Shell homes are becoming a growing trend in the real estate industry, especially considering that many people end up altering parts of their homes that they aren't satisfied with.
A shell home is like a blank canvas. It is constructed with a foundation, walls, and roofing, but the interiors are left unfinished. This approach allows homeowners to customise the space according to their tastes and needs.
But is this something Kenyans should consider? What are the dos and don’ts?
Take Agatha Oturi, a fashion designer with a deep appreciation for spacious living, for instance. Her love for open spaces led her to extend her living room and bedroom when she bought her house sitting on three quarters of an acre in Fedha Estate, Nairobi.
It all started in 1994 when she bought the house to save a friend who was buried in debt.
“A friend was in need. She had taken a mortgage and was not able to make the payments. She requested my husband and I to purchase the home instead of it getting auctioned. We took over her mortgage and rented out the property for six years.
“However, in 2000, the house stayed without a tenant for over six months, and we thought to ourselves, ‘Why should we continue paying rent, yet we have a home’.
“So, we moved in here (Fedha Estate) and we have been comfortable since then,” Ms Oturi says adding that the home cost them Sh2 million.
Ms. Agatha Oturi’s four-bedroom house pictured on August 13th, 2024, at Fedha estate in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation
Her home ownership journey has revolved around Eastlands, having rented a house in Komarock Estate before moving to their present address.
“Initially, we had thought of buying a house in Komarock but the sizes were so tiny compared to what we wanted for ourselves. So, after searching, we bought our first house in Donholm after my husband took out a mortgage.
To pay the mortgage we rented it out. By default, it was easier for us to look for a house in Eastlands because, psychologically, we believed it was more affordable than crossing over to the other side of Uhuru Highway,” says Ms Oturi.
The renovations
Immediately when she moved into her new home, the 54-year-old knew she would have to extend her living room and bedroom as she wanted more space.
“The living room was very limited; it could only fit one set of seats. I called a contractor and told him I desired to extend the living room, and he got down to doing the work.
“I also had my bedroom extended by pulling the two walls of the living room such that the bedroom was equally as big as the living room,” the mother of two explains.
With the extension came some consequences. While pointing to her ceiling, which has been damaged by water, she says, “Since the extension, we have been dealing with rainwater leaking into the living room. I think the contractor did not know how to repair the slip joint correctly.”
The cost of extending her home was Sh1.2 million which includes cost of changing her roof. The other bit of her house that she replaced is the laundry area, which she turned into their dining area.
“We took down the glass door leading out to the washing area and made it part of the house,” she says, adding that when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and operations were shut down, she turned her living room into her workstation and has enjoyed working from home since then.
Ms. Agatha Oturi in her living room which she converted to a working space on August 13th 2024 at Fedha estate in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Why she chose to buy
“I didn’t trust that we would have enough money to build. I felt that we might start then half-way in lack the money to proceed. I had seen many of my friends start building but something goes wrong, and the building is halted, and they end up selling the property.
“My husband wanted for us to build but I must admit that I have a microwave mindset. I see something, I like it, and I want it. I don’t have the patience to wait that long,” Ms Oturi, who also runs Intrinsic Falconry Fashions, explains.
Her biggest pride is her compound, which has her kitchen garden at the back and her flourishing Arabica grass at the front.
Lessons picked up along the way
Reminiscing on her journey to home ownership, Ms Oturi says that one must be passionate about owning their home and be willing to make the sacrifice.
“You must desire to own your own place. With the desire present you will then be able to bring it to fruition. The other thing is you must be willing to make some sacrifices.
“At first my husband wanted to buy a car to avoid the hectic matatu queues, but I urged him to buy a house first. I felt that we would be more secure having our own house rather than paying rent. We had to postpone our dream of having a car for about 10 years.”
Having successfully repaid two mortgages, Ms Oturi shares some snippets on what worked for her family.
She says, “A mortgage is a commitment. The minute you take a mortgage begin looking for ways to clear it fast and earlier than the planned time.”
Given all the renovations she has had to make to her home, would she have preferred a shell home?
“Sometimes the finished product is what pulls you to a place. Let’s say this home was a shell, I probably would not have been attracted to it. Different people are moved by different things. I prefer the finished product.”
An engineer’s input
Willis Kagolla, a structural engineer, says shell homes are a viable option in Kenya but says home developers should be able to identify their target market.
“Shell homes are a good option for someone not buying the house on loan or for whom the loans are generally affordable. These groups of people can afford to get an interior designer to assist them in remodeling the house.
“There is another group of people for whom the mortgage is expensive, and even though they have gone for a home purchase, they do not have the luxury of seeking the extra ambience or restructuring. They are content with the home.”
What not to touch
Mr Kagolla notes that the structural elements of a building comprise the columns, beams and walls.
“Walls and columns are not always structural. Most of the time, all the beams are structural elements. When renovating your home or when you have a shell home, you should not touch the beams,” he emphasises.
He adds, “The columns can be there for aesthetics, so you could remove them. The best option would be to have the structural engineer for that particular project give you an operational manual telling you what you should not touch as you remodel the house.
“This is what is usually done with commercial buildings. We have a manual that guides them on what can be touched and should be left by the people renting the office space.”
In attempting to ‘diagnose’ what could be ailing Ms Oturi’s house, Mr Kagolla says, “When extending her home, she may have moved a structural element. Maybe the wall was a structural element that was supporting the roof.
“So, with the wall moved, the roof did not have its support. It may have moved to the extent that the naked eye cannot see, but specialised machines can assess and determine the problem and then give her a remedy.”
He argues that avoiding leakages in a new building is easy as it all relies on good workmanship and proper supervision.
Ms. Agatha Oturi sewing in her living room which she converted to a working space on August 13th, 2024, at Fedha estate in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation
“Normally, concrete is a good waterproofing agent on its own, so if it is done properly, you should not need another one.
“You can have a waterproofing agent to cover the surface where there is a leakage. We also have chemical agents that can be sprayed on the concrete to create a waterproof surface.”
