A Major House Hunting Red Flag in Nairobi you Must Know is the #WaterScam. House hunting on its own can be a very tiresome process. This even becomes worse when the images you see online are not a replica of what there is on the ground. To add to that, the number of compromises you have to make may be emotionally disturbing. The ‘good’ thing is you can be able to tell some of these red flags from the onset. However, some may be hidden from your view, like water shortage.
Some sections of Nairobi County experience massive water shortage. The surprising thing is you will still see people moving in. Many people wonder why this is so. Upon further interrogation, it was established that there is always water during the house hunting period. Interesting, right? We noted that when property managers are showing houses, they ensure that their water reservoirs are filled. On that particular day, taps will be running with water.
The shock comes a day after you have moved in and there is simply no water. Taps are dry. Upon asking around, you realize everyone is buying this necessity. It then dawns on you that you’ve been played. Here are ways to tell a neighborhood has water problems.
Presence of Mkokotenis with Water during House Hunting
If these are in that neighborhood, it simply means water-selling business is booming. You need to run. Areas that don’t have water rely on mkokotenis to supply them. This is because they offer convenience and easy transport. If you visit areas that are assured of consistent water supply like Kileleshwa, Hurlingham, Kilimani and Lavington, you will notice that such are not present. This is a major red flag you should look out for.
Water Storage Tanks on Balconies (Vibuyus etc)
The presence of a lot of water containers on tenants’ balconies is a major red flag. This is an indicator that they rarely get water, and even if they do, they need to store it until the next time it is available. Property managers more often than not lie about this occurrence. What you need to do is ask around, on your own, how often they get water.