Housing is arguably the most expensive investment in most people’s lives. A good two bedroom house will cost more money than what it cost a parent to put a child in a Kenyan univerisity. In some regions, a permanent house will cost more than all expenses incurred from their academic debut in nursery school to their college years. But with careful planning, erecting a basic two bedroom house is easier than most people think.
The reason why this is the basic foundations of home ownership is because it provides you with a place to live in at your younger years after being weaned from your parents’ compound.
Assuming your are a young adult who recently graduated from university/college, a two bedroom house provides you privacy with your significant other and an additional bedroom for your visiting best friend or an offspring if your are lucky enough to have one at this juncture. To hell with the bedsitter shenanigans!
It is worth to note that even the government of Kenya acknowledges the importance of property ownership among its citizens.
That is why Affordable Housing is one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda together with Universal Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Food Security and Nutrition.
If you look closely, you will notice that the president’s signature projects above revolve around the basic needs of a typical human being. These are also human rights recognized worldwide. Remember your primary school Home Science? Food, Shelter, Clothing….you get my point.
I am not sure how successful Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta has been or what the status of his key projects are. But I will assume they have stalled due to the more than 90 days lockdown early this year due to the ravages of the deadly coronavirus. The deadly virus has infected more than 21 million people and killed at least 700,000 victims of the disease so far.
Back to our subject matter, how exactly do you build yourself a nice two bedroom house without breaking the bank? Keep reading, and I will lay out the steps bare for you below. While some people will involve some of the quantity surveying companies in Kenya, this is not particularly necessary. Below is some of the material and equipment cost estimates you will need to build your dream two bedroom house:
Because this is a permanent house and not one of the grass thatched and very comfortable structures of our ancestors, there are various steps that have to be taken in this project. This is to ensure compliance with your town or city’s zoning laws.
But because we are building this house in Kenya, and not in a western city like New York, it is not that complicated. Here is your material cost estimates:
- Firstly, you will need approval from your county officials. The drawing and approval house-plan estimates will set you back Ksh. 42,000
- Foundations and grounds keeping preparations will be around Ksh. 31,000
- Two full trucks of foundation stones at Ksh. 24,000. That is Ksh. 12,000 per truck
- Construction blocks will cost you around Ksh. 60,000. You can decide to save money by going with bricks. They are available in abundance in Kisii and Nyamira counties. For a two bedroom house, you will need around 10,000 bricks at Ksh. 4 per brick = Ksh. 40,000.
- Roofing will be around Ksh. 38,000. This is when going for high quality mabatis. We are talking about the Brick Tile Matte 28 brand from the Royal Mabati Factory.
- Windows and doors will be around Ksh. 45,000
- A two bedroom house will need around 105 bags of good quality Bamburi Cement @ Ksh. 800 per bag = Ksh. 84,000
- About 5 truckloads of sea sand at Ksh. 12,000 per truck = Ksh. 60,000
- Hardware like nails, locks, hinges, glass for windows combined will be around Ksh. 36,000.
- Timber for the roof, door and window frames, will hit your wallet at Ksh. 30,000
- Ballast (kokoto- not high school githeri) will be around Ksh. 12,000. If you are from Kericho like me, you can significantly save money by making your own ballast by hiring a local guy to crush stones in your homestead as they are available in plenty.
- Mason, bricklayer also known as the local friendly fundi will take around Ksh. 100,000 for the entire project.
So the total cost of erecting a permanent two bedroom house without implementing inside fixtures like sinks, faucets, flooring tiles, etc is around Ksh. 590,000. This is the basic amount to set the structure up without sinking into debt. The other interior luxuries can be implemented later while you are still living in it.
