Owning a Home of Your Own

Although it is not a crime to be a tenant, it is really not advisable to remain a tenant for life.
Owning a home should be one of the priorities in your agenda list. It should be a long term goal that you pursue with vigour and with enthusiasm.
Doubtless, there are obstacles tending to hold us back from owning our own home. But the truth is that there is no obstacle that can hold you back, if you make up your mind to have a house of your own. Making up your mind implies that you are very serious about it. And what would make a person desirous of having a house of his own when he can just rent a house and remain a tenant?
There are several reasons owning a home should be preferable:
To start with, housing is one of the three basic necessities of man, the other two being food and clothing. If you strive to feed and clothe your family and yourself, remember that you ought to strive to own a home of your own. Nelson Mandela, former South African president said: “If a man has not built a house, he has not got a home.” The house a person rents cannot be said to be his own. He only has possession of it during the period of the tenancy. Once the tenancy expires, the landlord can take possession of his property, unless there is an agreement to renew the tenancy.
Secondly, you owe yourself and your family a duty to have a home of your own. It is said that a good man leaves inheritance for his children’s children. So, at least, for the sake of our children and children’s children, it is advisable that every one of us should strive to build our own house.
A friend told me some time ago that one of the things his father did that pleased him was the house he built for them before he died.
Thirdly, owning your own house saves you the trouble of paying rent regularly. If you live in cities like Abuja, Lagos, Kano, or Portharcourt, you will agree with me that the exorbitant rent paid there is incredible. Tell me, if you can pay such exorbitant rent regularly, don’t you think you build your own house with that amount? You only need to start saving regularly and later commence your building project. You build as the money comes.
Further, owning your own house saves you the trouble and embarrassment of landlord or landlord’s wife. People who live in the same house with landlord will agree that more often than not, they have no peace of mind because of one problem or the other.
Again, even if you have built your own house already or you are inheriting one, , nothing stops you from building another house or houses and putting them. The rent you earn is a great source of income. I was told of a landlord who does no other jobs than building houses all around and putting them on rent. He earns his living as a super landlord.
Finally, owning a home of your own is a great way of preparing for retirement. Whether we like it or not, old age will set in, and during that time it is not advisable to remain a tenant. For this reason, now is the time to start planning to own a home of your own.
FINAL WORD: Don’t let the present situation becloud your view or discourage you from building your own house. The most important thing is YOU making up your mind and then sitting down to think of lucrative businesses you can do to generate multiple income for your building project.