How to Buy Property in Abuja From Abroad: What to Verify Before You Commit

1. Verify the company, land and development

Start by confirming who you are buying from. Check the property developer's registered details through the Corporate Affairs Commission. The company named in the contract should match the legal entity receiving payment.

Also verify the land records, plot information, survey plan and relevant development approval through the appropriate authorities.

These checks answer different questions. Together, they help establish who you are buying from, which land the transaction concerns and whether the proposed development is properly documented.

2. Put the purchase terms in writing

Once you know who you are buying from, make sure the terms of the purchase are clear. Before paying, review the contract, property specifications, payment schedule and projected completion date.

Keep the reservation documents, contract, payment instructions and receipts in one secure record.

• What you are buying
• What is included in the property
• When each payment becomes due
• How construction progress will be reported
• What happens if the work or specifications change

3. Follow a clear construction plan

If the property is still being built, ask for a defined construction plan. You should be able to understand what has been completed, what comes next and how the work is progressing towards the projected completion date.

Criterion Homes uses Build As You Pay to give buyers a clearer way to follow their property. Each project is divided into five documented construction milestones, with five 20% payments tied to completed construction milestones.

4. Agree how remote updates will work

A construction plan is only useful from a distance if you can see how the work is progressing. Agree how often updates will be provided and what each update should contain.

A local representative can also inspect the site at agreed points in the payment schedule. The purpose is not constant contact. It is to maintain a reliable record when work is completed and another payment becomes due.

• The completed construction milestone or current construction stage
• The date of the update
• Dated photographs or video
• The next expected construction stage

5. Appoint people who act for you

Appoint an independent solicitor to review the transaction and explain what each document means.

You may also appoint a trusted local representative to attend inspections or meetings on your behalf. Define the person's role clearly. A representative can observe and report, while legal questions should be handled by a qualified professional.

6. Give every Abuja visit a purpose

If you will be in Abuja during the purchase, use the opportunity to see what remote updates cannot fully show. Arrange the site visit in advance.

Use the visit to inspect a completed construction milestone, review documents, meet the project team or confirm agreed property specifications. A purposeful visit should answer questions that photographs and video cannot answer on their own.