Build or Get Built

Everyone in Kenya has an uncle who says buy land, and he may be right. But he rarely tells you where, what kind, or how to tell whether the numbers work. Too many people buy property on emotion and hold it on hope.

Build or Get Built replaces both with arithmetic. It opens with the story of an apartment that ate someone's savings, then teaches the real estate math most Kenyans skip, including total cost of ownership, rental yield and appreciation. You learn how to analyze a location, plan rental income, judge the risks and rewards of off-plan deals, and compare building with buying.

The book also covers funding routes such as SACCOs, mortgages and chamas, along with REITs and cooperative approaches for those who want property exposure without owning a building. It closes with managing a portfolio and drawing up your own investment plan, so you can make property decisions with clear eyes and a calculator.