New Construction, Poor Finishings

If I had a dollar for every time I heard, was told or was complained to about this issue, especially in the country of Cameroon West Africa, I would not be writing this blog today, I would be sipping martinis on a beach in Tahiti. LOL. Improvements to land both commercial and residential are faced with this seemingly unending issue. From a mile away, the improvement to the land often stands out. As you get closer, you begin to experience the uneasy twitch, Your eyes capture errors; paint over doors, unfinished edges, different color tiles, mix matched paint, one layer of paint, uneven walls, crooked doors, paint ,drops on the floor uneven walls, crooked doors, sloppy cemented walls, and the list goes on and on and on. I am often asked why is this such a common theme in real estate development in Cameroon and I always reply “ You pay for what you get” and if you want to avoid this you must read this article in its entirety.
At SECPE (www.secpeinvestments.com) we have determined that limited resources coupled with limited income is a direct antagonist to skilled /professional labor. Essentially this is how it manifests itself
Most technicians are not good at estimating. When a client asks for an estimate, they provide one of two types, an exceedingly high estimate if they believe you are wealthy and have no knowledge of labor prices or a lower estimate because they want the job and want to be competitive. The latter is much more common. This becomes a problem because regardless on the amount finally agreed to, despite the amount you pay for labor, they are looking to cut corners any which way they can. They are programmed to be dishonest in their dealings inspired by various reasons. At SECPE we have determined that getting referrals is not necessarily the best way to identify a skillset. You have to see and actually inspect work that has been performed before. But what if I don’t live in the area? Is your next question I presume? Well this is typically a category most investors fall into. In order to avoid these pitfalls you may resort to having to fly down yourself to inspect the work or rely on a family member even though there is no certainty that any relative of yours has your vision, taste or expectations. SECPE offers you another choice; contact us at www.secpeinvestments.com or call us at Tel: 680529480 so we can do all of that work for you.

Staff over tiles

Take as an example, you contract labor to paint one room in your home, approximately 5.14 x 3.9 metres or 12 X 15ft, in the USA labor would run you anywhere from $80 – $150 (50,000xaf to 90,000xaf), 60 – 100 Euros or 75 – 120 pounds. For that same work in Cameroon, you may pay anywhere from 10,000xaf to 25,000xaf for the same dimensions. Quite a significant reduction. For less than 20% of what you would pay in a developed nation you can have the same work performed. However it will not be a great job, it may be ok. The work, patience and tools needed to ensure there are no errors is seldom used. There is no tape laid down to ensure straight lines, your furniture is not protected to prevent paint from falling down on them, and the corner or edges are not checked for mistakes. Worse off, if you aren’t there while the work is performed, in an effort to save paint, only two coats may be used whereas 3 coats may truly be warranted. Technicians don’t see that it isn’t perfect and when you point it out they are baffled by your desire to hold them accountable for the amount of money they have agreed to be paid for the work. Some get offended, don’t take pride in the work and actually do a sloppier job when asked to correct their first mistake. Sound familiar?
Rule: If the finishing of a home is important to you, then hire an expert to do the work. Here at SECPE we will provide the appropriate work you need provided you are willing to pay for it. We will provide superior service at the budget you allocate within a 10% margin of error. It boils down to this, if you care for perfection in the improvement you are constructing, be willing to pay more so you can invest in multiple teams or pay for the quality of work you want. Hence a paint job at this higher level of expectation may run you around 32,000xaf – 40,000xaf. This can take a toll on a budget and it isn’t uncommon for investors building improvements to rent out, to succumb to a more mediocre degree of finishing just to complete the project. Keep in mind that the more attention an investor is wiling to pay to the details, the higher the revenue he/she can earn from the investment. Clients do want the best and will pay for those extra trimmings, so whenever you can don’t skim on those elements that could make the difference in a fully occupied rental as opposed to an empty one.
Conclusion: As investors we say we want the best, but we are limited in our resources to pursue what the best truly is. Speak to an agent at SECPE investments www.secpeinvestments.com Tel: 680529480. Let us give you the appropriate options. In most cases, quality is sacrificed for quantity, let us show you how to reach the right balance and put you in touch with a team that has been trained to pay attention to those details. No more hanging cables from added a/c units. No more sloppy ‘staff’ ceilings, purchase the right materials for your construction or renovation project, satisfaction is guaranteed.