Urban and sophisticated lifestyles have created a more health-conscious consumer driving the uptake of home installed saunas alongside gym equipment.
People want to have everything they feel they need right in their own homes.
More Kenyans in the middle- and upper-class income brackets are incorporating saunas and jacuzzis into their building plans in the search for relaxation that is normally only available at major hotels and spas. Saunas and jacuzzis have emerged as popular products among many home owners.
Companies dealing in these products are recording a steady growth in sales as well-to-do Kenyans discover they can reduce stress and rejuvenate their minds and bodies in the privacy and comfort of their homes. A sauna is a small room created in a house, gym or hotel with dry and wet temperatures which helps users to relax and detox their bodies. The room is normally made of hardwood lining, which also acts as an insulator.
Market dynamics
Davis & Shirtliff is one of the companies that have reported increased sales in home sauna installations, saying they have installed 5,000 units in the past four years. The firm attributes the rising sales figures to growing health concerns among Kenyans who are increasingly having to deal with lifestyle ailments.
“Urban and sophisticated lifestyles have created a more health-conscious consumer, driving the uptake of home-installed saunas alongside gym equipment. People want to have everything they feel they need right in their own homes,” says Alec Davis, CEO of Davis and Shirtliff.
Of the 5,000 saunas, 4,000 were installed in residential homes in Kileleshwa, Karen, Lavington, Muthaiga, Runda, Nyeri, Eldoret and Thika. The remaining 20 per cent were installed in gyms run by hotels around the country. While jacuzzis and saunas previously seemed to be a preserve of well-to-do Kenyans, the market dynamics have changed.
Presently, with as little as Sh60,000, a keen home owner can have one fitted in their home.
“If you thought that a jacuzzi and sauna are exclusively for the elite, the truth is that was the case until a few years ago. Things have now changed and become affordable, and more people can now enjoy the lifestyle of the rich at pocket friendly prices,” says a representative of Homeclad Interiors, a local interior and exterior design company.
HomeClad Interiors fits both sunken and standard corner tub jacuzzis.
The sunken jacuzzi, as the name suggests, is depressed below floor level. It is also more expensive to install than a raised jacuzzi. Most homes, however, prefer standard corner tubs that are common in hotels and other commercial entities. Commercial saunas cost around Sh200,000.
Like saunas, jacuzzis can be built both indoors and outdoors depending on the choice of the home owner. An outside jacuzzi is a luxury item that needs to be installed in a place that lends itself to a magnificent view of nature or surrounding location.
A hot bath jacuzzi works better on a verandah and not right in the garden. It also needs a flat surface for stability. However, it should be installed away from power cables, especially naked wires.
A sauna, on the other hand, doesn’t require to be placed near a large window that lets in a lot of light. One can place it anywhere the house that is appropriate and spacious. It can either be installed in the same room as the bathroom or the backyard near the swimming pool.
Its size depends on the number of users, and it can hold from two to 12 people. Ideally, a home sauna should be small and intimate just for family and friends.
Although a sizeable sauna will cost you Sh60,000 to install, a large one requires you to dig deeper in the pocket. Interior designer companies and architects can help one decide on the best way to fit these hot baths in the home.
There are various brands in the market but they all function along the same principals. The common sauna brands are Finnish, its home of origin.
An outdoor sauna is made of materials that are favourable to harsh weather, preferably cedar wood. They can also be heated using charcoal and other sources of heat.
Finnish brands
Davis & Shirtliff sauna rooms are insulated with cedar and mahogany timber which cost Sh25,000 per square metre. The company has exclusive distribution rights for a Finnish line of sauna equipment called Sawo. However, there are other brands in the market so just shop around for what suits your needs.
There are also ready-to-fit saunas which are considered cheaper. But for people looking to customise the designs, it is better to get a professional to fit one for you.
One should also budget for installation and a slight increase in the electricity bill but this should not be a cause of worry, unless you intend to use it continuously.
A jacuzzi and sauna can last a lifetime if well-maintained, and they are a good lifestyle choice.
