Congratulations on securing your plot! It’s an exciting milestone, but you’re not done yet. As you embark on this journey, there are crucial steps you need to take to ensure everything proceeds smoothly.
Let’s break down what to do next into two main phases:
- Becoming the Registered Owner
1.1 Check your contract: Ensure you have a written contract in place.
Sometimes, big developers will issue an offer letter when you decide to buy and only prepare the contract when you’ve almost finished paying or completely finished paying for your plot.
Check and make sure all terms are clearly outlined in the contract.
1.2 Prepare a budget: Obtaining title deeds incurs costs like legal fees, statutory fees, and potentially property transfer tax, depending on the terms of sale.
So prepare a budget so that you know how much it’ll cost for you to obtain your title deeds. Your seller or a lawyer should be able to set out these costs for you.
1.3 Hire a Lawyer: Engage a registered legal practitioner to oversee the process.
They will review the contract, prepare the necessary documents, and guide you through the legal aspects of property ownership.
1.4 Transfer process: Once the contract is signed, your lawyer will initiate the process of obtaining your title to the property.
They’ll also ensure the seller fulfills their legal obligations. This involves administrative steps such as consent to assign and obtaining the property transfer tax clearance (even if you as the buyer are paying for it).
Your lawyer will lodge all these documents at the Ministry of Lands to obtain your title deeds.
- Building on Your Property
2.1 Define your vision: Decide what type of structure you want to build on the plot, whether it’s a house, flats etc. clarity about your vision is crucial.
2.2 Engage an Architect: Work with a professional architect who can visit the site and provide input tailored to your location.
Consider the architectural guidelines, if any. These are more prevalent in gated communities and ensure designs comply with the regulations.
2.3 Seek council approval: Submit the architectural drawings to the local council for approval before proceeding with construction. Building without approval could lead to complications later on.
2.4 Find a reliable contractor : Get recommendations from your architect, seller or neighbours to help you find a reliable contractor.
Look for contractors with a proven track record of quality work. It’s essential to make the right choice to avoid disappointments.
Finding a good contractor
You might also be wondering where you can find a good contractor? We know, we’ve all heard the stories of contractors who promise the Sheraton and build you a shack!
We have three suggestions for you:
- Ask your architect: By this point if you’ve been working with an architect to prepare your drawings, you can ask them for their recommendations. Architects have worked with many contractors over their careers.
- Ask your seller: Another source of recommendations will be your seller. You might find that they have a contractor that they’ve used that’s worked well for them.
If you’re lucky they might even offer you a range of contractors that you can choose from.
- Ask your neighbour: This is for those of you who may have bought within an estate.
There are bound to be other people in the estate that have started building or may have even moved into their homes.
Look around to see what your neighbours have built and see what strikes your fancy.
For our friends in the diaspora, have a friend or representative do this for you and send you pictures and videos.
Where you notice a job well done, ask your neighbours who they have used and if they’re willing to provide a recommendation.
Just remember that the final choice remains with you on which contractor you choose.
Conclusion
Now you know what you need to do next after paying for your property. Make sure you take the proper steps and secure your plot to give you more peace of mind about your property back home.
We hope you found this useful! If you want more details on how to buy property and build in Zambia click the links below and download our free guides.
- How to buy property in Zambia guide link https://bit.ly/StepbyStep_Buying_Property
- How to build in Zambia guide link https://bit.ly/8Stages_of_Building
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