Home away from home living concept

Furnished apartments are now what every home owner is banking on to make some money on their real estate investment. The reason is they give better returns and better chances to be taken up for rent especially with a large number of high-end apartments falling vacant and remaining empty for months on end.

For one to turn their home into a furnished apartment, there are various considerations to make.

Accessibility of the home, security and comfort are the factors most potential tenants will consider especially since they are willing to pay hefty amounts to rent out the apartment.

Whether it is in middle-income areas or the leafy suburbs, there will always be a need for furnished apartments as travellers look for ways to enjoy their trip without feeling tied to inflexible hotel rules.

Good furnishing

In order to draw clients, the apartment should be well-furnished using good quality furniture and furnishings. How your apartment or home looks will determine the kind of guests you get.

Beddings and fittings such as curtains and pillows should always be clean. Make sure you have extra beddings and towels depending on the number of people your house can accommodate.

“It does not all have to be new but the amenities and appliances in all the rooms should be in good working condition to ensure the tenants have a comfortable stay,” says Ms Margaret Ngugi, a furnished apartment owner.

Getting an interior designer will also help in making the apartment more desirable either by applying a new coat of paint and new soft furnishings or just adding little knick knacks here and there.

Although most apartments will not be serviced, meaning there will not be someone to clean, be ready to offer that service if it asked for by the tenants. This would usually come at an extra cost.

Furnished apartments are an alternative to hotel stays and are more desirable for both long and short-term leasers.

This type of accommodation is geared towards people who are moving to different cities for some time either for holiday or business trips.

They are also an alternative housing for people who are renovating their homes and want a place to live in for a while. A furnished serviced apartment gives one the kind of flexibility they would never get in a hotel and that is why most people with young children would rather stay there instead of in a hotel.

Short term

Mrs Jackline Odipo says she moved into a furnished apartment in Nakuru town when she was posted there for three months by her company.

“I couldn’t leave my seven-month old baby at home and we couldn’t move our home to Nakuru for the short period so I opted to take up a furnished apartment which worked well for me.”

Grace, a student at Strathmore University who lives in Eldoret, also says she would never stay in a hotel with her two children and maid when she comes for her two-weeks classes every three months.

“I usually get a two-bedroomed apartment where my children and maid can feel comfortable.”

Real estate agents have also taken up the management of serviced apartments which makes it easier for home owners to market their apartments to potential tenants.

According to Joe Kamanu of Newton Harris Limited, he had booked 63 three-bedroomed and 35 two-bedroomed furnished apartments last Christmas in Nairobi only. Most of these were taken up by Kenyans who live abroad.

“The uptake of furnished apartments is surprising,” says Kamanu who keeps sourcing for more apartments to meet the growing need for accommodation.

Most of the bookings are for one to three months.

Furnished apartments unlike hotels have standard packages, which include rent, service charges as well as utility bills included in the daily, weekly or monthly package rates available.

“The two and three bedroom units go for between between Sh50,000 and Sh300,000 depending on the location, services and amenities available,” says Kamanu.

Visitors from diaspora

The middle market has also taken up the furnished apartments business with those on Mombasa Road and Kiambu Road going for between Sh60,000 and Sh140,000 per month.

Most holiday makers from the diaspora who are visiting for long periods of time are now going for furnished apartments rather than hotel bookings or staying with relatives.

“Furnished apartments give the feeling of being at home, a place where they can freely move in and out or even have some of your friends over to visit, which you cannot do while living with relatives,” says Kamanu.

He says the months leading to holiday seasons are busy for him due to high demand of furnished apartments in the city.

The furnished apartments for lease or rent that are listed on social media regularly elicit a buzz with conversations on who is letting their furnished apartments and who is looking for one.

Kamanu says demand is so high that developers are turning most apartments in the upper market areas into furnished homes instead of renting them out to individuals.The same has been adapted in other major towns like Kisumu, Mombasa, Naivasha and Nakuru.

Those with holiday homes also use them as a source of income generation during the festive season in various counties.

“We have had people handing over their house to us to sublet for a month or two during the festive season. This especially happens when the family is going out of town and will not be using the house for that period,” says Kamanu.

In Kilifi, Vipingo Ridge, most of the holiday homes lease at a rate of Sh40,000 a day for a four-bedroom apartment.

Alastair Cavenagh often rents out his Swahili- Mediterranean style house in the estate which can accommodate 10 people, at Sh45,000.