HOUSING THE FAMILY
A house is a basic need along with food, clothing and security.
Reasons for housing the family/individual
- for protection from rain, wind, sun, snow etc,
- for security from criminals/wild animals
- to give a sense of belonging, a sense of well being and emotional and social development,
- for privacy,
- for aesthetic value/static in society.
Factors to consider when proving family shelter:-
- money available (family income),
- size of family,
- family composition (gender and age),
- family interests (hobbies , entertainment),
- social amenities, e.g schools, hospitals etc, –
- neighbourhood security.
Methods of providing family shelter
(a) building a house: factors to consider
- money available it determines type of house, size and materials to be used. Cost of house includes expenses like planning, legal fees etc.
- the size of house
- should be near amenities e.g hospitals, schools, shopping centres etc, services e.g electricity, telephone, water etc.
- well drained soil,
- space enough for expansion,
- safe environment – safe from e.g natural calamities like landslides etc
- direction and growth of town it is in town.
- Neighbourhood
- safe from – criminals
- noise from airports, bus-stops, markets etc,
- clean environment – industrial waster, pollution, garbage dumping absent
- Morally reputable neighbourhood.
- Plans and orientation
- consider requirement of family e.g size and composition, age of family, activities of members, hobbies etc.
- money available – plan should be in relation to this.
- design – elaborate as is affordable
- type of building materials can increase final cost / reduce it.
- choose building materials basing on weather, availability of materials, transport etc.
- position of the room, should be in relation to direction of sun, wind, natural view
e.g mountains, behind valleys
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HOUSING THE FAMILY
Advantages of building a house;-
- house is built according to ones taste and specification to suit his needs.
- if built well it can last long and attract buyers if put up for sale,
- owner develops a feeling of permanence and suitability
- ownership of the house is a way of added security, independence and stability, (v) alterations and renovation can be done at ones will.
Disadvantages;
- cost sometimes ends up going beyond estimates because of inflation, bad weather changes in labour costs etc.,
- lack of building materials may delay construction and increase final cost, (iii) one is forced to live where the house is.
(b) Buying a house
Reasons for buying a house;-
- provides stability and security to the family – no worry of being evicted,
- gives social and emotional stability – no worry of where children will live if anything happens.
- It is a means of saving e.g it can be sold when somebody has financial problems it can be sold,
- It can become a source of income if rented out,
- It can be used for security in case one wants to pick a loan,
Advantages of buying a house;
- the house is available immediately. No delay as in constructing one,
- it can be paid for by instalments and it becomes the owners after completion of payment,
- the price can be less than cost of construction of a new house,
- it can be redesigned and remodeled if the owner is creative
Disadvantages;
- it may not be able to meet requirements of the buyer,
- it may need renovations and repairs in future,
- the house doesn’t belong to the buyer if payment is in instalments until one competes paying for it.
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HOUSING THE FAMILY
Renting a house;
Points to consider before renting a house:
- length of tenancy,
- should be a contract between tenant and owner for safety measure, – amount to be paid and to whom,
- who will be responsible for maintenance (tenant/landlord)
- security,
- size of the house – depends on size of family and composition of members. – public amenities (should be near).
Advantages of renting a house:
- one can be able to rent a house that suits her/his income,
- it is realistic if income is not…
- one is free from paying insurance premiums on the house,
- one isn’t involved in keeping the house in good state and repair instead it is the owner who does that.
- one can leave the house on giving the required notice.
Disadvantages
- one has no security of ownership,
- the house may not be repaired on time and if done so may not be to ones taste,
- rent may be increased and may be more than what one can afford,
- if landlord is not satisfied with one he/she may remove her from the house,
- personal items/possessions may be damaged in case of moving to another house, ones children / animals may not be allowed to move to the other tenant place
Living in an employer’s house:
Advantages:
- convenient because in most cases it is normally near place of work,
- rate of expenditure reduced/cut,
- most are well maintained as a way of motivation,
- it creates a feeling of togetherness when one stays near the workmates.
Disadvantages:
- it may not be to ones expectations,
- conflicts may arise because of close interaction with workmates, – one may have no notice to look for another house if sacked abruptly.
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HOUSING THE FAMILY
Types of houses:
A house is a shelter that provides:
- physical protection,
- psychological protection,
- emotional protection
NB:- A good house should be able to cater for all the family needs.
Types:
- Traditional houses.
- Modern houses
The two differ in material used and designs:
NB:- Design and type of house depends on: (i) Building materials available, (ii) Money available.
(i) Traditional houses
Are in different shapes depending on the community, though most are circular e.g (a) Kikuyu huts,
- Maasai huts,
- Makuti house,
Advantages of a traditional house:-
- building materials can be found locally are cheap and some are free. E,g mud, wood, cowdung, grass etc.
- are easy to build,
- extra houses can easily be provided,
Disadvantages
- not durable – affected by weather changes and wear out easily,
- they occupy a large area of land,
- don’t provide enough privacy, space and security, – materials for construction are cow becoming scarce.
Improved designs of a traditional house:
- most of them have improved shapes e.g rectangular, square / L-shape,
- they are improved to give more room and privacy,
- traditional materials may be used partly/entirely, but design is changed and improved.
(ii) Modern houses:-
- are an improvement of traditional houses,
- one building is normally divided into different rooms for different purposes,
- materials used include wood, tiles, marble, cement, glass, stones, building limestone, bricks etc.
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HOUSING THE FAMILY
Types of modern houses:
(a) Bungalow
A house with all rooms on the ground level, suitable for families with young children and elderly because it is less dangerous. If on slopping grounds, rooms can be on a split level.
Advantages:
- saves money because it can be extended,
- saves labour,
- easier to extend, – more private.
Disadvantages:
- occupies a lot of space,
- not safe if in a lonely place.
(b) Flats/Apartments
- A house with all facilities provided on one floor and may have one more or more blocks above or below it.
- Common in towns because of limited space.
Advantages of a flat/apartment: –
- gives sense of community living,
- safe from break-ins.
Disadvantages.
- fire and pests can easily spread from one house to another,
- has not privacy,
- neighbours could be noisy,
- staircase not safe for children and aged,
- not easy to keep compound neat because it is shared.
(d) Storeyed house/maisonette/town house
- A house with some rooms on the ground floor, others upstairs. E.g sitting room, kitchen, toilet on ground floor, bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs.
- Are attached to other houses in rows of several houses.
Advantages:
- save land space,
- safe from break-ins because many houses are together,
- save building materials because they share a common wall
- provides privacy because each unit may have its own garden.
Disadvantages:
- sometimes are too close so no privacy,
- pests and fire can spread from one to another,
- not easy to extend,
- expensive because strong building materials are needed for supporting upper room,
- staircase is dangerous in children, sick and elderly,
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HOUSING THE FAMILY
Different rooms and their functions:-
Living (sitting) room,
- it’s a meeting place for family members and largest in the house,
- for relaxation and for social activities like entertaining, listening to music, games and eating,
- furniture and furnishing should provide maximum comfort and atmosphere that gives complete relaxation.
NB:-
- it should be easily accessible from all rooms and
- should have a back door if possible for privacy of other rooms,
- if possible let it have activity areas where different activities can be done without interference.
The dinning room:- –
it is for eating,
- smaller than sitting room,
- have furniture and chairs for family members,
- may have a cupboard/sideboard,
- some times in absence of a dinning hall one end of a living room/area of kitchen is used,
NB:
- should be next to kitchen/directly joined to the kitchen,
- should have a window/hatch to allow easy serving of meals.
Bedrooms:-
– for sleeping/resting,
NB:-
- should be located in a way which offers comfort and relaxation,
- should be in a quiet part of house,
- adequately furnished e.g should have a bed bedside table, dressing table and wardrobe.
The kitchen
- for food preparation, preservation, cooking and storage,
- acts as a serving area,
- serves as a dinning room and can be for laundry.
NB:-
Should be located in a place naturally and artificially lit.
Should be near the dinning room and living rooms, near food store and back door.
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HOUSING THE FAMILY
Kitchen plan
The food store:
- for storage of non-perishable food though a house may have a fridge/cupboard for this.
NB: should be near kitchen
Sanitation
Has a bathroom and toilet, could be in one room/separate.
NB:-
- should be where there is water supply, – should be near the bedroom for privacy.
Bath shelters and latrines:
- common in rural areas,
- outside the house to keep away flies.
NB: –
- should be kept clean,
- should be away from the water source,
latrine pits should be covered
ALL HOMESCIENCE NOTES FORM 1-4 WITH TOPICAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
