Understanding Plus Codes: how to find a house with no address
Most houses in Bamenda have no street address. Plus Codes solve it, they are free, and almost nobody here uses them yet.
Most houses in Bamenda have no street address. Plus Codes solve it, they are free, and almost nobody here uses them yet.
'Behind the mosque near Mile 2, ask for Pa Ngwa's compound.' This is how directions work in most of Bamenda, and it is why finding a house you have already agreed to view can take an hour and four phone calls.
What a Plus Code is
A Plus Code is a short code that describes an exact location anywhere on earth, without needing a street name or a house number. It looks like this: H93V+7F. Ten characters, and it points at a spot a few metres across.
They are free, they work in Google Maps, and they need no app beyond the maps application already on your phone.
How to get the code for a place
- Open Google Maps and go to the location
- Press and hold on the exact spot — the gate, not the road
- A pin drops and a panel appears at the bottom
- The Plus Code is shown in that panel. Copy it.
How to use one someone sends you
Type it into the Google Maps search box exactly as given, including the plus sign. It will take you to the spot. If you were sent a short code, add the town — 'H93V+7F Bamenda' — and it will resolve.
Why this matters for renting
A landlord who sends a Plus Code with their listing gets more viewings, because people can actually find the house. A tenant who receives one saves a taxi fare and an argument. It is a small thing that removes a genuine, repeated friction.
Every unlocked listing on Nkwata includes the exact Plus Code for the gate, not the street. That is a large part of what you are paying for.
A note for landlords
Stand at your gate when you capture the code, not in the road and not inside the house. The point of the exercise is that a stranger arrives at the right entrance.
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