Studio apartments or bachelor pads have become an increasingly widespread offering on the property buffet, apparently as land in Nairobi’s tightly-packed inner-city suburbs comes at a premium. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH
They are common in more affluent Nairobi suburbs such as the Kilimani area, Kileleshwa and Westlands.
The units are most ideal for short-term occupation; they certainly are not designed for family living.
Depending on size, location, amenities, finishes, workmanship and quality of finishing, the cost of most such apartments ranges from Sh3 million to Sh15m.
‘Introducing you to your first home,” the ad calls out. This property is on sale on Ngong Road, Nairobi. The asking price; Sh3.1million.
“Your first home”, as the seller calls it, is a compact cubical not more than 500 square feet. A small apartment that combines bedroom, living room— all in one room.
It comes with fitted closets, a fitted kitchenette and an inside bathroom attached. Quite tastefully finished with the most up-to-date finishings. Most have a luxurious yet simple and modern layout.
It is a studio apartment, and according to the floor plan suggesting where the buyer would place their furniture within the open-plan space, this apartment would take no more than a bed, a work station and if you do not mind tight spaces, a single settee.
Studio apartments or bachelor pads have become an increasingly widespread offering on the property buffet, apparently as land in Nairobi’s tightly-packed inner-city suburbs comes at a premium: and the number of singles living alone and expatriates increases. They are also designed for students and young professionals.
The units are most ideal for short-term occupation; they certainly are not designed for family living.
The size could easily be the kitchen or master bathroom size of larger houses. The supply, by property developers according to Hass Consult’s Head of Research and Marketing, Sakina Hassanali, is buoyed by demand by young people averse to travelling long distances to and from work.
Common in the more affluent suburbs with proximity to town such as the Kilimani area, Kileleshwa, Westlands, State House and Dennis Pritt roads, the developers are looking at capturing the young professionals and foreigners without families, and international students.
“We have been instrumental in starting the supply of smaller apartments for the young working population who would not necessarily like to travel two hours daily to get to and from work,” she says.
“At the moment, the city is heavily supplied with family focused apartments with very little for the young corporates working in the city,” she notes, “There is plenty of supply for the family focused, we are now looking to a different demographic and working to meet their housing needs.”
That is why developments like Urban Greene in Kileleshwa and Nine Oak on Wood Avenue have developed primarily studio apartments.
Urban Greene boosts of being the region’s first convertible apartments that can easily be transformed from a two bedroom apartment, to a one bedroom with the other room becoming a studio that can be rented out separately.
Depending on size, location, amenities, finishes, workmanship and quality of finishing, the cost of most such apartments ranges from Sh3 million to Sh15m.
The price according to Hassanali is determined mostly by as well as the type of amenities.
“Studio apartments with access to an extensive offering of amenities will sell for between Sh5 million to Sh7 million.
The studio apartment developments that we have conceptualised provide an extensive array of amenities like gyms, pools, resident lounges and roof decks, cafes, mini cinema, convenience stores, business lounge — it is actually designed to feel like you are living in a hotel and that’s what the young corporate population want.”
She says studio apartments being modern and designed for single or double occupancy for the upwardly mobile who want to have all the amenities at their disposal, it is finished in some cases to hotel standard.
“In fact in some cases they may command the same rent as a larger family apartment just because of the lifestyle opportunities it gives the resident access to,” says Hassanali.
Some of the apartments come with a communal laundry area with high-end washers.
“The price is also determined by the number of units under the project as well as the target demographics, things like are the studio apartments in Gigiri whose target market is the expats or is it in kilimani, targeting bachelors?” says a business development officer at one of the property marketing firms did not want to be quoted for the sake of this article.
According to the property market experts,real estate managers are increasingly being asked to market bachelor pads and have seen the supply of studios go up by as much as 2.5 times within a short span of 5 years.
But then the big question is: is there really a market for shoebox apartments in Kenya, given that most people with the financial might to buy a home would rather go for a family home instead?
Well, this is how the expert puts it, “Most of them are being bought for the rental market for sure; for investment, by people who want in on the rental income.”
He adds, “Most people are not buying to live in them but to rent out or do serviced apartments.”
Innovative interiors
To help make the most of the limited floor space, consider integrating pieces of fold-out furniture.
Nowadays with the advent in shoebox apartments, there has been lots of innovation on stylish inviting furniture suited for the functionality of space-challenged places.
Now there are a variety of designs of beds that extend from the back panel of the sleeping area, slide away or are wall mounted. There are even sofa beds that are convertible into a settee during day and bed at night, and still double up as storage, that help you organize and declutter.
Compact furniture designed for small spaces helps create stylish home interiors that are comfortable and elegant.
