I bumped into a friend the other day who is moving out of her parents’ house. She’s been all over Nairobi trying to get the perfect place. Aside from the agents who con her out of funds, she still can’t find a place that suits all her needs.
House-hunting is never easy. If you aren’t patient, you just might end up in a place that’s uncomfortable you end up moving out in a month, or less. So how exactly do you get a great place to live in?
Here are some great house hunting tips that might help you out.
Location is very important. You need a place that’s easy to access especially if you will be using public means of transportation. Walk through the area and get a feel of the place. See how many shops and supermarkets are in close vicinity to the house. Also consider the traffic the area has in regards to your transit to work daily.
Buildings are coming up rapidly across town daily. If you own a car, then parking is a factor to consider. Before you select a place to live in, ensure that the area has safe and adequate parking. If you have to use street parking, ask around and ensure that all cars are parked outside so that yours will be safe at all times. Drive by the place in the late evenings so you can see for yourself what the parking situation is like.
Background checks on the tenants is required as well. You should find out if the landlord carries out such checks. It will give you a sense of security once you know that the landlord is aware of people’s backgrounds and that he considers them to be trustworthy. This is also important given the government is putting in place the Nyumba Kumi initiative.
When house hunting, look at the lease terms. Some landlords are crafty when getting you to move in. They will give you good rates only for them to drastically change once you are comfortable in your home. Read through your lease and have lawyers look at it as well. Know exactly what your rent will be and when it is possible for changes to be made to it.
These are just but a few tips to ease your house hunting process. We hope you found them useful.
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