Buying a plot of land is one of the most important investments a family makes in Cameroon, and also the one where mistakes cost the most: a plot sold twice, a seller who is not the owner, a land title that does not match the land. These seven checks will save you a lot of stress. This guide is general information, not legal advice: your notary has the final word.
1. Ask which document the land has
The safest purchase is a plot with its own land title (titre foncier), or a subdivision (morcellement) of a titled land. A title “in progress” or customary land can be bought, but the risks and the steps are different: ask for every document that exists and have it reviewed.
2. Check the title at the land registry
A copy of a title is not enough. Ask the land registry (Conservation foncière) of the area for a property certificate (certificat de propriété): it confirms who owns the land today and whether there is a mortgage or an opposition on it.
3. Make sure the seller is the owner
The name on the title must match the seller’s identity card. If a relative or an agent sells on behalf of the owner, ask for a power of attorney signed before a notary. With an inheritance, all the heirs usually have to agree.
4. Visit the land and its boundaries
Go to the plot, ideally with a surveyor (géomètre), and find the boundary markers (bornes). Check that the land on the ground is the land on the plan, that nobody lives or builds on it, and ask the neighbours.
5. Look at the access and the services
How far is the tarred road? Can a car reach the plot in the rainy season? Is there ENEO electricity and CAMWATER water nearby, or will you need a borehole and solar power? These questions change the real cost of your project.
6. Compare the price per square metre
Land is often priced per m². Multiply by the full area to know the total, and compare with other plots in the same neighbourhood. A price far below the market is a warning sign, not a bargain.
7. Sign before a notary and transfer the title
Never pay the full price in cash or against a simple receipt. The sale is signed before a notary, who then handles the transfer (mutation) of the land title to your name. Keep every receipt and document.
Buying from abroad
If you live in Europe or North America, ask for videos and a live video call from the plot, work with a notary in Cameroon, and never send money to a personal account for a land you have not had checked.
DABEX shows the document status of every plot it publishes and accompanies its clients from the first visit to the notary. See our land for sale or contact us.