ONCE UPON A FIFTH TIME..

A week has passed since i last went house hunting. It is hard to find a good house that is worth going to look at. I have been trying to find apartments for sale online. Seeing how Kenya has become westernized and technology is a part of our day to day routine, it only makes sense to assume that most Real estate agencies have put up their own websites and have started advertising online for new and upcoming projects. This however has not been the case. Most of the agencies have their websites up but no-one seems to be updating them so most of the information on is out of date. I.e. Most of these sites still have the introductory prices up instead of the present market price, they do not inform you if the apartments you are looking at are sold out, if not, how many are still up for sale etc.

Nowhere near finding the perfect home, the journey continues.

DAY 4:

My spirit: High but a bit dampened.

Name: EdenVille

Price: 14.5 M (introductory price)

Location: Kiambu road just past Runda Estate

Bedrooms: 3 Bedrooms Master Ensuite (With a Bathtub)

Type: Villa

Additional Information: An upcoming gated community which will compromise of 345 villas (2, 3 and 4 bedroomed) on a 70acre of land in phase 1 which is complete. Each villa has a front and a back yard, a servant’s quarter Ensuite, Electric fence, 24 hour security, a fire place, a garden, a car park for 2, a shopping mall and a gym.

Phase 1 is complete and phase 2 just began and should be complete in 18months. Of all the sites I have visited, this was by far the most disorganized. There is no-one to meet you at the gate, there was no-one at the offices, no-one to show us around (imagine walking through a 70 acre of land with all those villas looking for the Show homes.) The guard directed us the where one of the show houses was located. We went there and it was locked and had to wait for almost 20min before a worker saw us and went to get the key. There are different types of villas; the Camellia Villa which is what we were interested in (3bedrooms), the Olive Villa (4bedrooms), and the Ivy Villa (4 bedrooms+ an upper family room).

These homes are built to perfection. The showrooms do not have any furniture in them thus allowing you to see all the details of the Villa finishing’s. I.e. The Brass curtain rod, the hardwood timber trends and the steel balustrades on the staircase, the polished cabinets and wardrobes, full height tiled walls in the bathrooms,  the firebricks that decorate the fireplace to the main door made of solid hardwood and the mahogany flush for the interior doors.

The first thought that came to my mind was that Edenville looks like ‘WISTERIA LANE in Desperate Housewives’ and funny enough, there are villas called Wisteria Villas under construction in Phase 2.Let me paint the picture for you, all villas stand on their own 1/8 of an acre with lawns and picket fences giving one privacy

I think we have finally found “THE ONE”! The perfect home! The perfect living room with its huge fireplace, so inviting and homely, the perfect huge and spacious kitchen that welcomes you to use it, the bedrooms with their huge windows that open up to the perfectly manicured lawns with gardens and when residents have settled in, there will be screams from kids riding their bikes, laughter from the women on the streets to gossip, car screeching from men coming from work and aroma’s from food being prepared will fill the place.

I can already envision my small brother riding his bicycle on the streets when he comes to visit, a fireplace where we can all gather when having a sister’s night in or meat sizzling from the barbeque at the back lawn when having a family gathering, a servants quarter which means i don’t have to give up my bed when the relatives gets too drunk to drive, a garden (we’ll have to hire a gardener for that once in a while since i’m too lazy for garden work), that cute boy from across the street that I will stalk and befriend since I have a crush on him (we are never too old to have a crush), to the couple that argues every night and gives the women something to gossip about the next day, to the loving couple that we all gossip about but secretly envy.

Now, the next step is to sell the place to my sister.

Valentine’s Day and I have found my first love. Perfect timing!

Till next time.NJ

THE SEARCH CONTINUES

Day number four and no luck yet. No house that has caught my full attention yet. No house has made it on my ‘consideration’ list. I plan to get three (3) or four (4) perfect homes then let my sister make the final decision. If i were in her shoes, I’d like to have as many options as possible before dropping that kind of money.

The search continues.

DAY 4:

MY SPIRITS: Dampening a bit but still high.

NAME: Easy Prestige.

PRICE: 7.5 M.

LOCATION: Along Mombasa Road opposite KAPA past Sawada Estate.

BEDROOMS: 3 Bedrooms.

TYPE: Apartment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMTION: Imported sanitary ware, tiles and English fittings, Electric fencing, borehole, Kindergarten, Children’s playground, Swimming poll, 24hour security, Driveways and parking.

The construction for Phase 2 is underway which comprises of 72 apartments set on in an exclusive and serene area along Mombasa road.

The SHOWHOUSE was beautiful but not really decorated to suit my style so I was able to concentrate more on the house itself without any distractions.

These apartments are beautiful and very homely with landscape gardens. They have a spacious living room, separate dining area, a spacious kitchen and pantry opening out to the yard. All the bedrooms have inbuilt wardrobes, huge windows that allow a lot of light to flow into the rooms. Huge white tiles in the living room and the dining area, Magnificent brown/red tiles on every entry way giving you a royal welcoming into any room., white painted cabinets giving a beautiful contrast with the dark colored doors.

These homes are very convenient for anyone who travels a lot as they are a few minutes from JKIA (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport),12kms from the city center and is situated a few meters from the super highway

The house was beautiful but not really what I was looking for. Once finished it will be an amazing place to live but just not for us.

On with the search. There better be a huge commission waiting for me after all this. 

Till next time…NJ

STILL ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE PERFECT HOME

I am not one to quit just after a few trials (well, not true. It depends on what i am going after and how badly i want it. I have been known to quit here and there when something i am doing is not adding any value in my life and i am not very motivated. Honesty). So, fuel the car we did and headed on to our next location. House hunting for my sister has motivated me to work hard and have fun house hunting for my own house. Do not get me wrong, in the end I would like to build my own house (I have A LOT of ideas for my future home) but I would not mind buying a house and knowing that if I get tired with it I can always rent it out (on contract basis!) and be receiving an amount every beginning of an year or two. For those who are wondering, I am house hunting for my sister because she is not around to do it herself. Plus, she trusts my judgment (but do I say!). So, on with my journey!

Still on the lookout for the perfect home.

DAY 3:

Spirit: Not dampened one bit

Name: Jacaranda Gardens

Price: 7.6M

Location: Past Thika highway on the way to Kahawa West past zimmaman (zima)

Bedrooms: 3 Bedrooms Master Ensuite (and FINALLY! A BATHTUB!)

Type: Apartment

Additional Information: A new Gated community with over 200 apartment buildings, 200m swimming pool, a Gym, Sauna, a Restaurant/Bar, a Kindergarten, a Shopping center, TV Cameras on hidden locations, Keycard to open the main gate, electric fence, 2parking spaces per apartment, boreholes, access to the Northern bypass and the Thika highway.

Phase 1 is complete and now phase 2 is under construction. So, the sales force for this place was very organized. Every family is allocated a sales person who will take you to the SHOWHOUSE and answer any questions you might have. Our site representative was a very nice lady. First, we were shown the models of the complete project. Next she took us to Phase1 where the few remaining apartments are located. A piece of advice – if you want to go view Jacaranda Gardens, I would advise you go with a car instead of the public means. This is because there is a wide stretch from the main offices to the SHOWHOUSES and walking from there to the homes and back to the offices will be tiring.

To enter Phase 1, there is a guard and since we did not have our own keycard, we had to sign in and he opens the gate for us. The apartments are set on a sloped area in an ascending order. The site is breathtaking. The buildings are mainly glass, grass and trees everywhere, each apartment building contains two apartments on each floor (so no middle apartment) and comprises of 4 floors.

There is a camera on the main entrance of each apartment building and unless you have the keycard, someone from the apartment you are going to has to buzz you in. When you buzz into an apartment, they are able to see who is at the main door through the small TV screen near the apartment door which is connected to the camera by the main apartment entrance, be able to talk to the person at the main entrance and buzz (let) them in. That to me was all I needed to see to fall in love with the place.

The SHOWHOUSE called to me. It was made especially for me! The house is everything my sister would want and more. The windows, the Balconies, The huge bedrooms, the huge closet space, the huge bathtub, the huge bathrooms, the huge kitchen, huge windows in every room, the wooded and tiled floors, the designs on the doors(they have carvings of a flower stem and the wood is the dark mahogany) which gives the perfect finishing to the already perfect house. These apartments are made to perfection. The apartments are very modern; I have not quite seen anything like them in Kenya yet. They are perfect for someone with a family and also for someone single. They are very affordable and I thought for sure that I had found “THE ONE”. I could not find one (1) thing wrong with them and that made me wonder why they were going at such a low price.

Here is the clubhouse,bedroom and the kitchen

 I am not as up to date with Kenya’s geography as I would like to be. But the most obvious mistake with these apartments is….. The location. They are situated near Githurai and well, we all know the reputation that place has (in case you do not, all thieves in Kenya reside there). Also, the road leading to Jacaranda Gardens is the same road on your way to Kamiti Prison (I did not know that at that time and well, every Kenyan knows of Kamiti Prison!) Need I say more? That was the deal breaker for me. For someone with a private car and does not work late hours, this is the house for you. Since I do not own a car and would have to rely on public transportation and I would never feel safe coming home late from work. I choose safety over the perfect home.

Once more, I will have to hit the roads of Nairobi in search for the perfect home.

Till next time…NJ

MY JOURNEY FOR THE PERFECT HOME CONTINUES..

Since Day1 did not pan out exactly how i had envisioned, i once again hit the locations within Nairobi for my search of the perfect home. Moods and spirits high, i had heard of these new apartments still in Ruaka (from my uncle) and decided that this is where i would go for my day number 2 house hunting adventure.


My journey for the perfect home continues.


DAY 2:
My Spirit: Still Over the roof high
Name: Temus Executive Court
Price: 7.3 M
Location: Ruaka town on Limuru Road just a minute from the Ruaka shopping center, 5min to Village Market. Easy access to Nairobi town.
Bedrooms: 3 Bedrooms Master Ensuite (no bathtub).
Type: Apartment
Additional Information: Separate kitchen with a spacious pantry, separate Dining area, Borehole, 2underground parking for each apartment, electric fence, 24 hour security, public and private schools within walking distance, a minute to the Northern bypass and the shopping center and banking facilities nearby.

The construction was still underway thus soil and cement everywhere (there goes my clean shoes). We were greeted in a very welcoming manner by the Site representative (nice man). The apartments are set on a sloped area, over 32 apartments standing on over three quarters (¾) of an acre.


The SHOWHOUSE was on the first floor and breathtaking. Huge black leather couches catch your attention the moment you walk in, beautiful white tiles and the contrast between the black couches and the white tiles is just beautiful. Huge windows and the balcony give the room a glowing look when the light hits the yellow paint on one wall. The Kitchen is separate from the Living room and leads to an outside laundry area where i assumed one will be drying clothes. The kitchen is directly adjacent to the dining area. Past the kitchen is a beautiful Bathroom and washing area for the 2bedrooms. On your way to the bedrooms, one side of the living room wall has been designed to have 9inch, three (3) gaping's from half the wall to the ceiling where one can place a vase, flowers and one can see the living room area on your way to the bedrooms. The bedrooms are bigger compared to the ones at Runda View apartments and have more light. They also have huge wardrobes and windows. There are 2 apartments per floor thus no middle apartments. The apartment felt really cold from the huge tiles as opposed to Runda
view apartments where they had beautifully polished wooden floors giving it a very cool feeling. I am not a big fan of carpets and neither is my sister so a wooden floor would be better.


The apartments were beautiful, the location is ideal for someone looking for a house near Nairobi, surrounded by the tranquil environment of Ruaka, the price is very attractive (With that price she can buy 2 houses, rent one out and she is assured to receive rent of 35,000 per month), 20% down payment is required but if you cannot afford it straight up, negotiations are encouraged and they can reduce it to a 15% down payment.


This place is beautiful but still not the perfect house for my sister. Reason? Just behind these apartments, where the laundry area is and where the master bedroom window faces, maybe 2meters away is another project being constructed. This will block all the light flowing into the kitchen and the master bedroom, privacy is reduced by half and the idea of another building that close by made me change my mind completely.


So far, i have not seen an apartment perfect for my sister yet. They are nearly perfect but not perfect enough. Do not get me wrong, i know to get the perfect home built by someone else is difficult especially because my definition of perfect is not some-one else's definition, but i'm still hopeful i'll get the most 'nearly' perfect home there is out there. House hunting is deeming to be harder than i thought.


But I'm still hopeful i will get the perfect home.


Till next time...NJ

 

MY JOURNEY TO FINDING THE PERFECT HOME

House Hunting? Please, that should be a piece of cake. Right? WRONG. My sister recently told me she wants to buy a house in Kenya and my first thought was, 'well, that should be easy with all the new buildings being constructed daily, everywhere i turn i see a crane dominating the Nairobi skies, so how hard can it really be?'


This is my journey to finding the perfect home…for my sister.


Firstly, we were looking for a place that is nearly finished and can be able to move in in a few months, Secondly of course we talked about the price – Lets just say the amount made me want to weep..with joy..and envy..and jealousy. Next came the location - Her exact words, a nice upscale place, very secure with nature all around ,a shopping center nearby and most important, easy to get to from town.(Again, easy, i thought). Then came how many bedrooms – Least 2 bedrooms but preferably a 3 bedroom (Since i have not made a million...yet.., i thought the amount she had offered was ALOT of money and also, with my lack of Real Estate knowledge, i even envisioned getting a 4bedroomed place with that kind of money).Last but not least, she wanted a place with a lot of windows (she loves a place when she opens the curtains light just flows into the whole house), Balconies, a Swimming pool(but it wasn't a necessity), a Gym(also not a necessity) but most importantly, the master bathroom HAS to have a Bathtub. And thus, my journey began with that information at hand.


DAY 1:
My Spirit: Over the roof high
Name: Runda View Apartments
Price: 8.5M
Location: On Limuru road just past Ruaka Town. 10min from Village Market and Westlands, Easy access to Nairobi town
Bedrooms: 3 Bedrooms, master Ensuite (no bathtub)
Type: Apartment
Additional Information: A gated community with a Shopping mall, a Swimming pool and a Clubhouse (inclusive of a Gym, a Sauna and a Restaurant). Borehole Access and Underground water tanks, TV cameras in hidden locations, 24 hour security, Electric fence, 2parking spaces per apartment, Internet access and DSTV connection for each apartment.

The apartments are set on a 1.15 acre of land. We were interested with Phase1 which should be completed in 2 months (end of March which is perfect since we are following the 'sooner the better' policy). Phase 2 is in progress and should be completed in 2013. In Phase1, only 4 apartments were remaining.


The Site Representative was the guard which i found weird (but what do I know?) and if you had any queries about the house i.e. payment mode, you were given a number to call to talk to someone which i assumed was the head agent as the guard did not have all the information. The SHOWHOUSE was to die for. Literally! It was magnificent. When you enter, you are welcomed into a huge living room with huge windows thus a lot of light, a balcony opening up to the swimming pool, a beautiful American kitchen opening out to the living room, beautiful bedrooms with huge windows, wooden floors which catch your attention the moment you walk into a room, a lot of closet space and a laundry yard. The only thing missing was a bathtub in the master bath. A minor setback that we can overlook.


Here is the Bedroom and the Kitchen.

Now, one thing you should always be aware of when being shown a show house is that they always choose the perfect house that has been fully furnished and painted by professionals. The house with the perfect finishing, the perfect lighting, and always a corner house (never the middle apartments). Secondly, you should always ask to look at another apartment/ or a house that is not a show house (no furniture, no paint). This is how you will see the house as it is exactly, not blinded by the beautiful paintings on the wall, the bedcovers, the curtains, the beautiful screaming red paint on the walls distracting you from how small the room really is, nor the vases set on the marble dining table, the rugs thrown on the bathroom floors, the flat screen 50inch TV covering a full wall of the living room or the beautiful IKEA plates set so perfectly on the marble dining table.


Since there were 4 apartments remaining, i asked to see them, were they corner apartments or middle ones? Turns out, all 4 remaining apartments are....yup, middle apartments. Now, when you enter these 'Middle" apartments, you are not welcomed into a huge living room. No! When you enter the house, on your right and left, are the bedrooms! The shock! A bedroom by the entrance? Now, i mentioned that these are 'middle' apartments, meaning neighbors walking to their flats are passing right outside the bedroom windows thus you cannot open your curtains or windows or else the neighbors have a front row view into the bedrooms. The bedrooms have no direct lighting meaning you have to have the lights on regardless the hour of the day. To me, that was enough to change my mind about the perfect house i had envisioned when i had seen the show house. Enough to make me want to keep house hunting.


I am on the lookout for the perfect apartment. Day 1, not so good but my mood has not being dampened. I will get the perfect home.


Till next time... NJ