USEFUL INFO - housing

House Hunting
Furniture & Equipment
Household Help
Utilities

House Hunting

Finding reasonable housing can be difficult and especially in Lilongwe it can be expensive. New arrivals should, therefore, be prepared to spend some time in hotel/lodge accommodation. For those with large families it is advisable to come alone at first until proper housing can be found. In addition, private or commercial houses are available for rent.
Government houses usually have two or three bedrooms, a lounge and dining room, one or two bathrooms, a kitchen and a veranda (locally called “khonde”), plus garage. The floors are generally cement and require some painting or covering. Most houses are on one-acre plots, which, with little effort, can be made into attractive gardens, or even into orchards and small vegetable gardens. Camp sites and lodges are widely available with further tourist information to help you. If you are looking for cheaper but quality accommodation please either contact us at wawamalawi@africamail.com .

Furniture & equipment

Carpeting is widely available, traditional carpenters can create bespoke design specifically for you. It is possible to purchase locally woven reed and grass mats which, though not satisfactory substitutes for carpeting, can still provide floor covering. Furniture can also be bought locally. There is a wide variety and quality varies. Factory-made furniture, including foam mattresses and armchairs, is available. Wicker and palm chairs and tables are cheap and fairly plentiful. Other locally made handicrafts include reed mats and carved chairs. In view of the increasing frequency of power cuts it is advisable to have a generator as well as a backup gas bottle cooker. Nights are cold during the winter months and expatriates usually find electric heaters and warm blankets necessary. All houses and some flats have wood burning fireplaces. In the summer, air-conditioning is not generally required except in the lowlands in the Shire Valley (low Southern Region). All other electronic equipment from computers to gardening equipment can also be bought in Malawi.

Household Help

Domestic help is readily available, inexpensive. Good experienced cooks are rare. It is customary for a small family or a single person to employ one or two members of staff to do some or all of the cooking, washing and house cleaning chores. A gardener is usually required to maintain gardens and lawns.

A chef earns from K6000 to K12,000 ($38 – $76), while cleaner and a gardener earn on the average K4500 and K8000 ($29 – $51), however it is important to look into their living costs before offering a wage based on other expats or residents below is a rough example of staff costs:-
ITEMCOST
  
Maize$15.00
Milling$1.30
Eggs$3.25
Meat$8.00
Beans$1.10
Dry Fish$1.50
Vegetables$4.50
Kapenta$2.75
Tomato$3.75
Onion$2.25
Milk$2.75
Bread$4.00
Cooking Oil$2.25
Salt$0.60
Sugar$2.25
Tea$0.50
Potatoes$4.00
Charcoal$9.00
Paraffin$0.60
Electricity$4.75
Soap$1.00
Washing Soap$0.80
Jelly Vase$1.00
Water$3.00
Housing$25
  
TOTAL$100.00
Wawa Malawi would encourage expatriates or foreigners moving to Malawi, to consider the above costs as it develops a hardworking and loyal staff member with the advantage off discouraging theft and financial disagreement. Locating suitable employees is fairly simple and often they are taken over with the house. Once word is out that a position is to be filled, a lot of job seekers will present themselves. It is advisable to check their references and employment records carefully, and send potential employees for a medical checkup. Usually staff work five full days and Saturday mornings. Common practice for holiday time is 3-4 weeks per annum. There are 10 Malawian national holidays and staff members are not required to work on these days.

Utilities

Apart from some disruptions during the dry season, water supply is regular in the main centres. Water needs to be boiled and / or filtered before drinking. Sewerage systems are available in some areas of Lilongwe and Blantyre but most houses use septic tanks, with the City Council being responsible for their maintenance. Garbage is collected in the main centres only.

The electricity supply is 230/220 volts, 50 cycles AC, single-phase. Normal domestic electric fittings use 13-amp fused square three-pin plugs, which are available locally. The three pin square plug is found in most residences and offices.

Power cuts have become more and more frequent. Moreover, power supply is subject to frequent voltage fluctuations. Hence, it is advisable to bring stabilizers and surge-protectors to safeguard electronic equipment.

Gas is available should you have a gas cooker / heater. It can be subject to availability and prices reflect local supply. It is most advisable upon finding a house, be it private or government owned, to quickly establish that all the previous utility bills have been paid. Getting the water, electric and landline telephone be put in your name at the start of the tenancy will spare you many hours of frustration.

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