Buying a House in Kenya: Your Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Dream Home in East Africa’s Economic Powerhouse

Introduction

Frequently, few Kenyans can afford the cost of building a house in Kenya. You’ll need a well-paying job, a disciplined savings plan, or a loan to afford the requirements to build in Kenya. For starters, you have to buy land in Kenya, then several truck-loads of stone, sand, and other materials. But buying a house in Kenya can offset some of the costs involved when building, especially if you live in a major town.

There are different types of houses that you can buy in the country. An ideal property will suit your budget, family, and personal needs. For instance, apartments in the city allow you to easily access your workplace and schools for your kids.

Types of Houses You Can Buy In Kenya

Apartment

An apartment is a housing space in a high-rise building housing other living areas. 2bdrm apartments are some of the hot properties in the real estate Kenya scene because of their cost, size, and versatility. Also, you tend to get a good deal from an apartment as they have added amenities like borehole water, parking space, and elevators to ease mobility.

Buying an apartment is ideal for expatriates or savvy urban dwellers. Besides enjoying the benefits of city life, you’ll enjoy scenic views of the city skyline in your high-rise apartment.

Penthouse

A penthouse and an apartment are slightly similar housing options in that they are found in multi-storey buildings. However, a penthouse is larger, exclusive, and typically found on top of high-rise buildings. While a penthouse is a more expensive option, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the city skyline and other luxurious amenities included in the package.

Maisonette

A maisonette is a modern house with two or more floors and an optional basement. The homes are often found near towns where land is smaller and are ideal for city dwellers.

A maisonette uses the space above ground to create additional living space. This design frees up the rest of the land to host different amenities like a kitchen garden, a car park, or a swimming pool. Buying a maisonette gives you maximum value for your money since you’ll get more room for a smaller piece of land.

Townhouse

A townhouse is normally found in cities and is best suited for families living and working there. They are large structures because they have multiple floors. As a result, a townhouse can host large families. Gated communities commonly use the townhouse design, and developers provide shared amenities like gardens, swimming pools, and 24/7 security.

However, townhouses in city neighborhoods have very small compounds, and you may miss out on basic amenities like a car park. Also, these houses tend to share boundary walls mainly due to the unavailability of land.

Luxury Villa

The market for real estate in Kenya also features exquisite villas. Such a house is quite costly because it often sits on an expansive piece of and in affluent neighborhoods. Also, the house design tends towards its aesthetic appeal and will include a host of luxury amenities like a jacuzzi, tennis court, gazebo, etc.

Most Kenyans cannot afford a luxury villa due to their restrictive cost. Frequently, villas are owned by wealthy individuals who use them for holiday retreats or rent them out to expatriates.

Bungalow

The bungalow is arguably the most popular house design in Kenya. It is a straightforward structure without elevated rooms. Additionally, they are also affordable on the housing market.

The bungalow has an open floor plan with easy access to all rooms. You’ll also get a fair bit of space outside the house for your kids’ playground, a kitchen garden, and a car park.

One downside of buying a bungalow, however, is that affordable options tend to be far from major towns. Also, houses that are near urban centers tend to be cramped because of the high cost of land.

Pros of Buying a House in Kenya

You Can Buy a Home in Desired Locations

You don’t need to buy land in exclusive neighborhoods when buying an apartment. Therefore, buying is best for people who would prefer living in major towns for work or study purposes where the cost of land is often restrictive.

Capitalize On a Windfall

This is because the time taken to process a ready-made house is considerably short as compared to building from the ground up. Therefore, you can take advantage of financial windfalls, e.g., a retirement package, agricultural bonus, or sale of an asset.

Cons of Buying a House in Kenya

You Cannot Customize the Living Space

A ready-made home is often built to suit the developer’s taste. Therefore, you may disagree with some of the features or amenities of a furnished home. Consequently, you’ll have to compromise on the interior design, size, position, and space allocated to the rooms.

You Cannot Choose Your Neighbors

A furnished house will often have one or two items that may be out of place with your preferences. Even if you find a well-designed home, you rarely have a say in where the house will be located and the potential neighbors. In the case of building from scratch, you’ll own the land and can avoid chaotic neighborhoods. Also, buying land means that you’ll be able to identify and possibly avoid undesired locations.

Space Is Expensive

One factor that makes building expensive is the added cost of land. Likewise, buying a house in kenya on a sizeable property will be costly, especially if it is close to a major town. While apartments are a bit cheaper, they tend to feel a little cramped. This means you might miss out on secure parking, a kitchen garden, and even unlimited sunlight.

The Takeaway

There are two main ways of owning a home: buying a house in Kenya and building one from scratch. Building one is the better option if you are not in a rush to own a home. On the other hand, ready-made homes allow you to live in places where it would be impossible to build a house, like in the city.