This article is part of the Diaspora home decision series. If you haven’t yet read the introduction to the series, now would be a good time to do so. In the introduction we laid the groundwork and looked at what a traditional Zimbabwean person is expected to do and in it we also outlined why you might want to defy that tradition.
In this article we will look at the reasons why you might want to build or buy a rural home. I have to say right from the start that this is not going to be a definitive guide on whether you should build a home in rural Zimbabwe or not - it is simply meant to be a quick checklist.
Another thing to note is that while in the traditional sense, a rural home has always referred to a home you build in the village on your allocated slice of land, these days it goes beyond that. Yes, we still have traditional rural homes in the villages but there have been some developments which you might not be aware of if you left Zimbabwe a while back:
These are the two developments that stand out and that one needs to bear in mind. So instead of building a home on your allocated traditional plot for example, you can just buy a house at the nearest growth point or township.
Weighing the options
So here are pros in no particular order of importance:
What are the cons of building a home in rural Zimbabwe?
To go rural or not?
Frankly this is a decision you can only make depending on your circumstances. As already pointed out in the introduction, I would consider my immediate family first. If I am a permanent resident or already a citizen, I will be more concerned with building or buying a home for my family in my new adopted country. If your status is more tenuous you might want to have a backup plan in Zimbabwe’s urban areas. If your budget is a bit strained, then rural it is.