You send the money. You don’t see the site.
Every few weeks a photo arrives with a number attached. A wall, a pile of blocks, a roof that is almost on. You send the money because the alternative is the build stopping. What you cannot see from London, Toronto or Houston is whether that number is right, whether the last payment was spent on the house, or how much is still sitting with someone on site.
Most diaspora builds that go wrong do not go wrong through one big theft. They go wrong through lump-sum payments, missing receipts and quotes nobody checked. Budget overruns of 40 to 60% are common on Ghana self-builds paid this way.
The Build From Abroad Control Workbook is the system that stops it: a budget you can defend, a rule for when to release each payment, and a record of where every cedi went.
CA$49, one-time. Excel, no macros.
What it does
A budget you can defend. Enter your floor area, finish, location, storeys and site condition. The workbook builds a bill of quantities for each stage of the house, from foundation to finishes, using Q2 2026 Ghana benchmark rates. When your quantity surveyor or builder gives you real figures, type them in and every total updates.
Payment gates, not lump sums. The build is split into six gates: mobilisation, foundation, walls and ring beam, roof, services and finishes, and handover. Each gate lists the photos and videos you need before you release money. A gate only turns to “Clear to pay” when the proof is in and your supervisor has signed off.
Every transfer matched to what was spent. Log each transfer with the rate on your receipt, and log each purchase with whether there is a receipt. The dashboard shows how much has been sent, how much is backed by receipts, how much was spent without one, and how much is not yet accounted for.
A price check before you approve anything. Enter what you were quoted for cement, blocks, rods, roofing sheets, tiles or a mason’s day rate, and the workbook tells you whether it is within the 2026 range, at the low end, or above it and by how much.
What makes this different
- It starts from real Ghana numbers. Construction rates, materials prices and labour rates come from Q2 2026 Greater Accra market data, with every source listed and dated.
- It matches the free calculator. Run the Ghana House Build Cost Calculator first. The workbook produces the same construction budget, then lets you manage the build against it.
- It is built for distance. The Site Proof sheet lists 25 specific things to ask for, from trench depth with a tape measure in shot to conduit runs before the plaster goes on. Those are the checks you would do yourself if you were there.
- It works in your currency. USD, GBP, CAD or EUR, using the rate your transfer service actually gives you.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
Built for
- Ghanaians and people of Ghanaian heritage abroad building a family house through a relative, a builder or both
- Returnees building before they move back
- Anyone paying a contractor in Ghana by stage and wanting a record they can show
Not for
- Buying a finished house or an off-plan unit from a developer
- Commercial or multi-unit developments
- Anyone looking for a quote. This is a planning and control tool, not a substitute for a quantity surveyor’s bill of quantities
What’s included
One Excel workbook with 10 sheets:
- Start Here: setup in 15 minutes and the three rules that protect your money
- Dashboard: headline numbers, budget vs spent by stage, red flags, and how much to send each month
- Setup: your house, extras, fees, currency and transfer rate
- Budget: the bill of quantities by stage, scaled to your house
- Payment Gates: six stages with the proof needed before each payment
- Transfers: 200 rows for amount, fee, rate and cedis received
- Spending: 400 rows for item, supplier, amount and receipt
- Site Proof: 25 photo and video checks across every stage
- Price Check: 26 materials and labour rates for 2026
- Data & Sources: every rate and factor, with sources
Details
- Format: Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), no macros. Also opens in Google Sheets and LibreOffice.
- Currencies: USD, GBP, CAD and EUR.
- Data: Q2 2026 Greater Accra benchmark rates, verified October 2026. Kumasi and other towns are adjusted automatically.
- Delivery: instant download after checkout through Lemon Squeezy, which handles tax for your country.
- Price: CA$49, one-time. No subscription.
Frequently asked
Do I need to know Excel to use it?
No. You fill in the yellow cells and everything else calculates. The Start Here sheet walks you through setup in about 15 minutes, and example rows show the format for each log.
Does it work if I’m building outside Accra?
Yes. Choose Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, Cape Coast or another town and the construction rates adjust down, since building outside Greater Accra typically costs 15 to 25% less.
Can I use my builder’s or quantity surveyor’s figures instead of the benchmarks?
Yes. Every quantity, rate and labour figure on the Budget sheet has a yellow override cell. Type in your own figure and the totals, payment gates and dashboard all update.
How is this different from the free calculator?
The free calculator gives you a one-off estimate. The workbook manages the build: payment gates with proof requirements, transfer and spending logs, receipt tracking and a dashboard that flags money that has not been accounted for.
Which currencies does it support?
US dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars and euros. You can enter the exact rate your transfer service gives you, so the cedi amounts match what actually arrived.
Will it work on a Mac or in Google Sheets?
It is a standard Excel file with no macros, so it opens in Excel for Windows and Mac. It also opens in Google Sheets and LibreOffice, though dropdown and chart formatting can look slightly different there.
Is this financial or legal advice?
No. It is a planning and tracking tool. Before you build, get a bill of quantities for your own drawings from a GhIS-licensed quantity surveyor.
Related tools you might find useful
- Ghana House Build Cost Calculator: free stage-by-stage estimate and quote check
- Ghana Land Purchase Cost Calculator: stamp duty, legal and registration costs before you buy the land
- Africa Remittance Comparison: find the cheapest way to send the build money
- Black Tax Calculator: see what family support and the build add up to in a year
Stop sending money blind.
You are already paying for this house. The workbook makes sure you can see what you are paying for, stage by stage, and that nobody gets paid for work you have not seen.
CA$49, one-time.