By JAMES MWANGI

Several homes are being smashed to give way for tall buildings as city’s upmarket neighbourhood rapidly expands.

Hurlingham is slowly changing from a bungalow neighbourhood into an upmarket high-rise estate that can accommodate more people.

The quiet gated homes the area has been known for are now being dwarfed by upcoming multi-storey apartments and office buildings.

According to Wallace Mugambi, the portfolio manager of property company Villa Care, the owners of the palatial homes and bungalows are now selling the land for these new developments to take place while others are putting up the high-rise buildings themselves.

“Demand for houses is quite high as opposed to the supply. This is why apartments are coming up in Hurlingham and other areas like Lavington, and Kilimani. We are trying to meet the demand. There are efforts to transform Hurlingham from a posh neighbourhood to an upmarket one,” he said.

“You find a bungalow sitting on a one-acre piece of land but housing only one family, especially those of expatriates and well-to-do people but when such space is used for an apartment, more than 50 average families are housed. In fact, the owners of these homes are selling the land at a fast rate.”

These upcoming apartments are furnished with private residence clubs, surveillance cameras, Wi-Fi and DSTV, entertainment and fitness spots like gym and swimming pools among others.

They will rent at Sh90, 000 for a two-bedroom unit, Sh130,000 to Sh140,000 for three and above Sh170,000 for four.

Mugambi said the apartments will sell from Sh14.5 million for two-bedrooms unit, Sh22 million for three and Sh27 million for four.

Owners of the office buildings target residents with businesses.

“We believe these expatriates and some residents will need some place to work and so we have also put up office buildings,” Mugambi said.

According to a resident, the area has not lost its serenity.

“We have been used to low buildings, mostly quiet homes but now we are surrounded by towers.

I however cannot say our privacy has been invaded,” he said.

Some landlords have turned their properties from rental homes and offices to guesthouses.

“I know of few guesthouses – formerly homes – that charge between Sh5,000 and Sh6,000 daily and get lots of customers.

This means they get about Sh150,000 and Sh180,000 in a month. That is also good money,” a property dealer said.