Renting My 1st Apartment in Ghana
The day I rented my first apartment in Ghana was one of the more satisfying days in my life. At this point, I was enduring an on-and-off process of living in Ghana. Post-Covid (after 2020) was an interesting time. You remember, the once simple idea, of getting out and being on the go became more than a notion and took an adjustment. I took that burning desire, of wanting to get out to the extreme, and decided to move back to Ghana in June 2021.
Before arriving in Ghana, I had one one goal: rent a one or two bedroom an apartment for 6-12 months. Searching for apartments in Ghana from America when you’re not physically in Ghana proved to be a great start but simply that, a start. It was soon apparent how imperative important being in Ghana during your shirt was imperative it was to be in Ghana for a search like this. Some things you just need to do in-person. Thankfully, I had William, a brother born and raised in Ghana, to assist me.
On July 22, 2021, I moved into my apartment at Oyarifa. I signed a for 6-month contract (or lease) for $1500 USD. Yes, you read that right, $250 a month for a one bedroom apartment in GHANA.
Journey back to that moment in time with me. Here are my thoughts from July 21, 2021.
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It’s Friday and I’m supposed to move in tomorrow. There’s no water. No electricity. No AC. No fan. No faucets. Buckets of half empty paint. (the paint job has been done for a while). Extra (floor) tiles everywhere. Dirt and clipped electrical strips on the ground.
To get the couch to the apartment, was about a 5-minute drive was an experience. The same guy delivered my bed and refrigerator but, he was a certified a**hole. The type of person who just likes to agitate people for his humorous pleasure. First, he tried to double the price. Then, he started to provide irrelevant explanations detailing why we should pay more, “I haven’t worked in 2 days,” and “my fuel is almost finished,” he said. As we approached the apartment, he started urging me to use his services again if I needed anything in the future. Not sure why he thought that was an option. We (William and I) didn’t have exact change and he wanted us to just give him the extra change. Today, unfortunately, wasn’t the day his wish was granted. I wanted him to leave and I had no desire to see this guy again. Getting the couch in the house with the angles proved to be incredibly tedious. Thankfully, we managed to maneuver the corners and finally sit down to begin the process of arranging my new apartment.
On to bigger things, I’m supposed to move in tomorrow. Stressing does nothing but please note, this isn’t an ideal scenario.
Yet, we move!
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It’s interesting reviewing my notes and thoughts from my experiences. Although I never saw the guy who transported my furniture again, I came across a multitude of drivers looking to “up” the price for my journey. Because of this, I opted to stay in the house and enjoy my view. Writing continued to be my escape. The stories and thoughts from my time in what I called, the “Box” will soon be explored.
