The pound has no fixed rate with the CFA franc
The CFA franc is pegged to the euro, not to the pound sterling. Because the pound and the euro move against each other every day, the number of CFA francs you get for 1,000 pounds changes too. A building budget worked out in pounds in spring may no longer be enough in autumn, or may leave a surplus.
Three habits: set your budget in CFA francs, since that is the currency of your invoices; keep a margin for the exchange rate; and send money at the pace of the build, stage by stage, rather than the whole budget at once. To compare two services, look at the amount in CFA francs that arrives, fees and rate included.
On the UK tax side: if you later let the house in Senegal, the rent is generally foreign income to declare to HMRC in your Self Assessment (to be checked). A UK tax adviser will tell you what applies to you.
Power of attorney: the Senegalese embassy in London
For a relative to sign for you at the notary in Senegal, they need a power of attorney with a certified signature. From the United Kingdom, the most direct way is the consular section of the Senegalese embassy in London (to be checked). A power of attorney made before a British notary public generally needs an extra legalisation before it is accepted in Senegal (to be checked).
From Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow, the round trip to London takes a day: prepare it well. Ask the Senegalese notary for their wording, check the documents required and the appointments with the embassy, and keep the power of attorney limited to one property and to specific acts.
The same time in winter, one hour apart in summer
Dakar is on GMT all year round. So is the United Kingdom in winter; on British Summer Time you are one hour ahead of Dakar. When a team starts at 8 am in Dakar, it is 8 or 9 am in London: you can reach the site during your day.
Make use of it without doing everything by phone: a live call only shows what someone chooses to show you. Ask for dated photos and a written report, and have an independent visit on site before every large payment.
The documents to prepare
- Your British passport and, if you are a dual national, your Senegalese ID card or passport: your name must be spelt the same way everywhere.
- For the plot: land title, lease or council allocation, a recent statement of rights, the boundary survey plan. If your spouse is not Senegalese, check with the notary the conditions for them to appear on the deed (to be checked).
- Proof of every transfer, in pounds and in CFA francs received.
- The plans, the building permit filed on TELEDAC, the contract with the builder and the payment schedule.
The scams seen from the United Kingdom
- Land sold in pounds in a WhatsApp group or on Facebook, with a drone video: in Senegal, a sale is signed at a notary and paid in CFA francs. A price in pounds is no proof of anything.
- A transfer requested to a go-between's UK account: an instant bank transfer can almost never be recovered, and you are paying a person, not a notary's office.
- The deposit « to lock in the price » before you have seen a single land document.
- The invisible build: you are told it is moving, but nobody can send a dated photo or accept a visit.
From plot to keys: the steps
- Set the budget in CFA francs, with a margin for the exchange rate and the unexpected.
- Have the plot checked: documents at the land office, boundary markers, access, neighbours.
- Sign at the notary's, in person or through a power of attorney, then follow the transfer into your name.
- Have the plans drawn and the file signed by an architect.
- File the building permit on TELEDAC.
- Choose the builder, sign the contract, set the payment stages.
- Build, having each stage checked before paying for the next.
- Handover, water and electricity connections, the keys, someone to watch the house if it stays empty.
Where SEETLU fits
SEETLU observes and proves: a technician visits the site, records what has been done and writes it down for you. You pay the notary, the builder and the State directly.
- Land check: from 75,000 FCFA, with sealed photos and a written report.
- House plans: from 150,000 FCFA; the file is signed by our partner architect.
- Building permit: we prepare and follow up your file, from 450,000 FCFA, State fees on top.
- Before you build package (land, plan, permit): 650,000 FCFA, State fees on top.
- Site monitoring: from 39,000 FCFA a month, a report within 24 hours in your client area.
- Pre-purchase inspection, if you buy a house that is already built: 125,000 FCFA for the first day.
Building from abroad?
Tell us where your project stands: land, plans, permit or a build under way. Your quote arrives the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send the whole budget at once to get a good rate?
Nobody knows tomorrow's rate. Sending at the pace of the build, stage by stage, limits the exchange rate risk and, above all, the risk of paying for work that has not been done.
Where do I make a power of attorney when I live in the United Kingdom?
At the consular section of the Senegalese embassy in London. First ask the Senegalese notary which wording they accept.
Can I call the site during my day?
Yes: Dakar has the same time as London in winter and is one hour behind in summer. But a call does not replace proof: with SEETLU, a technician visits the site and within 24 hours you get a report with dated, geotagged and sealed photos in your client area.
Read also: the 7 signs of a construction scam and all our guides.
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