To own property like a house, you either have to buy it or build one from scratch. Okay, you may also inherit one. While building your own house can allow you to have a custom home, it can also have its downside like theft of materials, among others. That's why some people opt for buying an already built house.
Margaret Angeno, one of such people says that she bought her Luzira home because it had everything she had always wanted her home to look like. "It had a big compound, big rooms and laminate floor among others. Basically it was my ideal house." Besides allowing you to have your ideal home, Joshua Ondyer, a property dealer says buying an established house saves you a lot of time and pain. He explains, "If a working class person was to build a house, they would not have the time to go to the site and check on what the work men are doing which will leave them worrying about what is being done on site. So buying an already established house will save you from all these worries."
The property dealer also adds that because of your absence at the sight, the labourers might decide to use less material than what you required thus ending up with a weak structure that might collapse within a short time.
Another advantage of buying an already established house is that in case you got a mortgage from the bank you will use it for that house. "If you are to buy a house, you will use that money for that exact purpose. However, if you chose to build, you might end up diverting some of the money into other things since construction takes a while." However, just like building your own house, buying an established house also has shortcomings. At times you might not like certain aspects of the established home. Angeno says she did not like the deco in her new home.
"The prevision owner had put mirrors and plants everywhere in the house. I like plants and mirrors but not in every room, even the toilet! For the plants, I only wanted them outside. So I had to take out most of the mirrors and the plants. At the end of the whole process I had to renovate the house." But if you are set on buying an established house, you need to have certain things in mind. Arthur Karuhanga, a property dealer with Lamvic Consults says, the first thing you have to do before you go out looking for a house is to decide on how much you want to spend on it. He explains, "The amount of money you have will determine the type of house you will get. So even when you go to the property dealer to get his help, the first thing he will ask you is, how much you have. So you need to know it."
With the money you want to spend in mind, Mr. Karuhanga says you then go out with a property dealer or any other person you choose to help you find a house to look for one that suits your needs. He however advises that you go to different houses until you find one you like. "Do not let the dealer convince you to take a house that you do not want. Go for what you like." He adds that you will also need an engineer to check out the strength of the structure. "Some houses on sale might be very old and because the owner wants to sell it off easily, they repaint it. So you need an engineer to help you establish the strength of the house."
The neighbourhood also matters. Karuhanga says the safety of the area in which the house is located can be established by talking to the neighbours and the area leaders. Hasan Nyongesa who has just bought a house says that he checked out everything but forgot to check the house bills. "I realized after entering that I had to pay a Shs1.5m water bill that had been used by the previous owner." Therefore, to avoid such happenings, Karuhanga advises that you check the electricity and water bills before signing any agreements with the previous owner. Karuhanga further advises that if you decide to buy an established house, you need to take precautions, "because you do not want to spend more than what you have planned for."
