- Land prices in Nairobi's satellite towns increased by 1.28% over the quarter continuing their trend of higher appreciation compared to similar parcels in the city.
- In the property market, HassConsult's report shows prices were static at 0.02%
Land prices in Nairobi remained stable with a slight increase of 0.3 per cent in the first three months of the year, the latest HassConsult index shows.
The property firm has attributed this to sustained confidence in Nairobi's land market which has resulted in the average prices of land in Nairobi reaching an average price of Sh194 million per acre, the highest rate the market has experienced.
“A renewal of development activity has been the driving reason for land price recovery and 10 out of 18 Nairobi suburbs now have prices above their pre-pandemic rates,” said Sakina Hassanali, Head of Development Consulting and Research at HassConsult.
Donholm, Kitisuru, Langata, Loresho, Muthaiga, Nyari, Ridgeways, Runda, Spring Valley, and Westlands suburbs have increased above their pre-pandemic rates.
Despite prices in the above suburbs exceeding their pre-pandemic levels, HassConsult highlights a few pockets of cooling in Kitisuru, Nyari, and Gigiri.
"These areas, which are highly desirable suburbs for foreign officials and expatriate staff, have experienced a slight dip in land prices. “These suburbs corrected this quarter after several quarters of heated pricing on the expansion of Kenya's diplomatic zone,” Hassanali said.
Land prices in Nairobi's satellite towns increased by 1.28 per cent over the quarter continuing their trend of higher appreciation rates compared to similar parcels in the city.
This is attributed to the towns' affordability and improved infrastructure, which have made them increasingly attractive to potential investors.
Year-on-year growth shows land prices in the satellite towns increased by 8.08 per cent compared to a 1.42 per cent annual increase in land prices in the city.
The proposal to extend the Standard Gauge Railway to Athi River's Export Processing Zone has sparked speculation and led to a 6.1 per cent increase in land prices over the quarter.
This growth rate is comparable to Ngong, the best-performing town, which witnessed a 6.2 per cent surge in land prices.
In the property market, HassConsult's report shows prices were static at 0.02 per cent.
However, the performance of the market was mixed within different property segments during this period.
Over the quarter, semi-detached house sales prices dropped by 2.4 per cent as demand continues to wane.
In contrast, apartments and detached houses on their part saw prices slightly increase by 0.8 percent and 0.7 per cent.
These increases in prices can be attributed to inflation adjustments in prices coupled with sustained demand, particularly for detached houses.
HassConsult notes that over the last 20 years demand has outpaced supply for detached houses resulting in an increase in sale prices.
“It is worth noting that detached homes now account for only 7.5 per cent of the market, down from 28 per cent in 2016 and over 50 per cent in the early 2000s, while apartments' market share grew to 64.4 per cent,'' the report shows.
Semidetached homes increased to 28.1 per cent during the same period.
The average sales price for detached houses has reached Sh48.7 million, while semi-detached homes are currently selling for Sh30.2 million.
The average sales price for apartments is Sh15.07 million.
The rental market experienced a decline of 0.5 per cent on average over the last quarter, and a decrease of 1.2 per cent over the past year.
However, rental price trends in the satellite towns, are bucking the trend.
Nearly all towns posted positive growth in apartment rental pricing highlighting the increasing occupancy rate of apartments targeted at renters with a monthly budget between Sh25,500 and Sh50,000.
The demand for affordable rental properties, particularly apartments in satellite towns, has impacted the overall returns, as indicated by rental yields and capital gains.
Apartments located in satellite towns recorded average rental returns of 3.4 per cent over the quarter and nine per cent annually, respectively.
“This trend is being further boosted by the underperformance of other asset classes such as bonds, equities, and fixed deposits, making these apartments an attractive investment option,” Hassanali said.