Basics of a good house

By Edwin Tubei

Many Kenyans today, including those in the Diaspora, are buying homes either for their own use, to rent, or just to speculate. Below are a few tips that you can use to identify a good house that boasts of good workmanship and planning.

The lounge

Usually referred to as the sitting room, the lounge should be spacious enough to accommodate seats of different styles and sitting arrangement. Natural light is of essence. Windows should be well positioned and spacious enough to allow plenty of air to circulate freely. Positioning of the visitors cloak should ensure total privacy from the dining room and

lounge area.

This space is a woman’s place of pride and it must be spacious enough to accommodate all her utilities and ease movement. Cupboards should be elegantly built and the materials used should be water resistant. Piping must be of superior quality coupled with exquisite workmanship since any leakages through the pipes will dampen the enclosed spaces.

For safety, gas cylinder cages built outside the kitchen and connected to the cooker via pipe are ideal. Circulation of air in the kitchen store must be ensured. Compartments must be raised to cater for the assorted edibles.

Most houses have common bathrooms and the location of this facility should be fairly accessible to all bedrooms with minimal interference to privacy. Drainage must be emphasised as poor drainage leads to flooding, which damages the flooring.

Laundry yard

Usually located between the kitchen and the domestic servant’s quarters, the finishing for the utility room must be absolutely water resistant. Ensure plumbing work accommodates the washing machine. The size of the room should be adequate enough to allow ventilation and to hang wash lines.

Domestic servant Quarters

The location of the domestic servant quarters should be such that it allows the servant ease of movement within the designated yard without interrupting activities of the lounge, dining or any other room.

Master bedroom

This is the most spacious room of all. It is usually elegantly finished and has extra wardrobes for sufficient storage. The room must be positioned in such a way that it boasts privacy while ensuring other rooms are visible. Air circulation and natural light is vital in all the rooms.

The compound

The compound should, at the very least, have some ground that is not concrete, and should accommodate a playing area for children.

—The writer is a marketer with Villa Care