House hunting is a simple matter of looking for a house or property, paying for it and moving in. While searching for a new home is considered an adventure, the activity lately has some challenges popping up here and there. Whether in urban towns or rural locations there has been an influx of issues that are still happening to this day. From high fees to inadequate space to scammers the activity has its ups and downs.
1. Expensive Houses
Most of the people moving are usually working with a budget and are searching for a “great house for the price: kind of deal.
Hard to hear but houses in towns are expensive and provide the bare minimum of amenities. The closer one lives to a city, the more expensive the rent becomes and the less bang for the buck is offered. There is the option of living further from the town and encountering cheaper rental fees that include some above minimum amenities.
However, people have to choose between high transport costs or high rental fees.
The best solution to this catch-22 situation is to find the sweet spot between the distance and the rental prices. This is where the rental prices and the transport fees are lower than living further from the city or high rental prices.
2. Lack of Enough Space
Properties these days do not have enough space. The underlying reality of the matter is that most property developers are trying to maximize profits at the expense of the clients who will inevitably inhabit the properties.
These acts are leading to the development of houses that have little living space and do not meet the minimum floor size ratios. This is why there are houses that have small bathrooms, bedrooms that can barely fit beds, and small kitchens that cannot accommodate standard kitchen appliances.
This is one of the issues that may not be solvable by the clients. The only solution is to relocate to a different house. Although there are some people who will tolerate the small spaces.
3. Conmen or Scammers
Whether in rural areas or urban towns conmen who disguise themselves as house agents are a common issue in the population. Most people looking for a new house usually start by searching online to get an idea of the location and the prices to expect while house hunting. But online there are various conmen and scammers that have listed houses which look legit and are arguably great deals to pass up.
These scammers will offer their “services” and will end up sprinting with people’s hard-earned money. But how can someone tell a real agent from a scammer? The conmen usually have too-good-to-be-true deals that are meant to lure unsuspecting clients. This can be easily mitigated by hiring services from specific sites such as Hauzisha.
4. The Availability of Water and Electricity
A constant water supply is one of the most basic needs that every home should have. However, there are areas and houses that have a limited water supply. This is a great inhibitor that is encountered by nearly all house hunters. People have reported having found the perfect home with a great price and all the bells and whistles except it has no water supply.
“There is a borehole and several tanks that can last for a week”, are the words that are usually portrayed by homeowners when asking about the water supply. The issue of the water supply has turned so many house hunters away and is not one of the compromises that people are willing to endure. While these claims may be true, it is difficult to tell unless experienced. Leaving the only alternative to budget for water and buy from other water companies.
Electric connections are another factor that breaks the enthusiasm of house hunters. Some people do have business or work they perform at home that requires electricity and to that end, they may not be able to withstand a home without power. The only solution is to purchase portable solar panels that can be easily relocated and installed in new homes.
5. Uncleared previous tenant’s bills
There isn’t a bigger letdown than relocating to a new home only to find out that the electric or water bills are in the negative from the previous tenant. Tenants are relocating without paying their overdue bills that fall to the next tenant. This has led to disconnections of electricity and water even after a new tenant has recently leased the home.
Homeowners may not be aware of the pending bills but should be the ones to clear them. While relocating, it is always best to make sure the homes have no pending bills. To mitigate electric bills homeowners are installing token meters, however, the water bills are a different issue. New tenants have to make sure all the water bills are cleared before paying any amount of money to the homeowners.
6. Agent Fees
Who doesn’t like free things? If the sun was priced people would rather live in darkness. House hunters do not want to pay agent service fees which some rates are extortionate.
The easiest way to avoid this is for tenants to search for new homes on their own. But, this may also be time-consuming and may also end up costing as much or even more than hiring an agent. Thus it is better to hire agents from well-recognized and trusted sites like Hauzisha.
7. Security
No home is worth security. People usually tend to search for new homes based on the price of the house without considering any other underlying factors. Numerous tenants have reported thefts and other security-related incidences after recently moving into a new home. This can only be prevented by moving into safe neighbourhoods or houses that have better security.
Conclusion
These challenges are faced by clients not only in Kenya but the globe but, some of the challenges do have some form of mitigation measure. However, if not enough can be done to reduce the inconveniences that are available, many people often opt to once again relocate which is costly and time-consuming. People in search of property are warned to be diligent while searching for a home.
