Ultimo Gardens (ultimogardens.com) is a sustainable residential development that is delivering luxury townhouses into the Ghanaian market, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yaw Benneh-Amponsah says.
According to him, his company has delivered comfortable accommodation in a safe environment for discerning property buyers, whether for investment or as primary accommodation. Speaking in an interview, Benneh-Amponsah observed that the developer does not compromise on sustainability, luxury and security; hence, all the necessary measures have been put in place to ensure comfortable living amidst top-most security.
Each townhouse consists of four (4) levels: ground, first, and second floors, as well as a private rooftop terrace bar. The ground floor hosts a living room, kitchen, and dining room, while the first floor has two bedrooms, each of which is en-suite and self-contained. “Each home has a staff quarters: a one-bedroom en-suite with a kitchenette and bathroom, which is also on the first floor but accessed externally using a different staircase. So, you can lock your front door and your back door, and your help can come and go freely,” said the Ultimo Gardens CEO.
The second floor is a penthouse suite with a master bedroom, a walk-in closet, and a truly luxurious bathroom. There is a private terrace for the master bedroom where occupants can sit and relax. Then on there is a private rooftop bar on the top floor of each home where one can comfortably host up to fifteen people or spend some quiet time reading or watch TV with a drink in hand. He further explained that because their apartment is on four levels, each one comes with a private elevator within the home.
The five-person capacity elevator is sized to accommodate a wheelchair; hence it is accessible to handicapped persons.
Benneh-Amponsah disclosed that the houses at Ultimo Gardens are certified green under the International Finance Corporation’s EDGE certification programme. He said, “All the lights use LED lighting; all the air conditioners are already installed, and they are inverter air conditioners. Per the EDGE evaluation, these homes use 40% percent less energy than comparable properties.”
Each home comes with an 8kVA solar power generation capacity and an electronic vehicle charger as standard features. According to him, electric vehicles are the future of motoring hence Ultimo’s homes are positioned for that.
Besides, if an electric vehicle is charged from a solar power source then the car owner saves on fuel cost while saving the environment too.
“We are keen to demonstrate that it is possible to live sustainably without sacrificing the comforts of life and have a positive impact on the environment.”
The icing on the cake for Ultimo Garden apartments is that the facilities come with a swimming pool, gym, a large lounge parties, 30,000 liters of water storage that is fed from municipal water and borehole.
The CEO of Ultimo Gardens maintains that the company has invested tastefully in horticulture, so there are gardens, flowers, lawns, and grass to give the place the best aesthetics.
On security, the entire development is walled and gated, with manned security that will manage access to the development. Apart from human security, there is an electric fence and security cameras all around the perimeter to detect any illegal entry, which triggers an alarm should there be any such occurrence.
“The homes have no problems with flooding and damp on the walls. We have really engineered Ultimo Gardens; since we started three years ago, we had heavy rains, but our places have never been flooded. We have all the drains done, engineered to ensure that water is directed into the drains and easily flow away. We have also desilted the drains outside so water can flow freely,” he revealed.
According to Benneh-Amponsah, the facilities are ideal for city living, for luxury and comfort for a family of six. It’s for people who want to live in town and have easy access to wherever they want to go. “As developers, we don’t just do high-earned luxury properties either; we do mid-market properties too that offer good value to buyers. We are currently developing 59 Lagos Avenue (theavenuegh.com), a mixed-used development of commercial space and residential apartments on Lagos Avenue in East Legon, not far from the KFC. 59Lagos Avenue has retail on the ground floor, commercial space on the first floor, and 20 apartments that are ideal for short-stay guests. It should be ready in about 15 to 18 months,” he indicated.
The company, in partnership with a pension fund, he further disclosed, is developing another property, known as the Harvey Village at Oyibi, near the Ghanaian capital. Harvey Village has2-bedroom homes expandable to 3bedrooms starting at US$49,950 (harveyvillage.com).
He announced that the company has introduced flexible payment terms to enable workers in the formal sector to use their tier 2 and 3 pensions as deposits for the property and pay the balance in installments.
