Buying Property in Lusaka: A Buyer's Due Diligence Checklist

A property purchase is, for most Zambian families and businesses, the largest single transaction they will undertake. The level of diligence applied is rarely commensurate with that scale.

Title verification

The Certificate of Title is the starting point but never the endpoint. A search at the Ministry of Lands, examination of the root of title back through the chain of ownership, and verification that the property description matches the certificate are all essential.

Encumbrances

Mortgages, caveats, easements and restrictive covenants all bind subsequent purchasers. The search must reveal them; the contract must address them.