Start with the address and the person selling
A polished advert is a starting point, not proof that a house is available or that the person offering it can sell it. Ask for the precise location, the property type, the asking price and who has authority to arrange a viewing. If an agent is involved, ask how that agent is connected to the owner. Success Property Managers can help coordinate those questions before an inspection.
Use the visit to test the details
Compare the description with what you can actually see. Count usable rooms, inspect water supply and drainage, look at access roads and ask what remains in the property at handover. Visit at a time that reflects your normal journey, not only when the street is quiet. Keep a written list so two properties in different Port Harcourt neighbourhoods can be compared on the same basis.
- Confirm the advertised price and what it includes.
- Ask about repairs, occupancy and expected handover date.
- Take your own notes and photographs with permission.
Separate interest from commitment
Before paying a deposit, ask a qualified lawyer and survey professional to check the documents and boundaries relevant to the particular property. Confirm the payment recipient and request the full terms in writing. Success Property Managers can arrange contact and inspection, but an advert or a WhatsApp conversation should never replace independent checks.
“I was ready to decide from the pictures. Then I wrote down the full cost, the handover date and the documents I still needed checked. That changed the conversation.”A sample voice illustrating the question in this guide.
A buyer has two possible homes at similar asking prices. One needs repairs but has a clearer handover date; the other looks finished but its document pack is incomplete. The useful question is not “Which photograph looks better?” It is “What will each home cost, when could I take possession, and which facts can my advisers independently verify?”