When we talk about etiquettes, you would understand that we are talking about the rules that are governing socially acceptable behavior. It is simply one having a decorum towards things and people. Because the truth is, As long as you co-exist with or Amongst other people and things, there will be times you would likely make mistakes with how you relate to them, But there’s also a bigger room for you to learn the most common rules so as to avoid some silly behaviors.

So here, I’ll be sharing some etiquettes that is most common amongst us which we often fall short of. This etiquettes will help you live better or do things better especially when it involves other people.

Here we go,

1. Don’t call someone more than twice continuously. If they don’t pick up your call, presume they have something important to attend to.
2. Return money that you have borrowed even before the other person remembers asking for it from you. It shows your integrity and character. Same goes with umbrellas, pens and lunch boxes.
3. Never order the expensive dish on the menu when someone is giving you a lunch/dinner. If possible ask them to order their choice of food for you.
4. Don’t ask awkward questions like ‘Oh so you aren’t married yet?’ Or ‘Don’t you have kids’ or ‘Why didn’t you buy a house?’ Or why don’t you buy a car? For God’s sake it isn’t your problem.
5. Always open the door for the person coming behind you. It doesn’t matter if it is a guy or a girl, senior or junior. You don’t grow small by treating someone well in public.
6. If you take a taxi with a friend and he/she pays now, try paying next time.
7. Respect different shades of opinions. Remember what’s 6 to you will appear 9 to someone else. Besides, second opinion is good for an alternative.
8. Never interrupt people talking. Allow them to pour it out. As they say, hear them all and filter them all.
9. If you tease someone, and they don’t seem to enjoy it, stop it and never do it again. It encourages one to do more and it shows how appreciative you’re.
10. Say “thank you” when someone is helping you.
11. Praise publicly. Criticize privately.
12. There’s almost never a reason to comment on someone’s weight. Just say, “You look fantastic.” If they want to talk about losing weight, they will.
13. When someone shows you a photo on their phone, don’t swipe left or right. You never know what’s next.
14. If a colleague or anyone tells you they have a doctors’ appointment, don’t ask what it’s for, just say “I hope you’re okay”. Don’t put them in the uncomfortable position of having to tell you their personal illness. If they want you to know, they’ll do so without your inquisitiveness.
15. Always put “please” before asking someone to help you do something. Remember, you are asking fot a favor, not giving an order.

I hope these etiquettes helps us correct some errors and make us behave more appropriately.

Picture credit: Qed.ng

‘There’s no place like home,’ or ‘Home is where the heart is.’ These popular sayings affirm the truth that a home is a place that is always desirable.

It exists in the mind’s eye as much as in a particular physical location. Home, in essence, is a shelter, providing an escape from the intrusions of the busy world.

Interestingly, in Nigeria, most cities are fast becoming homes to a huge number of individuals due to the rural-urban influx of people, as well as the rapid-growing population, especially, the working class; and of course rapid urbanization, among other factors.

However, much thought about, in seeking for homes, regardless of economic conditions of the nation and the citizens, researches have shown that many are not just complacent with living in ‘any kind of home’.

Founder, CEO The Address Homes Dr. Bisi Onasanya

This category of patrons or home-seekers, this medium observes, wants more than just four walls and a parking lot.

Simply put, they desire to live in the premium or what many call luxury homes, rather than ‘normal’ homes.

For these home buyers, specifically, the affluent, the desire for luxury homes that provide all the modern comforts cannot be overemphasized.

The homes, especially in the urban areas, afford the owner to provide his/her family quality habitat with security, health, and privacy, all guaranteed.

Notably, however, affording a luxury home does not come cheap. With the poor state of the economy, galloping inflation and falling values of the naira and associated effects on the fortune of the nation, prices of luxury properties have climbed steadily over the years.

Dan and Dan Aerial View

But, while it might seem to have a luxury home cannot be achieved in one’s lifetime, the good news is here.

In battling the housing deficit in the country, a top-notch real estate development firm, The Address Homes, has reiterated its resolve toward tackling Nigeria’s housing deficit by providing affordable homes that meet the benchmark of modern real estate development.

Having stamped its authority in the luxury property market within the shortest time of coming into the real estate industry through the successful completion of about 54 units of mid-luxury detached and semi-detached properties in Osapa London, 31 units of luxury homes at Ilasan, opposite Ikate, in Lekki, Lagos, the firm has added two new home schemes christened The Luxuria by The Address Homes and Dan & Dan Apartments in Ikoyi and Banana Island to its stables.

These maisonette homes, industry experts and many stakeholders affirmed, are definitely like no other, and could only have been delivered by The Address Homes, which prides itself as an “address of distinction”, where standards, innovation, newness and fresh perspectives thrive.

The two luxury brands, on completion, are expected to deliver cosy homes that combine exquisite design with high-level finishes within Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to the Address Homes management, the construction of the two deluxe contemporary homes, which commenced in 2021, is expected to be completed in 2023. Upon completion, the project will comprise 18 luxury houses, ranging from five-bedroom fully detached houses to five-bedroom semi-detached houses and four-bedroom terrace houses.

Located on Alexander Road, Ikoyi, The Luxuria, which sits on a land area measuring approximately 4890sqm is a development made up of 58 units in total, out of which close to 50 are typical maisonettes.

The general amenities include the followings: 24 hours power, functional gym, adult/children swimming pools, 3 carports, spa, lounge overlooking the lobby, 2 general lifts per tower, 2 service lifts per tower, spacious lift lobby, wet and dry kitchens as well as a reception area.

Dan & Dan Apartments, located on Banana Island road, comprises 27 units of fully-serviced apartments; three penthouses, 12 maisonettes and 12 terrace houses.

Designed by award-winning architect, Play in Architecture Limited and nestled in the heart of Ikoyi, Dan & Dan is surrounded by city landmarks, cultural institutions and dozens of trendy dining and shopping options with easy and secured access to roads and waterways.

Conspicuously raising the standard, Dan & Dan is introducing distinctive, crafted details that complement modern materials and reinvent Banana Island’s architectural landscape. The features include 3 nos penthouses, 12 nos maisonette, and 12 nos terrace houses.

Upon completion, the estate will have the following features: a swimming pool, 24-hour power, security personnel, CCTV, a best-in-class Kitchen, gym; and many more.

Speaking during a recent media tour of some of its completed and ongoing projects by journalists from top media houses in Nigeria, the chairman and founder of The Address Homes, Dr Bisi Onasanya revealed that “The fundamental goal of the firm was to provide smart homes which could boast of the basic amenities that were reflective of global best property development practices.

According to him, “We didn’t venture into The Address Homes to make money, even though every business is set out to make money. The real intention, for me, is to allow us to do something different from the way previous participants and players in real estate have done.

He said: “We believe there is a need to inject some integrity into the real estate business. We also believe at times that quality was a bit deficient and there is a need to do things mostly to some level of international standards, irrespective of where you are. We wanted to come into the industry and put up structures that we can call homes, not houses.

“These are homes that will compete with the best that you can see outside of the country, and yet without making you break the bank in terms of being able to pay or affordability. We see people trying to relocate from abroad – Canada, the United States of America (US) and Europe. There is a minimum standard of living they have been used to.

“They like to enter a home and there are basic things they look to see, the environment they also like to see. We found that these are missing to some extent. We wanted a situation in which you live in the Address Homes and you are proud because of the comfortability we offer. That is what we believe in. That’s what we have been able to do. Have we done everything? We’ve done our best, but we still believe that we’ll keep improving”.

According to the chairman, The Address Homes characteristically offers flexible payment plans to enable home buyers spread payments at their convenience.

“We are very competitive in terms of pricing, but more importantly, we are very flexible in our payment structure. We allow people to dictate to us within a particular time frame, how they want to structure their payments during construction.”

“Even at that, we’ve had instances where we completed the project, but people had difficulty making the final payment. They make a special request for us to allow them to move into the property without completing payment, and yet we still oblige them.”

“All these have endeared us to the few people who have had the opportunity to interact with us and to enjoy the services that we offer. So, when I see those things, they make me feel proud that what we set out to achieve, we are on course.”

“In doing that also, we have also succeeded in contributing to the housing deficit. Right now, we play in the medium market sector essentially, and today we have a total of, both ongoing and completed, over 250 units of houses and still counting. I have mentioned why we are different. We don’t make noise and we don’t tell you you must break the bank to access our services. For every single estate that we have built, we make sure that we do not just hand over the keys to you, we follow you and make sure we provide facilities management to make living in those estates very convenient and comfortable for you. We also provided some guarantees of a minimum of five to 10 years on the structure so that if anything happens to the windows and doors, we take responsibility. We provide you with 24 hours electricity, CCTV, security, water and others.”

Speaking further, Onasanya noted that all of the firm’s construction projects were subjected to periodic integrity tests by the Lagos State Government to ensure compliance to set standards and also ensure standards for home buyers.

“We do not embark on any construction with a formal building plan approval from the Lagos State Government. At every stage, the structural engineer goes to the site to certify every stage before they can do any concrete work. After the structural engineer has done that, Lagos State Government, that is LASBCA, will check what has been done and sign off on it before we go on, and we use this process on all our projects.”

Interior view

Shedding more light on the Luxuria features, the Address Homes boss noted: “When I say maisonettes, there is a reason why we do things differently. First and foremost, we found out that people live in flats. Developers built flats but we also found out that when you live in flats, some elements of privacy are denied – you come out of your bedroom, enter your sitting room.

People who lived abroad are used to multi-level structures. We chose to do things differently. I was discussing with an architect and he said what he has observed in this environment is that people would build blocks of flats and then put them on top of the flats penthouses. And I said it is those penthouses, which are very few, that are sold first.

Luxuria interior

People are ready to pay any amount of money for the services. Why can’t we do a project where every single apartment looks like a penthouse. If you go to Luxuria, you will see the massive space that we have of two levels.

It comes with two kitchens, which means that madam has a reserved house while allowing the chef to use the other area; two living rooms, a bar area, a swimming pool, etc.”

Life Continental Beer has increased its market penetration within the South-east region of Nigeria through its partnership with the Imo State government to empower 2,700 youths at the just-concluded “Hope for Imo” Valentine Concert.

At the Concert, the historic Heroes Square arena was a beehive of activities as Life Continental Beer gave consumers scintillating end-to-end experiences with live performances by Phyno, Perruzi, DJ Neptune, Kcee, Chinenye Udoma and Flavour N’nabania.

Over the years, the Beer brand has been at the vanguard of brands empowering Small and Medium-size Businesses (SMBs) and seeking the progress of business owners in Igboland through well thought out empowerment initiatives.

One of the brand’s initiatives currently making waves in the East is the Life Progress Booster.

This innovative approach which was designed to support business initiatives, is also a timely celebration of the essential Igbo spirit of productiveness, perseverance, craftsmanship, enterprise and passion in the world of business.

The initiative has been described by many as a reinforcement of the heritage embedded in the Life Continental Lager Beer, its essence, connection and affinity with South Easterners and their culture.

According to the Senior Brand Manager, Life Continental Beer, Aishat Anaekwe, “We are the Progress Beer Brand of the South-East and this partnership with the government of Imo State has given us another opportunity to bond with progressive minds of Igbo extraction in Nigeria. Also, this concert has given us more leeway to ensure that the youths get to explore the brand at various consumer touch points. We believe in the strength and capacity of the people of the South-East to thrive in industry; but more importantly, we also believe that progress can only be achieved with support. That was why the Progress Booster initiative was specifically created for the South-Easterners. Through the years, Life Continental Beer has focused on empowering its consumers, and we are committed to continuing to contribute our quota towards the progress of their businesses.”

Life Continental Beer in Imo State

She also noted that Life Continental Beer is also committed to empowering youths in the area of capacity building and more access to finance, to grow and expand their businesses.

In a swift response to the entrepreneurship drive of Life Continental Beer, some beneficiaries appreciated the beer brand for its commitment to inspiring and actively supporting youths to succeed in their business ventures.

According to Chinedu Eze, “Life Continental Beer has proven to us that it is a brand of Progress. Currently, I am studying Business Administration at Imo State University; this empowerment initiative will allow my business to flourish. Recently, I have been nursing the thought of shutting it down due to low capital. However, all that has changed with this timely intervention from Life Beer”.

Also, Chinenyen Nwabueze, a fashion designer and a student of Finance, lauded the empowerment initiative. She stated that “this is not an ordinary empowerment forum, it is a life-changing experience. I would not have believed that a Beer brand could be helping businesses to succeed. This capacity-building drive has shown that the society can progress when private companies collaborate with the government to support the youth population. I want to appreciate Life Beer for its acts of generosity through the empowerment initiative”.