By Kofi Andrew
I've spent six months talking to friends building homes in Ghana while living in the US. Ten in-depth interviews. Hours of 2 AM voice notes. Screenshots of WhatsApp arguments with family members that made me wince.
I expected to write about contractor fraud and inflated cement prices. That's not what I found.
The Twist
I assumed the problem was information, that people didn't know market rates or best practices.
Wrong.
What They Knew
- Importance of written contracts: 90%
- Need for regular site photos/videos: 100%
- Best practices for milestone payments: 73%
73% know exactly what they should be doing.
But here's the number that stopped me cold:
Applied Knowledge Correctly
- Had a written contract: 20%
- Hired independent supervision: 10%
Only 10% hired independent supervision. Ten percent.
The gap between knowing and doing isn't small. It's a canyon.
The Trust Paradox
My friend Kwame put it perfectly: "I know I should have a written contract. But my uncle is supervising. How do I tell my uncle, who's doing me a favor, who I've known my whole life, that I need him to sign a contract?"
There it is.
I'm calling this the Trust Paradox: You hire family because you trust them. But that trust makes it impossible to implement the accountability structures that actually protect the project.
The math is brutal:
Average Overrun
- Family-supervised, no formal structure: 62% over budget
- Professional management: 15% over budget
On a $76,000 build, that's $47,120 in unexpected costs.
Four of my ten interviewees reported damaged family relationships. You're not just losing money. You're losing the cousin who used to pick up your calls.
What Actually Works
The two projects that stayed on budget shared four things:
1. They added verification, not replacement. One friend hired a quantity surveyor, not to replace her brother, but to verify his reports. Her brother wasn't insulted because it was "standard procedure." The surveyor caught $8,000 in discrepancies in three months.
2. They paid for independent inspections at key milestones. Foundation poured? Inspector checks it before walls go up. Roofing done? Inspector signs off before final payment. These weren't daily visits, just 4 to 5 inspections across the project. Cost: $300 to $500 total. Savings: tens of thousands in rework avoided.
3. They built systems before breaking ground. Weekly 15-minute video calls. A shared WhatsApp group. A simple Google Sheet tracking every expense. Nothing fancy, but consistent.
4. They had the uncomfortable conversations early. What happens if we disagree? Who decides on budget changes? These conversations are awkward. They're also $47,000 cheaper than avoiding them.
The Bottom Line
If 73% of people know what to do but only 10% do it, the solution isn't more information. It's implementation infrastructure, systems that make accountability feel professional, not personal.
The answer isn't "don't trust your family." It's "build a system that makes trust sustainable."
Your uncle probably means well. He's just not set up to succeed.
Neither are you, until you organize the chaos.
Building in Ghana and feeling overwhelmed? We’re creating resources for diaspora builders: vetted professionals, systems, and guides that close the knowing-doing gap. More coming soon. Visit openhavens.com to learn more.