of miles away needs checks that do not depend on trusting one person.

Step 1: check the land before you build

Do an official search at the Lands Commission on the exact plot, in your own name or through a lawyer you chose yourself, before any building money moves. Our step-by-step guide shows how: how to do a Lands Commission search before you buy land. Keep a copy of the search result and the site plan, and make sure the plot on the ground matches the plan.

Step 2: get a building permit

In Ghana you need a permit from the District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly before you build. The Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925) makes building without a permit an offence, and Assemblies can stop or pull down unapproved buildings. The application goes to the Assembly's physical planning department, usually with your land document and architectural and structural drawings. Ask the Assembly directly what it needs, and keep the permit number. A contractor who says you "don't need" a permit is a warning sign.

Step 3: check who you are dealing with

• Buying from an estate developer or through an agent? Real estate brokers, agents and developers must be licensed by the Real Estate Agency Council (REAC) under the Real Estate Agency Act, 2020 (Act 1047). Ask for their licence and confirm it with REAC.
• Hiring a contractor? Visit buildings they finished, ideally for other people abroad, and talk to those owners. Get their full name, business registration and a written contract that lists the work, the price and the stages.
• Search them on TrustCheck and paste their phone number into our number check to see if anyone has reported it.

Step 4: pay in stages, against proof

1. Break the work into stages: foundation, blocks to lintel, lintel to roof level, roofing, plastering, and so on. Agree a price for each.
2. Pay for one stage at a time, and only after you have proof the previous stage is done.
3. Buy big materials yourself where you can: pay the supplier directly for cement, iron rods and roofing sheets, and ask for the delivery note.
4. Ask for live video calls, not just photos. Ask the person to walk the whole site and show a newspaper or say the date.
5. Keep every receipt and a simple spreadsheet of what was paid, to whom and for what.
6. For larger sums, consider paying through a lawyer's client account, released stage by stage.

Step 5: have someone independent check the work

The person spending the money should not be the only person telling you how it was spent. Pay a quantity surveyor, engineer or architect who is not connected to your contractor or family to visit at each stage, measure the work and confirm the materials. It costs far less than one lost stage. When you visit Ghana, go to the site unannounced.

When the house is nearly finished

Fit doors, windows and locks early, keep the keys with someone you trust, and do not let anyone move in "to keep the place safe" without a written agreement. Register your ownership properly as soon as you can.

Signs your project is in trouble

• Requests for money that is "urgent" and does not match the agreed stage.
• Photos only, and excuses whenever you ask for a live video.
• No receipts, or receipts from the same person for everything.
• Nobody will tell you the permit number, or the site plan does not match the land.
• A new "better" plot, partner or investment you are pushed to send money for quickly.

Have you been cheated by a contractor, agent or developer? Report them on TrustCheck or write a review, so the next person checks before they pay. If you are sending money home often, also read how to receive money from abroad in Ghana safely.