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Qualities of family-friendly apartments
A family has different needs from singles. Safety, space and proximity to health and education facilities are top priority. PHOTO/PROMISE TWINAMUKYE
What you need to know:
- When viewing an apartment, think about storage solutions.
- Also, check to see if there is enough space for a playroom or an open outdoor space.
When Sarah Namagembe went to use her sister’s washroom during her visit, she regretted the decision. Although she noticed that the washroom looked small, she thought it would be able to accommodate her. However, after struggling to enter, she got stuck and needed help to be evacuated. When she could not be pulled out, it became necessary to remove the door. Apart from the physical pain, Namegembe was emotionally scarred by the incident.
“It is hard to understand who that washroom, which by the way is the guest washroom, was made for. Not only is it discriminatory but it is also a disaster waiting to happen,” Namagembe says.
From the incident, Namagembe is now very cautious about room sizes. Uganda being a young nation, means 70 percent of its population lives in rented houses as they save for their dream homes.
Rented accommodation is also important for people who are still not permanently employed in one location. While one can almost manage to live in any circumstance when they are alone, dynamics change when there are children and other family members involved.
It also gives the flexibility to move to a new location in case your family grows or changes and when well budgeted, the possibility of a carefree life while living within one’s means, among other possibilities.
Renting with children will need one to look beyond just the house features. The environment that surrounds the area will also have to be put into consideration.
If you are one who prefers renting before putting your foot down for a permanent shelter, you may need to keep some things in mind to cater for people right from the eldest person in the family to the youngest.
Budget
Money makes the world go around. Even before starting an apartment search, one needs to have sat down and calculated in detail the budget they are willing to spend on monthly rent. If one is already renting and they are probably moving to a new house, you may have a budget in mind based on what you pay currently.
The budget has to factor in the location of the area where you are moving to, an estimate of how much rent is reasonable for your family budget, and cost of utilities among others. While some landlords take care of most utilities (covered by the rent you pay), others may expect for you to cater for your electricity bills, water bills, and waste bills, among other things.
Most personal finance experts would recommend paying no more than 30 percent of gross (before tax) monthly income for rent. Another target is to spend no more than 50 percent of net income (after taxes) on rent, utilities and all other monthly living expenses.
“However, every apartment comes with different amenities and these call for a different price,” Grace Kamwezi, a property manager at Spectrum, says.
That dining area
Most families only get to unite when it is food time. Therefore, putting more investment in the dining area and the kitchen may help one’s goal of keeping family together, connected. There is a lot you can achieve with a spacious dining area; improve your child’s appetite by eating together, accommodate every family member during dinnertime, hold family meetings, and a lot more.
If you are renting with children, there are a few things you should keep in mind when choosing your new home. The bathroom and kitchen are two of the most important rooms in a house, so you’ll want to make sure they are both suitable for your family.
The kitchen is usually a gathering spot for the family. As you prepare meals, your little ones may need help with their homework, or they might just want to keep you company or give you a helping hand. Therefore, an apartment with a large, kitchen with plenty of counter space is essential.
Also, ensuring it comes with modern appliances will allow you to manage kitchen tasks more efficiently.
Another thing to keep in mind is to make sure the bathroom comes with a bathtub. While a stand-up shower is practical for a quick shower, when you have children, running a bath is a much easier way to get them cleaned up.
Number of bedrooms
Kamwezi says one may not need a lot of bedrooms to contain one’s family members – even children. When one has more children, they will be able to share a room. There is also a possibility of creating a divider in the room or get creative and divide the room with a bookshelf or other material if the children need the privacy.
“A family of five people can make do with a two-bedroom apartment, depending on the size of the house. A family comes with a lot of baggage. So, a house may need to have enough space to keep the clothes, shoes and other belongings for both children and the elders,” Kamwezi says.
Amenities
Depending on the age of your children, there are amenities that will top the priority list and those you can compromise on. For instance, a fenced yard and designated playground would be great for spending time outdoors in a secure location.
Likewise, if the apartment complex has a swimming pool, check to see that it is child-proof. Adnan Mpuga, the operations director at Eastlands Agency, says when a family has school going children, they may want to look at an apartment close to a good school or daycare centre.
“Make sure there are schools, more especially, primary or nursery level school. This is because even if there is no high school around, a child can go to boarding school since they are a bit older,” Mpuga says.
Also look out for hospitals in case of emergencies. Make sure there is at least a health centre III for quicker access in times of emergency. For a family without a car, it is important to find a central location, so that the above and more amenities are nearby and taxis and boda boda routes are easy to find.
Pets
Children love pets. Parents love pets. And children are most likely ten times more destructive than a pet ever could be, so why not have an inclusive pet policy?
Cost
Putting a case study in areas of Munyonyo, Kyanja and Kira, apartments of one bedroom goes from Shs1m to Shs1.5m, Shs700 to Shs1m and Shs500k to 600k respectively.
A two-bedroom apartment ranges from Shs2.2m to Shs2.5m, Shs1.2 to 2m respectively. The prices solely depend on the finishing of the house and the amenities that come with it.
