Tag Archives: Real Estate

Residential Land Prices in Nairobi,Kenya

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Land for Sale in Nairobi, Kenya.
LAND FOR SALE IN NAIROBI CBD
Land is a very important non-renewable resource. The world’s population is increasing while the land surface remains constant hence creating a very high demand. This makes land one of the best investment portfolios since it will always appreciate over time as the population increases.
Nairobi CBD is expanding with the availability of plots for sale in Muthurwa area-

From

Many people often get confused while trying to acquire land on where to build their dream houses in Kenya.
Land for construction of residential houses is essential. If you are in Nairobi, there are various areas you can choose to settle depending on your budget.
An acre of land in the high-end areas such as Karen and Runda will cost an average of Kenya shillings 8 million. In these areas, the minimum size of the land has been kept to half an acre by the Nairobi City Council so as to maintain the prestige and ambiance. In Kahawa Sukari, the minimum area is a quarter of an acre for a single house.
The City Council also specifies the number of family dwellings in such areas so you can only have one family dwelling per half an acre.

Recently, with the onset of the Sectional Properties Act, areas around Nairobi CBD such as Upperhill, Kilimani and Lavington have seen an increase in the number of high-rise flats and condominiums. This is due to the fact that this new law enables one to own a title to a section of the building e.g. you can now hold a title deed to a 4th floor apartment. Developers have cashed in on this by developing apartments and flats and selling each unit to individual owners.

Land in Middle income areas such as Ngong, Kitengela, Ruiru, Kahawa Sukari, Githurai, Kiambu, Kikuyu, Tassia, Njiru, Ruai, Ruaka, Kasarani, Mwiki, Thika can be subdivided into much smaller pieces.
There are quarters, measuring 100 feet by 100 feet, eighths measuring 50 feet by 100 feet and other smaller plot sizes measuring 40 by 80 feet.
Here plot prices vary from the proximity of the main road. Commercial plots cost anywhere between 2 to 4 million per eighth of an acre.This means a commercial use acre of land in such an area costs between 2×8=16million to 4×8=32million.

A residential piece of land of an eighth of an acre size in Tassia, Kikuyu, Athi River, and Syokimau costs an average of Kenya Shillings 1 million. This means an acre in this area costs 1×8=8million which is the same price as an acre of land in Runda and Karen .
From this you can deduce that land gets more expensive when subdivided into much smaller pieces.

Land in areas such as Isinya, Juja and Ruai which are far from Nairobi CBD and generally dry is cheaper. An acre of Land in Juja or Isinya can cost a low of Kenya shillings 300,000.
Land in other major towns such as Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nyeri, Nyahururu, Naivasha, Bungoma is far much cheaper since demand is lower with residential land costing a low of Kenya shillings 200,000 per acre.

So clearly, the choices are all available depending on your budget so search for a reputable Land Agent in Kenya from the internet and place an order.

Click here to view land for sale in Nairobi.

Frank Gichuhi
Architect,
www.a4architect.com

The Shoe House

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The Shoe House is located in the town of Hellam, New York; U.S.A.It was completed in 1949 and was owned by Colonel Haines. The owner conceptualized a house that looks exactly like a shoe so as to advertise his shoe manufacturing businesses located in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The house was located along a busy highway where drivers could notice the ‘house billboard’ advertisement.
The building is 5 storeys high and is made of a wooden frame structure covered with a wire mesh and cement stucco interior and exterior. It is a 3 bed roomed house with a kitchen and two bathrooms.

It was used as a weekend motel for a few seasons. It’s now a leading tourist destination and attracts thousands of tourists every year and is used as a museum in commemoration of Colonel Haines.
The architect ingeniously used the shoe motif everywhere he got the chance. The widow grills, doors, exterior fence all have the shoe motif incorporated. The dog house is also modeled to look like a shoe. This design initially aided the client in attracting potential customers to his shoe business and now generates revenue as a museum.
The choice of construction materials used to construct the shoe house was guided by the flexibility. A wooden structural frame is cost-effective and easy to shape .Wire mesh holds the cement plaster firmly and allows for the cement to cover in any profile. Cement stucco finish is also very durable and requires little maintenance save for an occasional paint job.
The actual cost of construction of this house is negligible compared to the current value of the house. This is another marvelous example of how thoughtful designs can greatly increase real estate value cost-effectively.

Blog Carnival-construction and real estate – May 8, 2009

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Welcome to the May 8, 2009 edition of construction and real estate.

Handy Saputra presents 5 Ways A Fixed Rate Mortgage Will Benefit You posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “Before we get into why a fixed rate mortgage is good for you, let’s talk about the downsides to them. There’s always a downside isn’t there? Redemption penalties are almost always slapped on if you happen to need to redeem the mortgage early. You may need an extra bedroom for a new born? Moving home here would cost you.”

Handy Saputra presents Mortgage Refinance Tips posted at Home Loan and Mortgage Info, saying, “Mortgage refinancing is becoming more and more popular these years because people find out about its ease of use and how it helps them. Everyone in the mortgage industry knows how competitive the refinance world is right now. Mortgage refinance is you get a secured loan to pay off the mortgage loan that you have taken before for your home. A rule of thumb when considering refinancing is if there is a 2 percentage point differential on the downside and you plan of living on living in the same place for several more years, you should consider refinancing. Mortgage refinancing also allows you to benefit from the equity built in your house.”

Handy Saputra presents Tips For Getting A Good Deal On Your Mortgage Loan posted at Home Loan and Mortgage Info, saying, “Mortgage applications are actually at a high because the housing market is currently low. Banks are offering great deals for mortgages if you meet the specific requirements. It is possible to get a mortgage of up to 90 percent of the price. No longer will banks give out 100 or 126 per cent mortgages.”

Jacqulyn Richey presents Lennar offering extreme price reductions posted at Las Vegas Homes – Henderson Real Estate, saying, “How one new home builder is trying to entice buyers away from bank owned properties.”

Handy Saputra presents How to Choose Montgomery Mortgage Options posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “Home mortgages are difficult to obtain in the current economic scenario. Banks are more stringent in lending loans and mortgages. Apart from the stress of finding a home, financing it is adding to the woes of a prospective home owner. To top that, interest rates are at an incredible low!”

Handy Saputra presents Fixed Rate Mortgage By You? Rated By Who? posted at Home Loan and Mortgage Info, saying, “OK, what’s a fixed rate mortgage you may ask? It’s a type of deal that allows you to lock in the interest rate for a number of years. Never changing from what you agreed on.How does the fixed rate mortgage help me you say? It helps shield you from any interest rate rises that could increase your payments.”

Handy Saputra presents How to Make the Right Choice on Mortgage Refinance posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “If you are one of those people who have difficulties paying your first mortgage and you are looking for options to help you with this, mortgage refinancing might just as well be the solution for you.”

Ed Reuben presents Grow Your Real Estate Business Through Blogs posted at Ed Reuben’s Internet Business Blog.

Handy Saputra presents How Does A Home Mortgage Loan Work? posted at Home Loan and Mortgage Info, saying, “A mortgage is commonly obtained by a home owner who has an outstanding debt or is getting a loan out from a bank or other government operate establishment. The mortgage transfers the interest of the property as a form of collateral to the lender. The home owner will then have a set stop of time in which they must pay back the overall of the borrowed money. If they fail to pay back the money they will end trailing their mortgaged property and assets!”

Diego Cervantes presents Top 50 Real Estate Blogs posted at Bankling.

The Fence Authority presents So, What Kind of Fence is Best for You? posted at The Fence Authority Blog, saying, “Choosing between aluminum fence, vinyl fence, cedar wood fence.”

Jayboy75 presents Home Inspections | First Home Buying posted at First Home Buying, saying, “A post about what happens during the home inspection, including a sample checklist of items.”

Matthew Paulson presents Is a Reverse Mortgage Right For You? posted at American Consumer News.

Handy Saputra presents Bankruptcy Repair Strategy That Will Improve Your Credit Score posted at Home Loan and Mortgage Info, saying, “Today, filing bankruptcy is not an uncommon thing to hear and the stigma towards bankruptcy is not that severe. Bankruptcy is filed in the bankruptcy court when the individual who owes a great deal of money to one or more of his creditors is unable to pay it back. The debtor declares the court that he has exhausted all sources available to the debt fully. It can be an individual or a business who can approach the bankruptcy court and in some cases creditors too can file bankruptcy case against their debtors in order to salvage as much as possible towards the money owed.”

Handy Saputra presents Questions You should Ask when Buying a New Home posted at Home Loan and Mortgage Info, saying, “Buying a new home can be a very exciting time in a persons life. There are many considerations one should be aware of before taking the plunge into new homeownership. Before you make this huge life investment, you should ask yourself the following questions: Can I afford a new home?”

Handy Saputra presents Falling Behind on Your Mortgage? How Loan Modification Can Help posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “By this time, you’ve probably heard the term “loan modification” ballyhooed as the great savior of distressed homeowners. Indeed, there has been quite a bit of talk about it in the current housing crisis and economic climate.So just what is loan modification and what can it do to help you save your home?”

Handy Saputra presents Have You Done Everything To Stop Bank Foreclosure? posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “We hate to pay rent and choose a more wise option – to buy a house and then the mortgage story begins. When it comes to mortgage payments, banks are very careful. Just a few missed payments are enough for foreclosure and you could end up losing your house. During economic crisis and recess ion times, banks become more vigilant. So how do you stop bank foreclosure.”

Handy Saputra presents Mortgage Interest Rates – Why Lowest Is Not Always Best posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “nterest Rates … Interest Rates … Interest Rates. They have dominated our newspaper frontage, television time and party talk for the last 18 to 19 months. And we have been lulled into the belief that a lower interest rate is automatically better than a higher interest rate. Yet many of us are fast learning that this is not always the case. What we see is NOT what we, always, get.”

Matt DiChiara presents Given Pending Building Emission Regulation NAA Highlights Government Incentives for Apartment Owners posted at MyNewPlace Blog.

Handy Saputra presents How Mortgage Rates Calculators Help When Buying a Home posted at Home Loan | Mortgage Resources, saying, “Are you having a hard time deciding if you should buy a house or not? One of the things a potential homebuyer considers before getting a housing loan is whether they can afford the mortgage payment or not.”

Madison presents Solar Energy Tax Credit: Will You Install Solar Panels? posted at My Dollar Plan.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of construction and real estate using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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THE UPSIDE DOWN HOUSE.

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This House is located in Szymbark,Poland . The house is owned by Businessman Daniel Czapiewski.
Due to its unique design, it attracts thousands of tourists keen to see this bizarre specter.
The house is a normal conventional double storey wooden house literally inverted up side down with the roof touching the ground.

In this scenario, we can see how an Architect’s decision during the design process can have a profound effect on the commercial viability and profitability of a building-in this case, the design uniqueness attracts thousands of tourists to the site every year. The designer modified the conventional house and put it upside down .

The cost of putting up such a house is relatively the same as for putting up a house the same size and design on the right –side up. The cost-benefit of putting up the house up-side down far outweighs the opposite i.e if the house was conventional. Just imagine-if the house was the right-side up, no tourists would have visited it and the tiny village of Szymbark would not have found its place on the map.

The use of wood for construction eases the flexibility in constructing the house at a few degrees slant. Wood is also light in weight hence easier to suspend and cantilever.From the pictures, notice that the curtains also open upside down to emphasize on the up-side down effect. The suspended cantilevered side also helps to drum in this effect, with the chimney used cleverly to act as support to the ground. Bituminous felt is used as a flat roof on top.

This house will forever be etched in the minds of many and will be true testimony on how creativity can increase a thousand-fold the commercial viability of Real Estate at no extra cost.

Why Do We Need to Build Energy Efficient New Homes?

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Wasting energy not only hurts your wallet, but also the planet. Homes use energy from fuels such as oil, coal, and electricity which add toxins to the air and water, contributes to global warming, and increases habitat loss. With the unstable oil and gas markets, many people are looking for ways to cut down on energy costs. Fortunately, new homes are being built to increase energy efficiency and lower energy costs.

There are many benefits to building energy efficient new homes that include:

Reduced Costs: An energy efficient new home is constructed to keep heat from escaping so you are not running the furnace 24 hours a day. Many mortgage companies offer incentives to people building energy efficient new homes. There are also federal tax incentives for building these new homes.

Sound Investment: Each year more people are looking for these kinds of homes. Building an energy efficient new home now will increase the future value of the home.

Peace of Mind: Building an energy efficient new home allows homeowners to enjoy their home knowing they are meeting energy efficiency guidelines.

Fewer Pollutants: It is estimated that 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the energy used in houses nationwide. When you use less energy, you decrease the amount of pollutants being released in the environment. This will lead to less of an impact on global warming.

Improved Air Quality: Cold drafts blowing through the home can be uncomfortable and increase the risk of sickness. An energy efficient new home ensures air tightness keeping the home cozy. These new homes also protect against cold, heat, drafts, and moisture. Not only does an energy-efficient new home improve indoor air quality, it keeps temperatures consistent.

General features of an energy efficient new home include: Engineered Lumber: Build a new home using lumber from trees that are identified as a renewable species because they grow fast and help protect the environment.

Roofing: Selecting durable roofing materials such as cement reduces the amount of regular roofing waste entering landfills.

Improved Insulation: Better quality insulation that is properly installed in attics, walls, ceilings, and floors, will decrease energy use and reduce energy costs.

Energy-Efficient Windows: Manufactured and installed windows using new technologies that include protective coatings and improved frames. These windows ensure that heat stays outside during the summer and inside during the winter. Energy efficient windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight.

Energy Efficient Doors: Installing improved seals around doors and patio doors will stop cold air flowing into homes or warm air escaping.

Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling systems: Furnaces, heat pumps, and thermostats that are energy efficient allow new homes to use less energy and save money. Heating and cooling systems are quieter and reduce indoor humidity.

Solar Heat: A number of new energy efficient homes are designed to benefit from solar heat coming through larger windows

Ducts: Sealing the heating and cooling duct systems reduces drafts, moisture, and dust. Tight ducts will ensure that the proper amount of warm or cool air is reaching every room.

Energy Efficient appliances: Modern and energy efficient appliances allow you to save money while using less energy. Appliances include ovens, dish washers, washer and dryer machines, and refrigerators…etc.

Low-Flow Faucets, Shower Heads, and Toilets: Decreases water use and reduces hydro fees

Air Filtration Systems: Installing energy efficient air filtration systems is healthy for the family and saves money.

Whether your home energy comes from oil, gas, or coal, it has a direct impact on the environment and your wallet. These energy sources contribute to global warming, habitat loss, and increases toxins in our air and water. By building an energy efficient new home, you can do your part to help the planet while lowering your energy costs.

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