Why residentials should not be close to the road

It is very common for buyers and tenants to ask agents if the property they are marketing is close to the road. However, having property close to the road has some downsides to it as Johnson Mayanja from TMT mining and Real Estate explains:

No bright walls
Mayanja says if you get property close to the road, bright walls will not work for you, instead resort to dark colours to make sure your property exterior will not need renovations after a few months.
“Some clients do not go for dark colours but the condition may force them to do so and here you have to look for several ideas to choose the colour will make your home look fresh when you repaint,” he says.
Mayanja notes that you may need an expert to choose for you the right colour because you might find it hard to choose a dark colour that works well.

Not enough outdoor space
Mayanja says it is rare that you get a big outdoor space when you are close to the road. If you have a small compound, it is difficult to make an optimum use of it.
“Compounds in homes are one of the most used spaces and if you have a limited space, this may stop you from having whatever you planned to put in place in terms of outdoor remodelling ,” he says.
He adds that you may opt to have a small backyard but it will constraint your budget since it will be an additional which was not planned for.

Trespassers and intruders
Mayanja says sometimes trespassers choose not to respect the property owner’s privacy because the property is close to the road and there is no fence.
“For instance, if there is a no tresspass sign, to stop them, they can even decide to rest on your veranda without asking for permission, which is very inconveniencing. The other issue is safety. Intruders may have easy access to your house ,” he says
Mayanja adds that sometimes property owners provide a written warning of the violation of his or her privacy but the intruders may take it for granted and ignore the notice.
“If intruders still refuses to comply with the notice you may be forced to vacate that place or sell it and look for a convinient place,” he says.

Frequent repairs
When you own a property close to the road, you may be forced to have frequent repairs since the property will be damaged every other day.
“Damages can be caused by mud, dust, accidents and floods , because your property is close to the road you have to be on standby expecting one of these snags ,” he says
Mayanja adds that you may end up making repairs without any compensation because everyone will blame you for buying a property near a public entity or others will run away.

Fear of eviction
Mayanja says that fear of eviction is one of the fears of property owners close to the road because developments such as road expansion, electricity supply and water tanks or sources, may encroach on their land.
Mayanja advises that before buying a property close to the road, you must have all the required information about the road reserve and future development.

Problems with neighbours
Yunus Kasambeko, a Local Council One chairperson in Mutundwe Village, Wakiso District, says property owners often go to the local authorities with complaints about noisy neigbours who are breaking community rules.
“The problem for landlords is that the neighbours are always business people who make noise during day and night and here a property agents has a responsibility to talk to both parties or ask the property owner to vacate that place and rent it out, ” Kasambeko says.

Kasambeko says that hygiene is another issue when have a property near the road. Being in an open place can be danger to your life all the dust and garbage will end up in your compound and house and you have to clean every day to avoid infections which can be caused by poor sanitation.

Wrong things landlords do Isaac
Mugengi, a property manager. shares some of the irritating things landlords do:

Lack of services
Denying tenants access to services. Some landlords do not bother to ensure the premises have access toutilities such as water, and electricity.

Impromptu visits
It can be disturbing for a tenant when a landlords enters the premises unannounced.
The only circumstances under which a landlord can enter a premises without notice is in case of an emergency, such as a gas leak, or in case of abandoned property.

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