Founder of Archnexus and architect Nana Akua Birmeh has advised that Ghanaians planning to build their dream homes should first consider what they can realistically afford to complete rather than starting ambitious projects that could remain unfinished for years.

She said many people begin construction with grand plans without properly considering the cost, their current financial position, or whether the house will suit their lifestyle by the time it is completed.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Friday, August 14, during a discussion on “Building Your Dream Home”, Architect Birmeh said homeowners would be better off starting with a property they could afford and gradually moving towards their ideal home.

“What we see a lot, and actually that’s quite prevailing, a lot of people start off immediately and want their dream house, which usually they cannot afford,” she said.

According to her, such projects can take years to complete, with some eventually abandoned altogether.

“They start with this dream house, sometimes never finish, and actually never enjoy what it is they thought the way certain else will enjoy in their dream house,” she said.

Her advice is simple, start with what is financially manageable and enjoy it while working towards something bigger.

“So you’re better off doing something you can complete, and then enjoy that level of completion while you work on your dream house. That is, of course, according to your financial capacity,” she said.

Architect Birmeh said Ghana’s many uncompleted houses were partly the result of people embarking on projects without properly calculating the full cost.

She said some homeowners become so focused on the image of their dream house that they fail to consider whether they will have the financial capacity to finish it.

“And so this is sometimes what we see with so many uncompleted buildings in our cities, because people did set off with that dream house aspiration and didn’t really count the cost of it,” she said.

She said that having a beautiful architectural design does not necessarily mean the owner will eventually be able to build it.

“You have the beautiful design probably hanging in your chamber and hall. This is where I’m going to. But as to whether you actually ever finish and enjoy that dream house is another story,” she said.

Rather than putting all their resources into one large project, she encouraged Ghanaians to think about home ownership as a gradual process.

“In other places, you climb the ladder, the home’s ladder. You start with something that you can turn around and move to a bigger one and turn around,” she explained.

“As you’re turning it around, before you know it, your dream house is at arm’s reach.”

Meanwhile, Republic Bank targets affordable home ownership through JoyNews Habitat Fair.

The Republic Bank JoyNews Habitat Fair is expected to bring together key players in the housing and property sector to connect prospective homeowners with financing, housing solutions, and other services needed to make home ownership more accessible.