TCH

Thriving Community Homes

Author: Aaron Tushabe

  • What I’ve Learned About Buying a Condo in Uganda 

    The condominium market in Uganda is growing fast. Every time I talk to someone in Kampala about buying property, a condo pops up somewhere in the conversation;

    “Have you seen that new block in Kisaasi?”

    “These developers say only four units left.”

    “The payment plan looks manageable.”

    But the more I’ve listened to surveyors, valuers, and people who’ve been burned before, the more I realize this whole space requires a level of caution most buyers don’t even know they need. A condo is not just a cheaper alternative to a standalone house; it’s a very specific kind of purchase with its own rules, risks, and fine print.

    So here’s a practical, honest look at what to actually watch out for — not the glossy marketing version, but the “let me save you from regret” version.

    Start With One Question: Who Actually Owns This Property?

    It sounds obvious, but ownership can be surprisingly murky. I learned that condos change hands more frequently than other types of real estate, which makes them a magnet for fraudsters.

    Before you do anything:

    • Ask for proof of the rightful owner.
    • Cross-check property taxes and outstanding bills.
    • Get actual paperwork — not verbal assurances.
    • Let a lawyer or property expert verify everything.

    People have paid for condos only to discover they bought from the wrong person or inherited unpaid dues they never saw coming.

    Cheap Can Be Very, Very Expensive

    One surveyor said something I’ll never forget:

    Very cheap things end up being so expensive.

    Developers know buyers love bargains. Some take advantage of that. And truthfully, many clients also encourage the bad behavior because they want a luxurious look for a suspiciously low price.

    Here’s the thing: low prices almost always show up later in the form of:

    • bad wiring
    • weak iron bars
    • low-quality tiles
    • leaking balconies
    • cracking walls
    • paint that fades in months
    • plumbing that never seems to work right

    One developer even compared it to makeup covering bad skin — beautiful on the outside, chaos underneath. 

    Your best defense? Bring an expert. Let them check the ceiling. Inspect the wiring. Tap the walls. Look under the paint. A trained eye will see things your excitement won’t.

    Design Matters More Than You Think

    It’s easy to get distracted by shiny fixtures, but your daily experience depends on fundamentals that many buyers ignore.

    Ask yourself:

    • Do the bedrooms get enough natural light?
    • Is the sitting room layout functional?
    • Are you buying a unit tucked into the dark corner of a hallway?
    • How far is your balcony from the perimeter wall?
    • Does the complex feel cramped?

    Design isn’t just about aesthetics. It affects ventilation, privacy, noise, resale value, and simply how happy you feel in your own home.

    Pay Attention to Restrictions — They’re Real

    Condos come with rules. Sometimes a lot of rules.

    Unlike a standalone house where you can renovate at will, condominiums are governed by associations or management committees. They can — and do — regulate things like:

    • what color you paint your front door
    • whether you’re allowed to add certain fixtures
    • use of shared spaces
    • whether you can run a home business
    • whether Airbnb-style rentals are permitted

    Before you pay a single shilling, read the restrictions. They will determine how much freedom you have after you move in.

    Location Still Rules Everything

    I learned that for many buyers, location ends up being the make-or-break factor. And she’s right. 

    Think beyond the building itself:

    • How long will your commute be?
    • Is it near schools, hospitals, or shops?
    • How close is it to entertainment spots (if that matters to you)?
    • Do you need easy access to the airport?
    • Is the neighborhood likely to appreciate in value?

    A beautiful unit in a bad location won’t feel beautiful for long.

    Don’t Forget the Financial Details (Especially the Hidden Ones)

    Valuation experts warn buyers not to sign anything until the numbers are crystal clear.

    You need to know:

    • Are you paying the true market value?
    • Is the seller adding premiums they shouldn’t?
    • Are you liable for ground rent?
    • How does the payment plan actually work?
    • What happens if you take a loan — do the timelines align?

    Condo payments can get complicated because there are often multiple stakeholders — developers, property managers, banks — each expecting their piece.

    Amenities and Shared Spaces — Not All Are Equal

    Developers know buyers get excited about the idea of a swimming pool, gym, rooftop, or green space. I suggest looking carefully at these things:

    • How big is the parking area?
    • Where is the pool placed?
    • How spacious are the corridors?
    • Are the green areas functional or decorative?

    Amenities affect not just your enjoyment but also your fees and resale prospects. Poorly planned spaces end up becoming maintenance headaches.

    Some Final Thoughts: What You’re Really Buying

    When you buy a condo in Uganda, you’re not just buying a unit — you’re buying into a developer’s mindset, a management style, a community culture, and a long-term financial commitment.

    Some developers are honest and thoughtful. Others are in a race to build fast, sell fast, and disappear.

    At the end of the day, my biggest takeaway is this:

    Ask the uncomfortable questions early. Bring experts. Slow down. Walk away when something feels off.

    A condo can be a brilliant investment — or a stressful mistake. It all comes down to how carefully you choose.

    If you’re considering buying a condo in Uganda, consider one of the communities we manage. Leave message on WhatsApp or email and I’ll share the details with you.

  • How Organized Communities Are Formed 🌍🏡

    There are numerous ways in which communities form. Humans are biologically social creatures, so we tend to prefer living together. For most of human history, this was necessary for survival—we needed to be able to defend ourselves against predators and other enemies. 🦁🔒🛡🏿

    However, in the past 500 years, some patterns have emerged as reliable, repeatable ways for humans to organize around a community or neighborhood with shared spaces and amenities. I’d like to highlight three of these patterns. 🏘️📍🔄

    1. African Traditional Society

    There are still small pockets of neighborhoods, mostly outside big cities, that have held onto the culture handed down from our ancestors. These communities maintain a strong sense of camaraderie, which fosters safety, security, and an inherent sense of the commons—the belief that “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.” 🌿🤝🏿🏠 However, this culture is gradually fading as more people move away to find jobs in towns and cities. Nevertheless, whenever you visit, you can still feel the lingering spirit of African traditional society. 🌍✨💛

    2. Government-Organized Communities

    This pattern is prevalent in more developed countries that have established strong city and town planning functions. Local government city planning teams allocate or zone specific areas in any upcoming city or town as residential, commercial, educational, or healthcare zones. 🏛️📏📊 This zoning system forces property developers—whether private or public—to follow a master city plan designed to create a holistic, organized community with shared amenities such as hospitals, public transport, retail stores, and schools. 🏥🚉🏫

    3. Private Developers

    This is perhaps the most repeatable pattern today, particularly in Uganda. Private developers, such as real estate investors, can purchase large plots of land (usually over an acre) and propose a master plan, which they then register with the lands office. 📜🏗️📌 Once the plan is approved, a condominium association or homeowners’ association is automatically registered. The developer then begins constructing and selling residential units to multiple owners, who all become members of the homeowners’ association. Eventually, the developer hands over the management of shared spaces and amenities to the homeowners through the preexisting association. 🏠🔑🤝🏿

    Regardless of how an organized community is formed, if you’re looking to buy or rent a home in Uganda, drop me a message on on WhatsApp or email —I’d love to hear from you! 📲😊💬

  • Why live in an organized community? 🌿🏡✨

    It’s hard to overstate the difference in how neighborhoods were organized in the 90s compared to the fenced single-family homes that have become the default of the 21st century. 🌍🏘️💭

    Consider a picture of children playing hide and seek outside, climbing trees, and running after each other. Now, contrast that with the isolation that is a daily part of most children’s playtime today. 🌳🤸‍♂️🚸

    Regardless of where you grew up and whether you’re currently a parent or guardian caring for children, here are three reasons to consider living in an organized community instead of a fenced single-family home. 🤝🏡💡

    Safety 🔒🚔🏠

    The Ugandan police force is increasingly overwhelmed with the role of providing security and maintaining order. As a result, some well-off Ugandans have had to invest in private security to keep their homes safe both day and night. Organized communities allow residents to share the cost of private security, ensuring a higher level of safety for the entire neighborhood—something that would be difficult to afford individually.

    Neighbors 🏘️🤗👋

    No man is an island. Interdependence is a critical part of human growth, fostering care and consideration beyond our natural self-interest. Organized communities help reduce the friction and fear of interacting with new people by offering shared spaces. This encourages genuine human-to-human interactions, leading to the exchange of greetings, meals, advice, and shared memories. It adds a quality of life that is hard to achieve in a home closed off from its neighbors.

    Amenities 🏊‍♂️🎠🍖

    Similar to security, the cost of amenities is significantly lower when shared. Your family can enjoy a large compound without bearing the upfront cost of renting or owning such a space outright. Swimming pools, parking areas, playgrounds, and BBQ grills—these are all amenities that you don’t need to own exclusively to enjoy. Organized communities make it possible to access such facilities at a fraction of the cost of exclusive ownership.

    If any of these reasons even remotely spark your curiosity about organized community living in Uganda, drop me a message on WhatsApp or email, I’d love to hear from you. 📲😊💬

  • 🏠🌆 My First Organized Community 🌱📚

    ✨🏡🌆 I was born in Mengo Hospital. My parents were teachers (and residents) at Mengo Primary School, and we attended Namirembe Cathedral. We lived within a 20-minute walk of everything we needed—school, market, hospital, movie library, salon, tailor, bank, and church. It was all there.

    My parents lived in a close-knit community of teachers’ residences conveniently located on the edges of the school within the school fence. Our home was only two rooms strong, without a ceiling. What made that community a joy to grow up in was the shared spaces we enjoyed. There was a large playground used by students during school hours, but after they left, it was ours. A football and netball pitch, as well as a variety of buildings, became our hide-and-seek arenas. And the trees—so many trees to climb. 🌳🏀🏞️

    Then there were the neighbors. My parents were gifted with a happy coincidence that is rare today—their colleagues were also their neighbors. This inevitably led to deep relationships and the cultivation of shared values. These shared values gave my parents peace of mind, allowing me to play freely with the kids next door. 👥🏡👯

    When I was a teenager, my father left Mengo and started working for Aga Khan School, and we moved to the Aga Khan flats in Old Kampala. This was a bit of a small community with only 12 units in the flats. By then, I was attending boarding school, so my experience living there was not as memorable as the one in Mengo. However, my younger brother spent much of his childhood there, and he, too, testifies to the joys of living in a secure community with close-knit neighbors and many amenities within walking distance. 🛏️🛋️🏢

    I did not realize it then, but I was very fortunate to grow up in such a community. This experience seeded my desire to live in more open, organized communities. 🌱🛠️🌆

    I have enjoyed this sense of community through boarding school, university, and as an adult working in India, China, Germany, and the U.S. These communities tend to be more welcoming to newcomers, so I naturally sought them out when I moved to work in these countries. 📚🌍🌟

    This experience is my primary motivation for starting Thriving Community Homes (TCH). I want to cultivate more neighborhoods like the ones I grew up in and have enjoyed throughout my life. 🏠🌆💪

    If my story even remotely spark your curiosity about organized community living in Uganda, drop me a message on WhatsApp or email, I’d love to hear from you and share more about my work in this area. 📲😊💬