With ever growing population of Kathmandu Valley and Shrinking accommodation, it would be fair to say that there has been a significant rise in the demand for housings and high-rise apartments in Kathmandu itself, there are hundreds of ongoing and already completed housing and apartment projects.

The housing industry has been catering to Nepali consumers for more than two decades now. Initially, people believed that such housing complexes were only meant for the people from the higher strata of society.
However, those stereotypical views have changed attracting people from all walks of life to buy a high-rise apartment or a house in a housing colony.

Unmanaged urbanization has become a huge problem for people seeking a safe haven for their family that is why the popularity of planned housing and apartments has grown tremendously, “Security is the reason why people opt for housings nowadays. Apart from that, if anyone is willing to buy a house they make sure that they look into the housing as well. They always keep that option open,” says Manindra Shrestha, Head of the Corporate Marketing Department at Civil Group, He adds, “There are no safety issues as you are in gated environment and the infrastructure and the service that we provide are plus point.”

The government has set a standard for the building materials that the building companies use. That is why; Shrestha claims that safety during natural disasters is not an issue. The cost of the houses varies according to its size and plot. Pramod Kaji Baniya, Sales Manager at Brihat Investment shares, “People prefer living in housings because it’s hassle-free. You don’t have to worry anything; every little detail is taken care of by the housing management.”


High-rise buildings are a new concept for Nepali consumers. After the 2015 earthquake, there were prevalent damages on various high-rise apartments of the valley. This contributed to fall of the demand, leading to cancellation and rescheduling of different apartment projects. However Shraddha Raut, Manager at Silver City Apartments feels that the situation has changed, “There is a huge scope for high-rise apartments in Nepal because of the growing need for more living spaces. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to find a property that matches their requirements,” she says.

Both housing and high-rise provide its residents with basic facilities and amenities – water, electrical, security and cleanliness. The residents are required to pay a certain amount for wastes management and for using extra facilities like fitness centre, swimming pools, and club house. “For easier management we have committee of residents from different projects that take care of the costs and manage it themselves,” explains Shrestha.

“The array of facilities that we enjoy is worth it for the cost we pay, the security service is really top notch that is why we feel very secure,” says Sangita Rai, a resident of Grande Towers. Relating to the fear that the Gorkha earthquake instilled then, she says, “There are no safety issues as the damages that happened during the earthquake are already fixed and we really enjoy the comfort.”

Pratima Limbu, who resides in Civil Homes, Sunakothi says that she has no complaints regarding her decision to invest in housing. “The environment here is perfect for raising your family and spending quality time with them. Well-designed living areas like these should be encouraged more to control unplanned structures that lead to haphazard urbanization,” suggests Limbu.

Planned housing and apartments is the outcome of rapid urbanization and scarcity of land in and around the City. That said, this rise in planned housing may be a boon for the Valley and its capacity to house people. Pramod Kaji Baniya opines, “Taking into hand both of the structures (housing complex and high-rise), Nepali people are more attracted towards the idea of owning a land. The world view of people is changing but I think the community prefers the idea of housings due to socio-cultural issues,” Raut begs to differ shy says, “We cater to those people who have nuclear families and do not have the time to maintain huge houses. Most of our high-rise apartments within the valley are sold out which tells us a lot about the demand it has.”

source: the himalayan times,Property Plus, 19 august 2017