Kenya has a population of over 45 million and many different housing styles and options to choose from. There are more traditional earth houses, or modern, contemporary container homes. Many of these housing styles have a focus on sustainability and eco-conscious living. Here are just a couple of the different types of housing you may find in Kenya, whether you are looking to make a move, or just want to learn more.
Houses
There are plenty of houses for sale in Kenya, with a large variety of styles, sizes, and locations. Townhouses and contemporary homes are just two of the options. Houses are popular with families as they provide room to grow and develop and more privacy and outdoor space. Contemporary homes are usually found in the countryside and often feature simple designs, open plan living, and many glass windows.
Apartments
Apartments are a very common living option, as when the population increases, houses tend to be built up rather than across. This means that more people can be fit into the same floor space, as flats are built on top of the flat below. This saves room and creates living spaces for more people. There are plenty of different apartment styles, and they can sometimes be renovated in mansion buildings in which the rooms have been turned into individual units.
A maisonette is a flat that covers two floors within a larger building and usually has a private entrance. In an apartment building, you could find a combination of different living solutions. Apartments are usually rented, while condo units are individually owned. Many of these communal living options have shared facilities such as swimming pools.
Mabati Houses
A Mabati House is a fabricated house that was built off-site and moved into the final location once the building has been completed. Mabati sheets are sheets of galvanised steel that are used to create the structure. Although commonly seen as temporary living solutions, well-built Mabati homes can be a permanent structure, and they can also be unique, and you can design them yourself.
Container Houses
These are homes converted from shipping containers. This is an incredibly creative idea that allows you to create a living space at a lower cost and also provides a surprising amount of space. They are popular all over the world and are secure, affordable, and also portable. This can also be a more sustainable way of living, as you are recycling the shipping container and turning it into something useful, rather than letting it rust or go to waste.
Earth homes
Closest to the traditional homes, Earth houses are very environmentally friendly, as most of the building materials are raw or natural, such as rammed earth, clay, earthbags, and cob. Cob is a natural building material consisting of subsoil, water, and organic fibrous materials such as straw. There has been a huge rise worldwide in sustainable homes and how to build them, and there is even a company that specialises in building homes using discarded plastic bottles.