Report Reveals Top Housing Preferences for Kenyans

A recent survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has shed light on housing preferences and trends across the country, revealing bungalows as the most preferred dwelling type among prospective homeowners.

KNBS stated that tenants’ preferences regarding various aspects of housing include their interest in purchasing a home, desired locations for housing units, preferred types of housing, the ideal number of bedrooms, and whether they favor renting over owning their own home

According to the data, 63.1% of respondents expressed a preference for bungalows (a detached stand-alone house, typically designed to be occupied by one family), followed by maisonettes at 23.0%.

Flats and apartments accounted for 9.5% of preferences, while Swahili or compound houses with shared and non-shared facilities garnered 1.7% each.

Townhouses attracted 0.7%, and traditional houses or huts registered minimal interest at 0.2%.

Why Homeowners Prefer Bungalows

The survey highlighted that bungalows dominate the housing landscape, constituting 51.8% of all dwelling units, while Swahili or compound houses with shared facilities made up 21.2%.

Notably, 34.8% of household heads outside the labour force lived in bungalows, underscoring their prominence.

When it comes to smart lighting systems, bungalows lead with 52.2%, while smart security systems are more commonly found in flats/apartments, with 46.8% adoption.

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However, challenges remain, as 55.6% of bungalows lack electricity connections, leaving only 44.4% with access to power.

Tenant preferences were also explored, with more than half (55.5%) expressing a desire to build their own homes, 12.5% opting to buy, and 32.0% showing no interest in homeownership.

76.9 per cent of tenants were not willing to purchase their current dwelling.

Nairobi emerged as the most sought-after county for homeownership at 17.1%, followed by Kiambu (8.6%) and Nakuru (6.6%).

KNBS Reveals Prices of Buying a Bungalow

The report also highlighted that the prices of stand-alone properties such as bungalows, maisonettes and town houses were higher compared to the prices of flats and apartments.

A two-bedroom bungalow averages Ksh 14,152,209, while a three-bedroom costs around Ksh 19,503,003.

Larger bungalows with four or more bedrooms demand a significant investment, with prices averaging Ksh 49,969,590.

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The sale price of a three-bedroom maisonette, apartment and townhouse was Ksh 20.9 million, Ksh 13.5 and Ksh 23.3 million, respectively.

In urban areas, the most common housing structures for working household heads were Swahili or compound houses with shared facilities (40.3%) and flats or apartments (30.8%).

Among the unemployed, 41.7% lived in Swahili-style housing, with 23.5% residing in flats or apartments.

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