[Photos: House painting after Christmas day 2014, with my sons] Unlike when I relocated ALONE in April 2013, moving my family from this Lagos apartment, to join me in Cotonou, has (not surprisingly) been a less straightforward matter, on multiple fronts, from the kids to even their grandparents!

But it’s progressing, slowly. We’re disposing old stuff etc. 2 days ago (Xmas night – 25th Dec. 2014) from 8.30 p.m till 3.00a.m (Yes, past midnight!) we applied the first coat of paint to the outside walls, inside the kitchen, bathroom and toilet etc.Tired but hungry, we cleaned up, had our baths then ate pancakes and plantain, before going to bed. The kids were so excited! 6 hours later, at about 10a.m we were back at it, applying a second coat (see photos below).

But why paint a house we’re soon to move out of, you may wonder?

Well, you see, my rental experiences in the past 19 months (and 2 house changes) in Benin Republic have exposed me to a practice diligently adhered to by property owners and their tenants, which I find personally agreeable.

In the tenancy agreement signed by both parties, a clause is always inserted to the effect that before leaving, the tenant will restore the rented property to the original state s/he took possession of it at the start of his/her tenancy.

That will typically be determined via a joint pre vacation inspection. Sometimes only repainting of certain areas may be needed. At other times damaged fittings etc may have to be replaced.

Simply put, the exiting tenant has to hand over the property in as close as possible to the same state it was handed over to him/her.

Now, in Nigeria, this practice exists, but is not implemented in the same formal and detailed/elaborate manner as I’ve seen done in Benin Republic.

But, I have resolved to do it, as done in Benin even though the tenancy agreement I signed with the owner of the place we live in Lagos, does NOT require it.

Here are excerpts from a letter I sent to the agency, in September 2014, shortly after I spoke with him, when he came to do the pre vacation inspection:

My work is 80% PC and Internet based (See www.tayosolagbade.com). I need reliable power supply. And to be productive, I’d rather not have power and work against background noise of generators. This was why I moved to Cotonou, on 1st April 2013, and I’ve been able to work without those annoyances – with MAJOR progress as a result. And that’s why I’m moving my family to join me there.

But like I told <agency staff’s name> when we met on Saturday 16th August 2014, I already resolved to restore the apartment as close as possible to the condition in which it was when my family moved in.

Specifically, the broken fittings (sink, kitchen cabinet etc) will be repaired. And it will be repainted. As I explained to <agency staff’s name>, I believe it is only fair to <property owner’s name> that I do this. Incidentally, it is the practice here in Benin.

For instance, I had to repaint the bathroom of the self-contained apartment I vacated after staying there a year – in line with my tenancy agreement. In the larger apartment I’ve now moved into, in another part of town, the same clause exists in the agreement I signed. Since I plan to own my own property in the near future, I want to treat others the way I would like my property to be treated.

Now, another reason why this painting exercise in particular appealed to me is that it provided a useful opportunity to teach my kids to do it i.e house painting.

Most people in our part of world don’t know much about painting, and few are keen to learn.

Indeed some believe it to be beneath them to engage in such an activity that can get rather messy. So they prefer to pay others to do it.

I however believe that attitude is a mistake.

On my part, I tell my kids how learning to do stuff like that by themselves can help them save money to be paid to painters. I also point out how learning to do it can even equip them to make quick money on the side, in future, by doing simple painting jobs for others who are unwilling to do it themselves.

You see, it is my considered opinion that not only do we need to develop our DIY (Do-It-Yourself) abilities, to succeed better, we also owe our kids an obligation to equip them to do the same.

Simply put, I’m saying we can boost our ability to succeed in the world by learning to do more for ourselves, by ourselves.

My conviction is not baseless. I have relatives and friends living in the UK and USA, and while in Guinness Nigeria, I worked closely with several senior colleagues/bosses from the UK.

I also traveled across England, Wales, Scotland and other parts of the UK in 2000, attending an international brewing course organized by the UK based Institute & Guild of Brewing.

My conversations with those relatives, colleagues and associates revealed that most people in their societies strive to develop a DIY habit because of the high cost of skilled labour.

A former expatriate British boss in Guinnes once told me he owned his own welding machine because the fees one had to pay to call in a welder were prohibitive. That made it cost-effective to own the equipment and learn to use it.

Another expatriate senior colleague whose home I visited in London showed me his kitchen cabinets, which he proudly told me he built and fitted by himself. My own older brother, who lived in London at the time, when he later moved to Lagos, to start a new business, displayed a propensity for fixing things in his home by himself, for the same reasons.

I still recall watching with a mix of amusement and curiosity each time he opened his toolbox and took out/began using electric drills etc around his apartment. He told me the same things the other persons said: he adopted a DIY approach because it was prudent to do so – financially and otherwise.

Back home in Nigeria/Africa, because most people who do jobs like carpentry, plumbing, painting etc, are often not well schooled, we know we can get their services relatively cheaply, or so we think.

What I have however learnt is that in the long run it all still adds up.

That’s why today I also employ the DIY approach as often as possible – and it’s paying off.

It is my hope that you will avail yourself of the benefits accruable from doing the same thing – so as to keep more of your money in your pockets!