Yes, you heard that right – I want to be single again!! Why? So I can make the quaint and cosy one bedroom apartment I discovered in Lavington my home. Picture this – a security check with the very friendly askaris who gladly usher you in after confirming you are expected and direct you to the designated visitors’ parking. As you drive in, you suddenly feel the stress of the Nairobi traffic exit your body as you are ushered in by the whistling trees swaying to the gentle breeze as little colourful birds chirp away. You park your car and step out to be greeted by a sea of green – a lovely landscaped garden where Kikuyu grass seems to be thriving like a “covid-millionaire.”
You walk down the stairs that look like the Spanish Steps in Rome, because of how wide they are, and you can already tell that what you will find inside the set of three apartments will be nothing short of glorious. At the bottom of the steps, a lovely lady called Mercy is waiting for you. She smiles at me – I am home! Can I move in already?
The entrance to the building is secured by a lovely metal and glass door and the floors are finished with a lovely grey granite stone. Mercy tells me the granite is mined locally in a little town in Ukambani called Mavoloni and the company that mines it is called Mavoloni granite (what else would they call it?) It is not common to find granite floors in Kenya unless you are in an office building, so I am already quite impressed. The door to the apartment is the icing on the cake – a lovely hard wood door that even Hercules would struggle to break. It completely defines the entrance.
We get into the apartment and what greets me is thoughts of my youth – oh how I wish I could have found this place in my youth. You see, in my days, when you moved out of home the only options for single ladies looking for secure accommodation in Nairobi were SQs or horrendous looking 2-3-bedroom apartments. One-bedroom apartments were just not a thing back then.
Ok, back to the grove. The inside is delightful – bright and airy and full of natural light. I emphasize on the natural light because if you have walked this town you will know that some apartments barely get any sun in and you constantly have to have the lights on – not this one. This developer was smart, he paid attention to nature and worked it to his benefit.
The living room is tastefully furnished with rustic chic furniture. The cosy grey sofa splashed with red cushions is actually a sleeper sofa so when your girlfriends have had a glass of wine too many they do not have to worry about driving home. The space is open plan so you can see right through to the kitchen which I must say was very well planned out. Abundant sockets to fit all your appliances because, you know a single girl is all about conveniences – kettle, microwave, toaster, nutribullet and nutricook – all those can be plugged in simultaneously. Surely, what more can you ask for???
The kitchen door then opens to a balcony that is exactly right. Small enough not to require too much sprucing up but larger than the typical balcony that only allows you to just catch a breath of air while standing. This balcony is where I envision myself having my morning coffee with my kindle nicely cradled on the glass top table. I would sit here to soak in the sun as I listen to birds and feel the vitamin D from the sun literally entering my bones.
After a minute too long staring into the garden, Mercy politely ushers me to the rest of the house. I can see her giving me that look of “you came to see the house my friend, not romanticize moving in.” I snap out of my dream and follow her. She shows me the extra-large cloak room which has been designed as a private laundry area too (I mean, this developer really thought through this space). Did I mention the entry hallway area had a nice large closet where you can hang your coat (sorry, jacket or should I say “chaget”) and deposit your handbag and laptop and change out of your street shoes into house shoes – yes they thought about that that too – this house is heaven!
The bedroom, oh the bedroom, this is where you will fall in love. The size is just right – it fits a queen bed with the two side tables and yes, they remembered to have bed side lamps. There is a dressing table across the bed with sockets behind it should you wish to make it a working desk. The closet is extra-large and when I say extra-large I mean EXTRA-LARGE. I smile 😊 – this would have been perfect for me in 2003 but we are in 2020 and I have a husband and two children. …. No dog yet but the kids are actively campaigning.
I finally peek into the bathroom and I am like WHAAAT ….is that a bathroom for one? It is bright and spacious. The tiles are a glittery black broken with a soft white tile that gives the room a grown-up sexy look without being too serious. The mirror is one of those large mirrors that has a button for a light on it – of course I switch it on and voila, my reflection lights up and I feel like a movie star who is about to get her make up done. I smile again 😊 but this time before I wander off to dreamland, Mercy signals that she needs to show me the rest of the space – the rooftop entertainment area and the laundry area. You mean there is more to see – out of the house and up the grey granite stairs we go.
The rooftop entertainment area is fantastic. They have not completed it yet but I am told there will be lots of potted plants and garden furniture with umbrellas for the residents and their guests. There is a designated grill area complete with a sink and counter and I can already picture the tenant I will bring in here – a young upcoming single lady who likes to wear heels and has a boyfriend who likes to grill. Is that you? Call me for more details – 0795 579 100 and schedule your viewing.
The apartment in summary:
- Off Kingara road @Mbaazi close
- Extra-large – 70sqm
- Ensuite bedroom plus separate guest cloakroom
- Balcony overlooking beautiful garden
- Inverter for power back-up in furnished unit
- Rooftop entertainment area
- Laundry area
- CCTV
- Main gate security
- Housekeeping three times a week
- Quaint and cosy (only three units in the compound)
Other:
- 1km to Junction Mall
- 2km to Valley Arcade shopping centre
- Close to lovely restaurants, hospitals and amenities
Price:
Furnished @95,000 per month
Unfurnished @70,000 per month
Call 0795 579 100 for viewing
More information: https://bit.ly/3lSjGVV
