Author: A4KENYA

Residential Apartment, Njiru, Nairobi.

The Apartment is built on a 1/8th acre land. There are 4 units per floor on 4 floor levels. The ground floor is raised to allow extra parking spaces.

Bank financing options.

Assuming an interest rate of 12% per annum, and 50% of construction cost borrowing from bank, at a duration of 12 years, the interest rate repayment per month works out to kes 320,000. This equals the monthly rental income for the units so after initial investment of 50% of construction cost, the construction will repay itself from the bank loan in 12 years.

Architect Francis Gichuhi kamau

0721410684

info@a4architect.com

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Foundations on Black Cotton Soil in Kenya.

Areas such as Oloolua in Ngong have back cotton soils which require specialized foundation construction methods.

Some areas like in theabove picture are old stone quarries which have been refilled with soil to ground level. The soil is usually loose hence propert engineering design is required for the foundation.

If the solid rock depth is not so far, columns can be footed at the solid floor level then raised to ground level. A beam is erected at ground level, like 1 foot above the soil to prevent the expansion and contraction of the soil from affecting the ground floor slab. The ground floor slab is then reinforced same way with a suspended level slab then the house walling can commence at the ground floor slab level.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

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Wood is a good construction material for school type buildings. It makes the rooms warm and cosy, conducive for the learning environment. It is also easy to dismantle and rebuild elsewhere , similar to prefabricated buildings.

Labour cost.

Wooden construction is labour intensive. With logging bans in Kenya, wood is sourced from Tanzania and DRC, hence transport cost increasing the landing costs in Kenya, making it quite a costly construction method.

Anti termite treatment.

Treatment with anti termite chemicals will keep it safe from being eaten away by termites. The chemical should be applied on the wood and on the foundation around the building. Structural timber should be pressure treated with the anti termite chemicals to ensure the chemical has entered deep into the core of the timber.

Hardwoods.

Hardwoods such as mahogany are good for doors, window frames and floor finishes. Soft woods such as cypress are good for walls and roof support structures. Hardwoods are long lasting and weather proof. Cypress is weatherproof too and more affordable. Other soft wood types such as grevillea and pine are good for indoor structures away from sun and rain since harsh weather makes them warp and weather faster.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

info@a4architect.com

0721410684

Nairobi Foundation excavations. Eastleigh area.

Nairobi region foundation excavations generally reach stable rock at between 1.3 to 1.8m deep.

Langata.

Areas around Langata have a rock level of 1.5m deep but water logged. Same case with areas around Runda where water table is high and houses have to be built literally above swampy grounds.

Excavations here will require a water pump to pump out underground water as work is progressing.

Kikuyu/Waiyaki Way.

Areas towards Kikuyu, Waiyaki way have very deep sols with rock level at over 3 meters deep. Areas towards Mombasa road, Thika road have rock level at around 1.5meters.

Thika road. Ruiru/Juja

Areas along Thika road, Ruiru, Juja , have very shallow rock levels at around 0.5 meters deep, making it difficult to soak wastage from septic tanks hence conservancy tanks instead of septic tanks.

Above is an excavation for a high rise building going on in Eastleigh. The rock level is around 1.5meters deep which is being excavated deeper to create a basement floor.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

info@a4architect.com

0721410684

Comparison of Maisonette row houses vs Apartment block on 50×100 plot in Njiru.

The plot measures 33meters by 21 meters and is located in Njiru, 1 km off main Kangundo road tarmac access.

2 bedroomed Apartment block.

The plot can fit 4 units of 2 bedroomed typology per floor. The area has low rise building types, maximum 3 floor levels. Assuming 3 floors, the plot can accommodate 12 units comfortably.

The cost of construction for these units is kes 33m.

The total rent collected per year will be kes 2.8m. This works out to a Return on Investment of 12 years.

Maisonette row house typology.

The plot can fit in 6 maisonettes ,each comprising of 3 bedroomed typology.

The cost of construction for the 6 units is kes 30m.

The rental income per year from the 6 units is kes 2.5m.

The Return on Investment is 11.5 years.

Conclusion.

Row house maisonettes have a slightly higher return on investment compared to apartment block typology.

Apartment block typology units have a slightly higher rental income than Row house maisonette types.

Row house maisonettes costs less than apartment block types for the same plot size .

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

Nairobi, Juja, Nakuru, Mombasa.

Call/Whatsapp 0721410684 for enquiries.

The Real estate trends for 2021 will follow same trends that emerged from March 2020 after COVID introduction.

Single dwelling units.

People will be more focused on individual single dwelling compared to urban living in the city peripheries eg Eastlands.

The areas around Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa cities such as Kajiado, Machakos will see alot of single dwelling home owners moving from the hustle and bustle of urban city dwelling. COVID has made urban dwellers in apartment blocks to re arrange themselves and move to areas where housing is not on high density.

Also, the financial uncertainty that COVID brought along makes alot of potential home owners make their first move towards home security. Areas around the city where land is low priced have seen a sudden explosion as people move from high density apartments closer to the city into their homes.

Commercial office spaces.

Commercial office spaces have witnessed low demand as people learn how to work from home. 2021 will see fewer commercial office space investments as people re adjust and move operations from office to home.

Construction materials pricing.

2021 has brought along with it inflation, coupled with poor Government fiscal policies that have not been favourable to private sector growth.

Prices of building materials are set to rise in tandem with the inflation level and the rising USD vs KES.

Developers will have to seek locally produced building materials eg clay roof tiles, earthbag houses and Masonry stones so as to avoid the high cost of imported building products as the exchange rate between KES and USD widens.

Land Prices.

The value of land has stagnated and in some instances began to lower. This is due to lower demand as economy grows slowly or stagnates. This is now the best time to buy land since the prices will be lower.

Tourism has been affected by flight restrictions, hence fewer international visitors into the country. This has necessitated some hotels to close or readjust to minimal investments so as to be able to operate profitably without international tourists.

Sectional titles.

The new sectional titles law now makes it much easier to sell apartment blocks and row houses. There will be an increase of apartment building owners since its much easier and better to process sectional titles for apartment buildings.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

0721410684

info@a4architect.com

These are 2 plots sitting next to each other in Tassia.

Price per plot is kes 5m

Neighbourhood has 1,2 and bedsitter apartments in 4 to 6 floor levels.

Each plot measures approximately 10m by 20m.

Each plot has approximately 10 bedsitter units per floor.

For 5 floor levels, each plot can accomodate 50 bedsitter units.

Public sewer is connected to the site, hence reducing the costs associated with construction of septic tanks. The road networks are also well maintained, with close proximity to the main tarmac road leading to Kenya Army Embakasi Barracks.

Return on Investment.

Each floor level construction cost is 4.2m. For 5 floor levels, this works out to approximately 21m.

Rental income.

Assuming rent of kes 7,000 per month for a bedsitter, 50 bedsitters will bring in kes 350,000 per month. This works out to kes 4.2 million per year.

Assuming total cost inclusive of land for investment as kes 26 million, the return on investment will be 6.1 years. This is quite impressive as most real estate investments return on their investment on average at the 15th year.

Architect Francis Gichuhi Kamau.

info@a4architect.com

0721410684

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Maisonette located in Tassia NSSF, Nairobi for sale.

kes 7.5m.

Call/whatsapp 0721410684 to view

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Steel Balcony Grill Railing Designs in Kenya.