Inheriting grandfather's house in Logooli culture - the do's and don'ts.

You can now take over your late paternal grandfather's house and call it yours. 

Of old the houses were temporary, pulled down instead of being left to fall on their own - a taboo. 

Today the house is likely permanent and unreasonable to waste in demolition or neglect. The grandson is traditionally regarded a "brother" of grandfather hence can be allowed, in respect, to take over the estate.

pic 1; a previous practice of keeping grandfather's house for home use as his sons build permanent houses

But it comes with cautions and responsibility so that you do not become too lazy to understand what building is. You got to do a few touches here and there. 

First, ensure that the house is clean. Clean in the sense that your family is not haunted from acts which your grandfather(sometimes grandmother) may have done or inherited. 

Also ensure the conflicts of interest are null, that you own the land on which the house is. Incase any of your fathers (uncles are maternal) is interested, avoid. Though it is still a taboo for a 'normal' man to inherit a parent's house.

Inheriting,  let it be your father who owns the exact location where the house is. And you are the only child. Ensure your father's approval is undoubtful as he has more power over you than the aforesaid relationship between you and your grandfather. 

Your aunty could be interested - you see, in the past they were assured of marriage or some other care. Today some families keep that house for aunties, in the name of a lodge for their visitations, which traditionally were limited. And it'll be very hard to put your aunty off - very. 

Reconsider. If not so you might later be told to move to your "rightful zone". Where there may not be a house for you. And you may have put in initial efforts, halfway your safety zone. 

Done, call for an elder, closer to the family to remove a tin nail, one, in case the sheets are not being changed. That signifies the demolition of an earlier structure (the end of a previous occupant) and by giving a new nail for the place signifies the start of a new occupant. 

The elder will ask you to adjust the doors. Depending on skills available, the entrance door should be changed, moved to the left.

And the previous bedroom from where your father is said to have been sired should not be your bedroom. Make it be used otherwise, can even be the living room. Do not have sexual intercourse there, it is as bad. Better if the garage is converted to a bedroom - an idea!

pic 2: a modern fully furnished house

With the change of rooms a future visitor will know it is a secondhand house. Traditionally, the living (sitting) room of a house takes the right side from the gate while the bedroom the left. Masculine and feminine sides, where graves later come to be. 

If able to change the roof is an added advantage as it will automatically change the previous outlook and  look as good as new. There are homes where painting only has changed everything. 

All done, a good elder will leave after helping you out, with a word. Uncensored, no matter how well you saw him off. A word of not to be so comfortable. For the owner of the house worked hard. Living in it should be a boost in life, not a comfort zone to degenerate. Even then, the community will be watching. Are you tenacious Okonkwo or mere lazy man, waiting to inherit the deceased's wife.

1. pic 1 courtesy of Morris Keyonzo
2. pic 2 courtesy of architecturaldesigns.com