What we build
TimberStone designs and builds holiday homes and holiday cottages in Nanyuki and the Mount Kenya region. Plan a private weekend home, a self-catering cottage or an Airbnb development around your plot, budget and intended use, with architectural and structural drawings, construction and workshop-made joinery.
See the recorded scope and progress. These examples are not a quotation or a claim that every building type shown on this site has been completed.
Sweetwaters, near Ol Pejeta, Laikipia County · On site now
A single-storey holiday-home bungalow at Sweetwaters, near Ol Pejeta, built for an owner who lives in Germany. At the 5 September 2026 update, the bungalow and utility house were roofed, an underground water-storage tank had been constructed, and the project was on schedule.
View the project record and photographsA holiday home can be a family retreat used on weekends and school holidays, a future retirement home or a property occasionally let to visitors. A holiday cottage is usually a more compact building, but the name does not define its materials, bedroom count or finish. Airbnb describes a booking platform, so an Airbnb cottage still needs a proper residential design and construction brief.
Start with who will use the building. A family home may need storage for personal belongings, space for visiting relatives and comfortable everyday cooking. A self-catering guest cottage needs a clear arrival route, easy-to-clean finishes, secure owner storage and somewhere to keep linen and cleaning equipment. For mixed use, plan how private rooms and belongings will be secured during guest stays.
A one-bedroom holiday cottage can suit a couple or a compact guest unit on an existing property. Give the bedroom privacy from the living area and allow enough kitchen space for real meals. Decide whether the bathroom should be accessible without walking through the bedroom, particularly if a sofa bed is part of the brief.
A two-bedroom cottage allows more flexibility for families and friends. Discuss bedroom separation, bathroom access, dining space and covered outdoor seating before committing to a floor plan. Two bedrooms with an undersized living area can feel crowded even when the total floor area appears adequate.
For a larger holiday home, the layout can include additional bedrooms, a utility room, a study or separate guest accommodation. A veranda facing the view, protected entrances and storage for longer stays can be more useful than simply adding another room. Architectural drawings should show how furniture, circulation and outdoor spaces fit together.
A useful budget begins with the proposed floor area and an agreed specification. The total cost of building a holiday cottage depends on the foundation, structural system, roof, glazing, bathrooms, kitchen and finishes. A compact cottage can have a relatively high cost per square metre because it still needs a kitchen, bathroom and service connections.
Ask for separate allowances for design and professional services, approvals, ground investigation, the building itself, water storage, drainage and wastewater arrangements, power connections, access and external works. Furniture, appliances and linen need their own allowance when the aim is a furnished holiday home.
Compare quotations using the same drawings and scope. Check whether a covered veranda, decking, utility building or DSQ is included in the stated floor area. The website's construction calculator is an initial planning tool; a site-specific quotation needs the actual drawings and ground information. No single national cottage price covers all of these differences.
Location changes the brief. On a plot around Nanyuki or Sweetwaters, discuss access during wet weather, the direction of the views, privacy from neighbouring buildings and the available water and power connections. A site visit helps identify questions that photographs of the land cannot answer.
A view towards Mount Kenya or the Laikipia landscape should be considered together with sun, wind and shelter. Large windows and open terraces need to be balanced with comfortable indoor temperatures and weather protection. Set the building position before finalising the veranda, parking and service areas.
TimberStone's office and workshop are in Railways Area, Nanyuki. Our holiday-home construction enquiries cover Nanyuki and the surrounding Mount Kenya region, including Timau, Sweetwaters and the Ol Pejeta area. The site and agreed scope determine the construction programme.
Stone construction, timber cabins and A-frame designs produce different room shapes, maintenance needs and building details. Compare them against the same requirements for usable space, weather protection and finish. An A-frame's sloping sides can reduce usable headroom; a loft also needs a considered staircase and access arrangement.
For a timber holiday cottage, discuss timber specification, moisture condition, treatment, ventilation and maintenance with the design team. For a stone cottage, consider roof and ceiling design, window sizes and how the building will stay comfortable. Insulation and weather detailing matter across construction systems.
TimberStone has its own kiln, treatment facility and joinery workshop. Doors, timber ceilings, floors, fitted kitchens and wardrobes can be specified as part of the agreed work. A cabin or unusual roof form should be assessed against the plot and structural design before a construction price or delivery date is promised.
A holiday property may stand empty between visits. Plan safe shutdown and restart procedures, accessible service points, secure storage and an arrangement for checking the property when nobody is staying. Keep water tanks, pumps and other equipment accessible for maintenance.
Agree the water source and storage requirements alongside the likely occupancy. Include hot water, wastewater, power and any backup requirements in the design brief. If several cottages share infrastructure, the intended final number of units should inform capacity planning.
For holiday accommodation, cleaning and maintenance affect the layout. Allow a practical route for supplies and waste collection, somewhere for housekeeping equipment, and finishes that can be repaired or replaced without remodelling the entire unit.
Prepare a site layout for the whole proposed development before constructing the first cottage. Set aside space for access, parking, paths, water and wastewater infrastructure, service areas and future buildings. Position windows and verandas so adjoining cottages retain reasonable privacy.
Phased construction can spread expenditure, but each phase needs a defined scope and a plan for safe separation from occupied buildings. Later excavation, delivery vehicles and construction noise can affect guests or family members staying in the first completed unit.
Construction costs and rental income are separate assessments. Building a cottage does not establish its likely occupancy, nightly rate or profitability. Agree the building specification from the intended use and available budget, with operating assumptions assessed separately.
TimberStone is building a single-storey holiday-home bungalow near Ol Pejeta for an owner based in Germany. The recorded scope includes an underground water-storage tank, a utility house and a DSQ. The front of the bungalow was oriented towards Mount Kenya and the Lolldaiga Hills.
Maurine Gitonga prepared the architectural plans. The main bungalow drawing states 127 m² total, including the veranda, or 111 m² without it. The project has been managed from drawings through construction, with regular dated updates. At 5 September 2026 it was reported on schedule. The project page now connects selected exterior drawings to the photographs; the full working set remains private.
This is a useful example for anyone planning to build a holiday home in Kenya while living abroad. Establish the drawings, agreed work, reporting arrangements and programme early so progress can be followed against a clear brief.
To begin, send the plot location, intended use, preferred bedroom count and any existing plans. Tell us whether you want one family holiday home, a separate guest cottage or several self-catering units, and identify any services already on the land.
TimberStone can discuss architectural designs and drawings, structural designs and drawings, submission assistance and building construction. You can also bring drawings prepared by your own professionals. The proposal should identify who is responsible for each part of the work, what is included and what information is still required.
The number that matters is what a unit costs to build against what it brings in each month. That sets the layout, the finishes, and how much to spend on the parts a tenant never sees.
An apartment block is a different level of project. The structure has to be calculated, the approvals take longer, and the water, waste and electrics are designed for the whole block at once.
Tell us the plot and roughly what you have in mind. We will come and look, then give you an itemised figure and a programme.
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