Real Estate

Real Estate in Kenya: Top 6 Things to Consider Before Buying Land

Real estate investment in Kenya offers you numerous options. Buying land is one of the factors that you need to consider before buying land in Kenya.

Development perspective:

Are you buying land for residential or commercial purposes? Do you want to build your house, flats to rent or premises to rent? Your answer to these questions can determine the location of the land you should purchase. For example, if you want to build apartments for rent, consider areas with nearby local facilities, such as supermarkets, schools and health centers. Many families prefer to live just a couple of miles from their children’s school. Therefore, this will affect where they rent a house.

To lease:

You’ve heard it before: location, location, location. Affects considerable price. Half an acre of land can cost 10 times more in Runda compared to the Embakasi area. However, Embakasi is closer to the airport than Runda. The location of the land you want to buy should fit your goals for real estate development in Kenya.

Distance from the main road:

The further you get from the main road, the cheaper the plot of land will be. However, security can also be compromised. If you’re buying land with the goal of building a rental property, you may have to deal with less rental income if you build away from the main road. I was looking for a house to rent recently and settled for a smaller property that was closer to the main road rather than a larger one further out.

Access to Water, Electricity and Telephone Lines:

Some real estate areas in Kenya, such as Kitengela, are not very developed and may lack electricity and telephone lines, as well as running water. However, the lack of these facilities makes land cheaper, but at what cost. My mother bought a couple of acres in Kitengela and had to build her own well and pump water into the house. She also had to order electricity from the Kenya Power and Lighting Company. Fortunately for her, it turned out to be a smooth process. It is cheaper to buy land in those areas, but you must be prepared to bear the additional costs and delays. Sometimes, like in the case of my mother, it was worth it.

Earth texture:

Well, believe it or not, the texture of the soil affects the value of Kenyan real estate. Black cotton soil areas tend to be cheaper compared to red soil regions. For example, parts of the Mombasa highway have black cotton soil and cannot be compared with red soil areas like Karen, Muthaiga or Runda. Soil texture also affects construction costs.

Sewer rental:

Some areas have sewage restrictions and are therefore not suitable for certain types of real estate development in Kenya. Developments along the famous Ngong Road have been restricted due to overloaded sewage. If you intend to build an apartment complex for sale or rent, you should check the sewerage restrictions as well as other planning restrictions issued by the local council.

Taking all these factors into account, buying land in Kenya should be smooth sailing.