The air of mystery surrounding what lies behind those closed gates; the sense of celebrity that comes with the exclusivity; and lavish living – these are probably among the first things that come to mind when you think “gated community”. You may be right or wrong.

However, as a person looking to rent or buy a new home, what you need to focus on is if this is the right place for you (and your family) to live. Thankfully, we are here to help you answer this question by providing you with gated community advantages and disadvantages.

Some Common Features of Gated Communities

Apart from the services of gatekeepers for the gated communities, most of these communities provide other amenities. Amenities like Swimming pools, Tennis courts, Community centres, Golf Courses, Marina, Playgrounds, Exercise rooms and Spa are provided by the developers. These amenities are provided and make life living in a gated community interested and exciting.

Pros of Living In A Gated Community:

Privacy and Security

In a gated community, you are more likely to have your privacy than in regular single-family house residence. Visitors will need to check with you before coming around or they will be turned away as most gated communities have a security post at the gate. Most residents keep to themselves most of the time, so you are unlikely to have nosey neighbours or neighbours who come over to borrow and never return stuff.

Collective Progressiveness

Living in a gated community is mostly safe, secure and can be quite progressive, too. Houses in private estate communities are usually designed along the same plan or have certain themes that are incorporated into their architectural design and run through them all. If you are lucky enough to live in an energy-efficient one, for example, you may live in a home fitted with solar panels and have less to pay in electricity bills.

Community Amenities

Another perk of living in an estate community is the access you get to the shared facilities you would normally pay exorbitant prices for like swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, and others. Some gated communities come with community centres which are great for activities that unite the residents. Residents get the benefit of fellowship with each other, getting to know one another better as neighbours. It’s not uncommon for management to throw a mid-year or Christmas get-together. Some gated communities have the added perk of having a property management company handle the provision of utilities and other essential amenities like water, electricity and internet services.

Less Danger for Children

If you’re starting or raising a family, your compound is safe. In the event children wander out into the road, the speed restrictions within the gated community make the roads safe and child-friendly. Additionally, cars that do not belong in the neighbourhood are not allowed inside, so there are fewer cars likely to cause accidents, driving around. You have less to worry about when your children are out playing.

The Other Side of The Coin ( Some Problems of Gated Communities):

It is said that not everything that glitters is gold, and life in a gated community isn’t all perfect, either. Here are a couple not-to-ideal realities:

Sense of Isolation and Being Stifled

The privacy offered in some gated communities can be so strict that residents feel isolated from others living outside the community. They lose their sense of connection with the “outside world”. In cases where there is exceptionally tight security, they might get a sense of paranoia with the feeling their every move is being watched and judged by neighbours. Having a private party or dating and therefore have a few different suitors coming around often? All-seeing security will know it all.

High Cost of Living

Private estate living doesn’t come cheap. Once you’ve acquired a home within a gated community, depending on what extra services are provided or handled by the real estate management, you are likely to have high fees to pay to maintain and benefit from the services of the communal amenities like the swimming pool, gym and play courts. This makes living outside a gated community seem so much less expensive in comparison.

Gated communities are fast becoming an appealing alternative to conventional housing. Living in a controlled and protected environment has its advantages and disadvantages. Looking at the ones listed above, the one thing that seems to run through them all would be the expense. But there’s good news. There are different types of gated communities, each with various pricing. You never know, the one you are considering might just be well within your budget. Wondering where to start finding one? meQasa.com with thousands of housing options is a great place to start.

Cost of Living in a Ghanaian Gated Community

The general idea is that joining a gated community is expensive for middle-income people and connotes affluence.
However, looking at the problem non-gated communities face and the cost to it as compared to gated communities rules the idea out that gated communities are expensive in a long-term perspective.