I Built a Ksh2.5M House in the Village, Now It Earns Me Ksh240K a Year

How an unexpected phone call changed everything

Three years after completing the house, in 2018, I received an unexpected phone call from a director of an NGO.

The organisation was looking for accommodation for volunteers from the US who travelled to the village to participate in community programmes.

The volunteers usually stayed for three months, and the organisation had two groups coming to the village each year, with each group comprising approximately eight to 12 people.

Finding suitable accommodation had been a challenge because there were not many quality houses available for rent in the area. Many homeowners had not invested in rental properties that could comfortably accommodate visiting volunteers.

My house happened to meet their requirements, and after discussions, we agreed that they would rent it.

I initially charged the organisation Ksh30,000 per month. With the three-month programmes twice a year, this translated to approximately Ksh180,000 in rental income annually.

Also Read: I Chose a Village House Over a Nairobi Plot. That Has Been My Best Investment

What made the arrangement even better was that the volunteers did not come in December. This meant that my family could still use the house during the Christmas holidays without having to worry about finding alternative accommodation.

One of the things I appreciate about this arrangement is that I do not have to furnish or manage every aspect of the accommodation.

My responsibility is to provide the house, kitchen, toilets and a caretaker who looks after the property. The organisation provides the bedding, including double-decker beds.

The house is connected to the government water supply, although water only comes through the lines twice a week.

I also employ a caretaker who earns Ksh7,000 per month to help maintain the property and ensure everything is in order when the volunteers are staying there.

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This means I do not have to be physically present in the village every time the groups arrive. The caretaker handles the day-to-day supervision while I remain involved in overseeing the property.

For a while, the arrangement worked well. However, like many businesses and income-generating activities, it was affected by the pandemic.

In 2020 and 2021, the organisation's volunteer programme was disrupted, meaning there were no groups coming to stay at the house. Consequently, I did not receive rental income during that period.

The programme resumed fully in 2023. By then, I had also made some improvements to the house, which allowed me to increase the monthly rent from Ksh30,000 to Ksh40,000.

With the two three-month programmes, the house can now generate approximately Ksh240,000 annually when both groups come as scheduled.

However, the Ksh40,000 monthly rent is not entirely profit. I still pay the caretaker alongside any maintenance costs that arise.

Also Read: I Spent Ksh5.2M Building Rentals; They've Been Empty for 10 Years Because of a Lie

The occasional repairs and other challenges

Having tenants, even for relatively short periods, comes with some challenges.

Sometimes, things get damaged and need repairs. I have had to deal with issues such as peeling paint and broken window panes.

Fortunately, these have not been major problems, and the house has generally remained in good condition.

I also have to ensure that everything is ready before the volunteers arrive. Since the organisation relies on the house to accommodate its visitors, maintaining the property is important.

Nevertheless, I do not look at the arrangement purely as a business. I built the house for my family, and the rental income is an additional benefit.

Had I not secured the arrangement with the NGO, the house would probably have remained empty for most of the year, only being occupied when my family visited.

Instead, I now receive some income from a property that would otherwise have been underutilised.

When I built my house in 2015, my friends thought I should have prioritised investing in Nairobi and postponed the project. I understood their concerns, but I wanted to secure a home for my family first.

Today, the house serves that purpose while also generating rental income. For me, that has been one of the most rewarding parts of the decision.