Buy or Build a Home in Kenya: Which one is better?

Many people are torn between building and buying a house. Both buying and building a house have their merits and demerits as they are uniquely different. There is no wrong choice between the two as the outcome is the same (owning a house).

Building a House

The merits of building a house are:

Customization

By building a house, the owner is free to personalize their house to suit their tastes and preferences.

Lower Maintenance Costs

 The owner is free to use up-to-date materials influenced by the latest technology guaranteeing them longer service before any maintenance or repairs is required.

Economical

 Direct management of the project grants the owner to cut costs by emitting unnecessary services and fittings to fit their budget.

Lower energy costs

 New homes adopt the latest technological systems and materials hence, saving on energy. For instance, the installation of solar systems.

Newness

The owner enjoys the feeling of satisfaction of being the first user.

Besides the merits highlighted above, building a house is very involving. It consumes time and a lot of resources. A person building a house needs to be available on most occasions during the construction period.

Buying a house has the following merits:

Time saving

 The owner gets to purchase the house once it’s complete.

Ease of getting building legalities

Legal documents pertaining the house are easily attainable as the previous home owner possesses them.

Less involving

The buyer is not directly involved in the project.

Majority of houses on sale are located close to cities hence, one enjoys good infrastructure such as tarmacked roads, street lights etc.

High Security

 Majority of houses on sale are located in gated communities where security is assured.

However, purchasing a house can be expensive, difficult to customize and may incur hidden costs due to use of substandard construction materials.

People have different lifestyles and economical strengths. It is therefore important to carefully consider all these factors before making the decision to either build or buy a house.