Finding the best home is not as easy as what we expect it to be. Yes, we have this vision, or we already have an idea in mind on how our home would look, but when it comes to finding the actual home in real life—it becomes quite difficult. Buying a real estate property takes more than just looking at the exterior of the house, there are a lot of other things that need to be considered when making such a decision. This is why it is important to have the best guidance you can get before pursuing in making the purchase.

One of the cities in the Philippines that is rising in popularity when it comes to future homes is Baguio city. There are a lot of condominiums and house and lots in Baguio city which can suit the life and preference of many aspiring Filipino home-buyers. Aside from how convenient and upgraded condominiums in Baguio city, and how safe and homey house and lots in Baguio city are, what has made many people get attracted to buying real estate properties in Baguio is because of the helpful real estate agents. Real estate agents can be compared to the likes of a tour guide. When going to a new place, a tour guide shows you the ins and out of the place and makes everything very convenient for you. All the real estate agents in Baguio city do the same for those of you who wish to buy a home.

Real estate agents in Baguio city can be easily contacted. Even if you aren’t from or near Baguio and are inquiring to buy a house and lot in Baguio city; you will not have a hard time trying to find the home you want because these real estate agents in Baguio city will make sure that they present to you the best options while making the whole process very convenient for you. They will not limit their offers, they will present to you a whole array of choices, at the same time they will be giving their own insights, taking into consideration your wants and needs, on these homes. It isn’t about just giving you what looks good, but they can also advise on how best to approach payment plans for your home purchase. For example, there are many condominiums in Baguio city, real estate agents will guide you in discussing the conditions of the sale, and will accompany you in visiting the site.

From searching and exploring every house and lot, and condominium in Baguio city, it might get a bit overwhelming which is why it is really advisable that you contact a real estate agent to make the whole process a lot easier. Real estate agents in Baguio city are knowledgeable of the market, responsive and very helpful. Given that such service exists, why not make it easier for yourself right from the start by requesting one to help out already. Their goal isn’t to sell you a house, their goal is to find you your home.

An Ideal House – How Should This Mean To You
By Michael Sta. Ana


When you hear the word “Ideal”, there must be a clearer and a bigger picture that usually pops up in your mind—whether this is something that you want to achieve or might be dreaming about. This may sound subjective though—what’s “ideal” for you might not sound right for others.

This time, we’ll think about the objective part more as we tackle a specific topic—your ideal house. You might say, “Ahh, I already know what you are about to discuss here”. And yeah, you start to imagine how this should look like. But I’m concerned because you might be missing some things that are very important.

A house is the physical foundation of a healthy family life; thus, one must put in his greatest efforts in achieving what should be the “ideal”. In this article, I came up with some relevant factors that you might consider in buying or building your ideal house.



 An ideal house should have enough space to promote good health and well-being

Due to the country’s problem with overpopulation and overcrowding, this factor has sometimes been overlooked by house owners and house finders. In lieu of the city life, they might end up choosing a dwelling place that could be affordable yet  provide a small space for the family to move around. Inadequate living space commonly results to poor ventilation (that may speed up the transmission of communicable disease), inadequate lighting, increased indoor heat, and increased humidity that can trigger the growth of molds that can be harmful to the family’s health.

An ideal house should be safe and accident free

Secondary to health promotion, safety regulations and standards should also be considered in building a house. A house that is poorly designed and constructed may result in accidents like slips and falls, burns and scalds and even drowning and electric shock. 

An ideal house should be away from environmental hazards and pollutants

Houses that are built near factories, industrial plants and near a busy road can also be a threat to the residence’s respiratory health. The toxic combustion from these environmental pollutant contributors that one might inhale can result in many cardiopulmonary diseases like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary diseases (COPD), heart ailments and even cancer.

Houses that are built near contaminated rivers, lakes or any location which has a poor water sanitation system can also be hazardous. An individual can be at risk for any waterborne diseases like typhoid fever, dysentery, and diarrhea.

An ideal house should be equipped with amenities that promote growth and normal family life

An ideal house should not only provide a place where the family can sleep or eat. It should also include a room for social activities and recreation. A living room to receive guests and a room dedicated for family gatherings and activities could be excellent. A house with a garden where you can grow some vegetables, fruit trees and flowering plants can also be a great source of relaxation against the stress of day-to-day living.


 An ideal house should always have a stable sense of privacy and security

A house that is situated within or near a place that harassment and crime rates are high, can be mentally and emotionally traumatic for both women and children. If a house in case is not located inside an exclusive village that is guarded by a strict security system, it should somehow be situated within  a neighborhood that has a good community record when it comes to maintaining safety and security within the area.

A house which lacks privacy can also be stressful. In living conditions where some facilities are meant to be shared with strangers (e.g. public bathrooms) can be disrupting and very uncomfortable too.

Finding an ideal house to build an ideal family can be so hard; however, it’s going to be more complicated when these factors are not being taken into consideration. Real estate companies are now becoming more concerned about how should an ideal dwelling place must look like. For an instance, here in Baguio City, Real Estate Baguio focuses more about their costumers’ housing needs, making sure that all these factors are not being neglected. They visualize a happy home for each customer that they are serving, while focusing to their mission of providing the best choices of houses that are available.

Some of the great, affordable, ideal houses that are available here in Baguio City

Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ most ideal places to live in. And Real Estate Baguio could be your best guide in finding and building your dream house here.

Key References: 

Stewart (2003) Housing and Health, Environmental Health and Housing (1)

Balchin et.al (1998), Environmental Health and Housing, Housing: The Essential Foundations (1) p. 209

Clark (2002) Environmental Wellness, Health Promotion in Communities: Holistic and Wellness Approaches (1), p. 262

Choosing a property in Baguio city? Condominium or house and lot?

Baguio is one of the best places in the Philippines to stay. Most of the Filipino have dreams of having a property in this City for vacation purposes, business and a place to stay for good. The plan is already there, if budget is not a problem then choosing which property to buy will be a question for you. For a residential property, you will have to select whether it’s a condominium unit or a house and lot. I have here some advantages and disadvantages of both properties to help you figure out which one suits your needs the most

House and lot when in Baguio city

Advantages:

-       You can have a personal garden

-       You are allowed to have pets

-       You can do whatever you want inside your fence

-       You have more privacy

Disadvantages:

-       Not easy to maintain especially if you don’t stay there often

-       Usually, single detached houses in Baguio city are located away from the city because its seldom to find lot in prime location

-       Less security if not inside the subdivision

-       You have to buy the lot to build your house

-       Often does not have classy amenities

-       Connections of service providers (internet, t.v cable, telephone, etc.) depends on the location of your house

-       Personalized insurance

Condominium when in Baguio City

 

Advantages:

-       The condominium building is well maintained because there will be janitors and property management to do it for you

-       You have many condominium outdoor and indoor amenities like swimming pool, picnic groove, courts, restaurants, gym, spa etc. that you can say part of your property

-       The condominium building after construction already has insurance

-       The condominium building is secured from outsiders because it often has security guards, cctv and other security measures

-       Condominium does not require you to buy lot

-       Condominium unit can be easily designed interiorly

-       Living in a condominium can give you better social life

-       You can use part of the condominium as reception to an event e.g. birthday party in the pavilion or swimming pool area

Disadvantages:

-       In a condominium, you cannot have a personal garden

-       You are not allowed to have pets

-       In a condominium there are condo dues

-       If the condominium is in the central business district, parking space is often a problem

compared to other parts of the Philippines, real estate properties in Baguio city are different. Baguio is located at cordillera autonomous Region where you can find buildings, condominiums, subdivision, malls and other establishments on top of the mountain. Because of its mountainous appearance,  terrains of lands usually have different angles, soil also has more unstable properties reason for the city to be very strict in issuance of house, condominium, subdivision construction permit.

when you are looking for a property to buy in Baguio city, you have to consider the following: 

1. safety- there are many parts of Baguio city that are sinking. Factors are the drainage system of Baguio City and man made holes from mines. you should be very vigilant not to choose your lot, house and lot or condominium building on top of these holes to avoid finding your home under the ground 20 years from now. Signs of the sinking areas are cracks that are visible on the roads. It would also be very helpful to ask for the maps from the city government to locate the major fault lines of the city.  Aside from the sink holes, you should also consider land slide prone area. Usually these areas are the dumped soil. For sure the seller you are transacting with will not tell you whether the lot you are buying is a dumped or natural that's why its important for you to see the physical appearance of the place. usually, trees should be upright when on the edge of the mountains this indicates good soil quality. numerous trees in the surrounding also helps to stabilize the place. it's very important for you to undergo soil testing to reliable soil testing team, this is the best you can do. Buying from big real estate companies whether subdivisions single detached house and lot or condominium units are safer because they for sure they underwent  these testings. 

2.location-there are huge number of Filipino dreaming of having property in Baguio city whether condominium unit or house and lot. For this reason, the small land area of Baguio is now becoming so crowded at the same time running out of lots that are possible for construction of real estate. You will notice that most of the big establishments like schools, commercials are now going far from the city. It's now becoming typical to find properties outside Baguio proper.  If you found a property that is 1 kilometer away from the city proper with a good price, then you should grab that.

3. Price- if you are looking for a place purposely for vacation and does not have very much budget then i will advise you to look for a good subdivision or condo-vision (condominium in a subdivision) away from the city. in this case, you will find a very reasonable price in a quite, naturally preserved places away from the pollution and noise of the city. However, if you are looking for a property in the heart of the city, i will advise you to look for a condominium- its so impossible fro you to find a house and lot single detached in the town proper. 

4. real estate company- you should find a stable and reliable realty. You should ask for its previous developments and its standing. You should also check the background of its owner. Local people (company owner) in the area has advantage because they really know what they are selling especially big companies.

5.Real estate agent- when you are buying a real estate property from a big realty where pricelist is released by the company itself, then it's best for you to have an agent. in this case, whether you have an agent or not have one, the price of the property is the same. but make sure you have the best agent to help you out on your purchase.