What we build
Tiny homes and timber cabins in Kenya
A tiny home is a small, well designed house, usually under 50 square metres. Done properly it feels deliberate rather than cramped. Done badly it is a shed with a bed in it, and the whole difference is in the detailing.
Where a small house makes sense
As a first house on a plot you intend to build on properly later. As a guest cottage. As a short stay unit. As somewhere to live while the main house goes up, which is easily the most practical use of all, because it saves a year of rent and becomes an asset afterwards.
Small does not mean cheap per square metre. Kitchens and bathrooms are the expensive rooms in any house, and a tiny home has the same number of them as a big one. Expect the rate per square metre to be higher, even though the total is lower.
Getting it right in the highlands
At Nanyuki altitude, a small building loses heat quickly. Insulation in the roof, a proper floor build up and a wood stove or fireplace are what separate a cabin you enjoy in July from one you avoid.
Timber is the natural material for this, and it is the one we know best. Kiln dried framing does not twist, which matters far more in a small building where every joint is visible.
- Insulated roof and a floor that is not sitting on cold ground
- Kiln dried timber frame, so nothing moves after the first dry season
- A veranda, which doubles the usable space for very little money
- Storage designed in, because there is no room to add it later
Questions we get asked
- Do I need approval for a tiny home?
- If it is a permanent structure on a foundation, yes, the same as any other house. A genuinely mobile unit on wheels sits in a grey area, but anything you intend to live in, insure or rent out should be approved.
- How much does a tiny house cost in Kenya?
- A basic 25 to 30 square metre timber cabin starts around KES 1.2M to KES 1.8M. A well insulated 40 to 50 square metre cabin with a proper kitchen, bathroom, fireplace and veranda usually runs KES 2.5M to KES 4M.
Also worth reading
Off grid homes
Off grid means the house makes its own power, finds its own water and deals with its own waste. Around Laikipia people mostly do it for practical reasons, because the nearest transformer is three kilometres away and nobody is coming to move it.
Container homes
Shipping container conversions have become a common sight, especially on holiday and Airbnb plots. They go up fast and they suit remote sites where a conventional build would be a logistics problem. They also have failure modes that nobody mentions in the sales photos.
Prefab and panel houses
Prefabricated panel systems, expanded polystyrene panels and light gauge steel frames all promise a faster house. Some of them deliver, particularly on remote sites and on very repetitive projects such as staff housing.
Planning a tiny home or cabin?
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.