Prestige: Live like royalty in a gated community

Kenya: Call them private members club or places where pet foals and Rottweilers roam.

To most people, they sound like the trappings of a king. But to members of some of Nairobi’s upcoming exclusive gated communities, deluxe perks like these are becoming standard.

Welcome to gated community living.

Gated communities usually consist of narrow residential streets and include various shared amenities. For smaller communities this may be a park or other common area.

However, the new face of exclusive gated communities represents a new era in community living, where it is entirely possible for residents to stay within the community for most daily and even weekly activities.

The trend now is that some Kenyans no longer just buy a home but a lifestyle as well and if a gated community will provide them with this gratifying feeling as compared to a stand-alone home, then the decision is made with a closed eye.

These posh hamlets come with extravagant prices but this has not been a deterrent factor, some being singled out for their highly sought-after locations, amenities and the triple ‘P’ concept: privacy, protection and prestige.

Developing these houses is not a task for the faint-hearted.

Is it windows from Germany, chandeliers from Hong Kong, wood from the Congo forest and logs from Finland? Quality is at the centre of these gated communities, with zero-tolerance for mediocrity.

Amenities

The amenities depend on a number of factors, including geographical location, demographic composition, community structure and fees collected.

However, the presence of any one amenity in an exclusive gated community makes all the difference.

A private members’ club means a strong network among elite businessmen who wish to indulge each other on the dynamics of the economy.

A swimming pool means the children get to relate with their peers more easily and a stone’s throw away from home. A sauna and steam bath means the mothers get to catch up over the weekend.

A jogging track is a plus for those who love taking a walk with their pets while a gym makes good exercise early in the morning.

There is simply no limit to what these luxury gated communities offer — the more the merrier.

Security

One of the primary purposes of a gated community is to offer its residents safety that they wouldn’t find in non-gated communities or stand-alone homes.

Exclusive communities have high level security standards, including CCTV throughout the property.

Thorough security searches at the entrances that restrict access to pedestrians, which reduces the chance of vandalism, theft and other crimes: Electric fences, motion and vibration detectors on windows and doors of houses, concealed panic buttons and panic rooms and so on.

People living in these communities are obviously well-off so elimination of security threats is of the essence, especially with the recent spate of terrorist attacks in the country, and considering some of the residents may be high-ranking people in the Government and foreign consulates.

— The writer is the CEO of Financial and Property Consultants Ltd.