Stories BY JUDE NJOKU

A LAGOS-BASED private developer, Messrs Nice Dreams Properties Limited, has adopted the use of precast system of construction in the execution of its Havillah Gardens and Fresh Dew Courts. Havillah Gardens is located at kilometre 10 along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while Fresh Dew Courts is at Agbara in Ogun State. Disclosing this development to property writers last week, the managing director of the company, Arc Richard Uwagie explained that his company is partnering a Chinese company to use the precast system to deliver a total of 1000 housing units.

Justifying the use of precast, Arc Uwagie said: “The world is changing, the climate is changing. Today, everybody is talking about global warming and that is putting the entire environment at risk. For instance, one of our foreign partners told me that they banned the use of blocks in their country 30 years ago. He was laughing that we still use blocks here. What we are looking at is the use of prefabricated materials, where we cast in the factory and bring them to site and fix them (on site). The first batch of materials for 1000 units has just arrived and between March and May this year, the remaining should come into the country”.

He explained how the houses would look like. “The entire wall units will come; we will cast the foundation and then the entire structure. We are no longer going to use timber for our roofing, the houses will all be of galvanised steel. The reason is because in times of disasters like earthquakes (it has never happened here but we should prepare for the future) and hurricanes, these buildings should be able to stand the test of time. Beyond that, the buildings will be world class because they are fully insulated. The entire building from top to bottom will be insulated from heat. Each of these buildings comes with a solar system and we intend to give those solar-powered systems to all our buyers free of charge. Each of them is worth about N2 million and can carry all your household appliances apart from the AC,” he said.

On the mode of payment, Arc Uwagie said prospective buyers will pay an unspecified percentage within the first seven months and spread the balance up to five years. “But from May this year, we are looking at people paying 25 percent of the unit cost and spreading the balance over a period of between 10 -15 years,” he said. A three -bedroom detached bungalow in Havillah Gardens which shares the same wall with Deeper Life Bible Church Camp along the Lagos – Ibadan expressway, is currently selling for N11 million while the three-bedroom flat is being sold for N8.2 million. The four-bedroom detached duplex is being offered to buyers for N25 million.

When completed, Arc Uwagie stated that Havillah Gardens will be an exclusive estate with luxury finishing and POP ceiling, paved road network, comprehensive laid drain system and street lighting. The gated estate with security patrol will also have recreational facilities and gymnasium, swimming pool and children’s park, club house, treated water supply and large rooms.

Decrying the ever-increasing figure of housing deficit in the country, Arc Uwagie regretted that most developers concentrate on building for the high-end buyers while the middle and low-income earners are not usually taken into consideration. He attributed the high cost of most houses built by private developers to the high cost of land as well as the type of materials and construction method used.