Managing Family Property Maintenance in Ghana From London or New York: A Practical Checklist

The quiet cost of 'we'll fix it when we come home'

Family houses in Ghana rarely collapse; they slowly wear out. A blocked gutter becomes a damp wall, a loose roofing sheet becomes a soaked ceiling, a tired cable becomes a fire risk. Waiting for the next trip home usually means paying for a bigger repair later.

A simple checklist, a small monthly budget and one reliable point of contact turn maintenance from a source of family stress into a routine.

Set up the basics first

Name one caretaker or relative as your on-the-ground contact and agree what they can approve without calling you. Keep a shared folder with the house documents, meter numbers, past receipts and photos of each room. Set a monthly maintenance budget separate from family support money.

Before the rainy season

Check roofing sheets, nails and ridge caps. Clear gutters and drains. Look for cracks in walls and fence. Confirm the septic tank or soakaway is not near full.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency publishes seasonal forecasts that help you time this work. Compare masons for cracks and plumbers for drains.

Every three months

Test every tap, toilet and the water pump for leaks. Check sockets, switches and the distribution board for heat or burn marks. Inspect doors, locks and burglar-proofing. Service air conditioners and the generator if the house has them.

Book house electricians for a safety check and read our Accra home repairs price guide to judge their quotes.

Twice a year

Arrange fumigation for termites, rodents and mosquitoes, especially in older timber roofs. Do a deep clean of empty rooms, which attract damp and pests. Repaint exposed walls and metal gates where rust appears.

See our fumigation guide and compare cleaners and painters in Accra.

Security and utilities

Check that CCTV cameras record and that you can view them remotely. Test electric fencing and outdoor lights. Keep prepaid meters topped up so pumps and security systems do not fail while the house is empty.

Compare CCTV technicians and electric fence technicians. For billing questions, contact Electricity Company of Ghana or Ghana Water Limited directly.

Booking work from London or New York without losing control

Agree the price before work begins, ask for before-and-after photos, and pay only after your contact confirms the job is done. For jobs that cannot be priced online, pay GHS 500 to ProArtisan Hub before the artisan inspects the site and quotes on-site; this offsets the final 5% workmanship connection fee, with unused credit refunded, with a copy sent to ProArtisan Hub for monitoring.

Planning a bigger renovation or a new build? Our step-by-step supervision blueprint and paid project supervision service are built for Ghanaians abroad. You can also send us an enquiry and we will connect you with suitable artisans. See also remote house construction supervision from the diaspora.