Moving Into a New Build or Unfinished House in Lagos: Dust, Power and Access

The keys came last week, the paint smells fresh, and the road to the house is still half sand. The truck arrives with your whole family's furniture, and the first thing the driver says is, "Oga, where do I park?"

A new build or half-finished house in Lagos does not behave like a normal move-in. Roads may be rough, the gate may not be fitted, power may not be connected and the floor may still have plaster dust. Plan for these before the truck leaves your old place.

Visit the new house before moving day

Go there, ideally the week before, and walk the route a truck would take.

• Is the last stretch of road tarred, sandy or flooded in the rain? Many new estates and plots have access roads that turn soft after rain.
• Is there room for a truck to turn, or does it have to reverse in?
• Can the gate open wide enough, and is it already fitted?
• Are there other workers on site, such as tilers, painters and electricians, who might block the way?

If the road looks doubtful, tell drivers when you ask for offers, and think about parking the truck at the best hard standing nearby and carrying the load the last stretch. Our guide on tight-access homes in Lagos deals with long carries.

Check power, water and light before you arrive

You might finish loading at sunset. If the house has no light, offloading in the dark is slow and risky.

• Confirm whether the electricity is connected and working. If not, plan for a torch or rechargeable lamp per helper.
• Ask whether water is running, because cleaning and drinking water matter on day one.
• Check that doors and windows lock. New houses with no locked doors are not places to leave a full load overnight.
• Make sure someone with keys is present when the truck arrives.

If a generator is needed to run lights or tools, have it in place and fuelled beforehand, not carried from the old place on the same truck.

Clean first, then move in

Plaster dust, cement splashes and sand get into everything. If the builders are still finishing, ask if they can stop the dusty work, or schedule your move for a day when they are not there.

Sweep and mop at least the rooms you will use first. Some people also lay sheets, cardboard or old rugs on floors that are newly finished, so that feet and trolleys do not mark them. Protect newly painted walls too, and tell helpers to keep furniture off them.

Protect furniture from dust and damp

Fresh plaster and paint put moisture and fine dust in the air, and they will settle on your sofa and wardrobe.

• Keep sofas, mattresses and wardrobes wrapped in plastic sheeting until the room is cleaned.
• Do not stack boxes against walls that are still damp.
• Keep electronics in their boxes until the dust has settled and the room is dry.
• Wooden furniture should not go directly onto bare, damp floors. Put pallets or blocks under legs for a few days if the floor is fresh.

Ready to move?

Request a truck or van on Sphere

Choose your vehicle, propose your price, and verified drivers in Lagos accept or send a counter-offer.

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Stage the load in the right order

Do not tip everything into the first room you reach. Decide in advance which room each load goes to.

1. Beds and mattresses to the bedrooms, assembled last.
2. The fridge and cooker to the kitchen, and not connected until the power and gas are confirmed safe.
3. Boxes labelled by room, stacked in the right room. Our post on labelling and numbering boxes is a good system.
4. Large items such as wardrobes carried in before smaller boxes, so they do not block the doorways.

Keep one room, usually the one with the best lock, as a holding room for fragile items and valuables.

Check what still needs fixing before you unpack

Walk through with a phone and photograph the unfinished things: missing sockets, unlevelled floors, taps not fitted. If the house came from a developer or landlord, a dated record of what was unfinished when you arrived is useful. Do not connect appliances to sockets you are unsure about. Ask an electrician to check them first.

Think about security

A half-finished house is not secure. If you cannot sleep there yet, consider moving only the essentials and leaving the rest at the old place or in storage until locks, burglar proofing and the gate are done. Never leave a loaded truck unattended at the site overnight.

How to do this on Sphere

Request a truck or pickup van in the Sphere app, and in the description say plainly that the destination is a new build: the road condition, the gate, whether there is light, and where the truck can park. Propose a price. Drivers nearby accept it or counter, and you choose the one that fits.

Agree with the driver before you accept an offer who will carry the load for the last stretch, and what time the house will be open. For household moves see house moving in Lagos or truck hire in Lagos.