How to buy a house in Kenya. Paper work. Expenses

Hi,  It is a good idea to hire a surveyor, who will check the property for you and should also be able to tell you whether the property has been over valued, or not.  Cost of this can vary, but allow Kes 20,000 - 25,000.

Hiring a lawyer is a good idea too, as he/she will do the searches and draw up a sales agreement.  I would advise against depositing any money with the lawyer, apart from their professional fees.  All other transactions should be your bank to sellers bank.

Often, when an offer has been accepted, you need to deposit typically up to 20% within a certain period of time, often something like 7 working days.

On completing the purchase a tax known as Stamp Duty is payable.  It is 4% of the purchse price and must be paid within 30 days of completion and registration with Land Registry, otherwise penalties will apply.

Many properties in Nairobi are 'Leasehold'.  This means that the land they are built on is owned by someone else and you buy a 99yr lease, which includes the property.  Sometimes, there is a small sum of money payable annually and sometimes not.  'Freehold' means that you own the property outright.  You need to ask about this.

With an apartment, these are almost always leasehold.  As there are communal areas to maintain, there is usually a monthly service charge.  This can be quite high and it is essential to ask about it before purchase.  However, if you rent the property, then your tenant my pay this.

Hope this helps!