How to Buy Land in Ghana (The Ultimate Guide)

How to buy land in Ghana

Lands in Ghana are currently high in demand due to the growing population and the increasing number of foreign investors looking to invest in Ghana’s real estate market.

Locals and expatriates in Ghana can purchase lands for private and commercial purposes.
However, in order to buy land in Ghana, there are a couple of things you have to know. In this article, we highlight most of the things you need to consider as well as some of the best practices to adopt before purchasing land in Ghana to avoid the difficulties associated with the land acquisition process.

What is a plot of land?

In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries.

What is the size of a plot of land in Ghana?

An Acre consists of 6 plots each measuring 6 x 120ft. In Ghana, the standard size of a plot could either be 100 x 100 feet or 100 x 70 feet in Accra – this may vary depending on the location of the land and other factors. The official standard, however, is 100 x 100 feet although many people use 100 x 70 feet as a widely accepted measurement.

What is a cadastral plan or Indenture?

A cadastral Plan also referred to as a site plan or indenture is the development of a parcel of land on a legal document. It is the fundamental source of date in disputes and lawsuits between landowners. It defines the dimensions and locations of a land. In a country like Ghana, the Site plan must be prepared by a licensed surveyor by the Survey Department of the Lands Commission of Ghana. The plan should be able to indicate who the owners are and where they are located.

Note: You are not supposed to pay for the land before getting hold of the site plan for search and verification.

Types of Land In Ghana

Before going ahead to read about purchasing a land in Ghana, You first need to know the types of land in the country. As of the time this post was written, There are currently four types of land in Ghana. These are:

• Government Land
• Family/Private Land
• Vested Land
• Customary/Stool Land

To purchase a Government Land or Vested Land, you will have to fill an application with the Executive Secretary of Lands Commission or the Regional Lands Officer, depending on the location of the land.

Customary Land belongs to different Stools in Ghana, these group of people have the power to grant the particular customary land for which they are responsible. According to The 1992 Constitution, there must be no free-hold interest granted in land.

Customary Lands granted to private individuals or families before the 1992 Constitution are now deemed as private land. In this scenario, the buyer has to go directly to the owner of the land.

How to buy land in Ghana

Below are some of the best tips and guidelines to follow before purchasing a land in Ghana.

Decide on your Land size

Before you even start looking for land to buy, you must be sure what size you want. If you intend of building a private or commercial building, You will need to communicate with your architect to know the size of the plot to get.

Search for the land

Depending on where you intend of buying land, You will need to look for certified real estate companies in that city or simply use websites like Meqasa to find one.

Below are the top places and towns in Ghana to purchase a land.

Make inquiries and Checks

Before buying a plot of land, you will have to make certain inquiries and checks to make sure you are dealing with the rightful owner, dealer, or company. According to the Lands Commission, there is no standard procedure in acquiring land in Ghana. This raises the risk of buying a disputed piece of land, and if this happens, the best way to handle the situation is to take the matter up in court, which could drag on for years.

This is why you have to make your checks to avoid any fraudulent behavior from the seller. For eg. A seller isn’t required to demand payment for a cadastral plan.

After doing a background check on the seller, you also need to check with the Lands Commission to verify whether the land actually belongs to that individual or company. This process usually takes a minimum of seven days to as much as 30 days. No matter how long it may take, it is certainly worth the wait.

Tip: The search can go smoother with a cadastral plan mostly referred to as indenture or site plan. This search will help you know if the land has been registered or not.

Obtain a cadastral plan

You need to decide on the area you want to buy the land, find a set location, and have the seller provide you with a cadastral or site plan prepared by a licensed surveyor which shows the exact location and coordinates of the land. This site plan helps prevent ownership disputes with land guards as the Lands Commission keeps copies in their office.

Hire your own surveyor

The indenture is a strong indicator of land availability but it isn’t a guarantee. In order to be very safe during your purchase process, You should consider hiring your own surveyor to cross-check and make sure the land details given to you by the owner is accurate.

Do not trust the surveyor of the landowner. Hire your own surveyor to verify the information before signing any agreements or making the purchase.

In some cases, surveyors are able to decrease your land on the indenture and you will lose that portion on the real land, especially when it is a big land that is difficult to establish the boundaries.

Ownership of Lands In Ghana

Land purchase agreements in Ghana can only be done as a lease-hold and not a freehold agreement. A freehold can be defined as a life estate; which means the land is the eternal property of the owner. A lease-hold, on the other hand, is a property that can be sold for a limited time period. In Ghana, the maximum ownership duration for expatriates is 50 years while for locals, it is 99 years.

Drafting and signing of the purchase and transfer agreement

Before making payment for the land, be certain to draft a purchase and transfer agreement endorsed by you and the seller. It will be advisable to have a lawyer and/or a Real estate broker aid in drafting and signing the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) to protect your interest. However, the best option is to get help from a certified Lawyer.

Note: Before making any payment, make sure the agreement is signed by you, the owner, and a witness each from both parties.

Registering Your land In Ghana

After signing the purchase and transfer agreement with your landowner and the land is paid in full or you have begun paying for the land, you can register the land with the Lands commission. Make sure to inform the Lands Commission concerning the transaction (You can do so by showing them receipts, indenture, and signed documents) and then apply for a transfer and registration of the land.

The Lands Commission will give you a title certificate and cadastral plan at a later date. This could be done as early as a few weeks or a few months depending on the situation.

Installment or Outright Payment

Depending on your budget you can agree to pay outright or installment. In case you are paying outright, be certain all the necessary documents are in place and doubts surrounding the land has been cleared. Paying out-right should give you a better bargaining price than installment payment.

The great thing about installment though is that it helps to clear any last-minute loopholes. Some buyers use installments to give them more time to verify land ownership and detect if the land is in dispute.

How to Buy Land In Ghana Without Getting Scammed

Litigants and Land Owners

One great method of checking litigants is to find a way to lure them, as in tricking them into thinking there is a new occupant on the land. This is usually done prior to making payments or around the time, precisely when paying installments for a land.

This strategy can be done after paying the first installment, send a heap of sand and stones to the land, clear it and prepare it for work to see if other interested parties will approach. If they do, then it is a red flag, if they don’t after a few weeks, you can go ahead.

Use a Trusted Real Estate Company In Ghana

The best way to avoid all the headaches is to simply find a trusted real estate broker to work with. Doing so will make the entire process go smoothly for you. We understand not everyone can afford the luxury to conduct site visits, search and verify documents at the Lands Commission, get a surveyor, trick landowners, and what have you.

The guidelines provided in this post aren’t something that can be done leisurely. It needs a very high level of commitment, time, precision, diligence, and firmness, which many people find challenging to do in addition to their original duties.

The services of a real estate broker or an agent are there to assist you every step of the way to secure your land. We will list a couple of trusted real estate companies below that can help you acquire land in Ghana.

Companies that sell Land In Ghana

• Shandonia Properties
• CBC Properties
• Brierly Hill
• Afric Realtors
• Green Real Estate
• Kwanim Properties
• Morning Links
• DK Surveying
• Everest
• Appolonia
• RockHill Properties

The Ghana Real Estate Brokers Association (GAR) can also assist you with a tall list of professionals to choose from.

Where to Buy Land in Ghana

Land for Sale in Accra

Accra is the capital city and the centre of attraction in Ghana. This makes the price of land in Accra the most expensive in Ghana. You can find land for sale in Accra ranging between GHC 30,000 to over GHC 1 million. There are several types of land that you can buy in Ghana depending on your needs or requirement.

Land for Sale in Tema

Tema is a good combination of residential, industrial, and commercial properties. You can find almost anything you need in Tema and due to this, the lands for sale in Tema are high in demand.

Land for Sale in Kumasi

Kumasi is the second-largest city in Ghana. It is in addition one of the best places to buy land in Ghana. Kumasi has a thriving economy with numerous companies relocating from the capital to reach clients in the middle and northern areas of Ghana. You can never go wrong in buying land in Kumasi. There are a lot of lands available for sale in Kumasi, Ghana.

Best Place to buy a land in Accra

Some of the best affordable areas in Accra to purchase land are East Legon hills, Dodowa, Amasaman, Pokuase, Oyarifa, and Oyibi.

Areas such as East Legon Hills, Kasoa, and Oyarifa are developing at a rapid pace and fast becoming the most ideal locations to acquire land.

Prices of Land in Ghana

The question most people tend to ask is, “how much does land cost in Ghana?” Well, this may vary significantly based on the location of the land. When looking to purchase lands in prime areas in the Capital city such as East Legon, Dzorwulu, Abelempke…etc expect to pay not less than GHS 500,000 for a plot of land.

Below is the average cost of one plot of land for sale in some parts of Ghana.

• Oyarifa Lands for Sale – GHS100,000
• Takoradi Lands – GHS100,000
• East Legon Hills – GHS132,000
• Dodowa Lands for Sale – GHS27,000
• Kasoa – GHS50,000
• Tamale Lands – GHS28,000
• Pokuase Lands for Sale – GHS70,000
• East Legon Lands – GHS1,000,000
• Spintex Lands – GHS708,000
• Kumasi Lands for Sale – GHS50,000 –
• Accra Lands for Sale – GHS700,000
• Tema Lands for Sale – As low as GHS45,000 and as high as USD 1 million.

Conclusion

You will need the help of a real estate agent, a surveyor, and a lawyer to buy land in Ghana. A thorough search is very important to determine the ownership of your desired land. Once all agreements have been settled, a Deed of Conveyance, or an appropriate instrument of transfer (indenture), is prepared by the lawyer. Upon signing, the title is transferred to the buyer, who, at the same time, pays for the property.

Read also: How to invest in Real Estate in Ghana References: Wikipedia, Globalpropertyguide, Meqasa

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