Location determines so many things when it comes to buying land. Example: Accessibility to your place of work, your school or children’s school, accessibility to basic amenities, good road network and a host of many things. It makes no sense having your place of work in Thika and you intending to buy land to settle on in Embakasi, all because land in Embakasi is much cheaper as compared to that in Thika. It wouldn't make sense having to cope with the traffic gridlock of both Mombasa Road and Thika Road. The stress and time involved to shuttle between these two places is enough to kill you. Location should be your number one factor when it comes to buying land or property.

Lets now say you have identified that ideal location. It is near your place of work and has some very good schools for your kids; but can you afford to buy land or a house in this location?

What you have to understand here is that in every location there are places called:
• High catchment areas
• Middle catchment areas
• Low catchment areas

High catchment areas

These are areas that have a lot of amenities and infrastructure put in place and are preferred by a certain class of people because of their serenity, comfort and network of activities within these areas. Places like Runda, Muthaiga, Hurlingham, Karen and Kileleshwa, just to mention but a few, all belong to the high catchment areas. Because of the inherent infrastructures there, people are willing to pay a high premium price to enjoy that serenity. It is the government that decides to invest very heavily in these areas in terms of better road networks, security and proper water and drainage systems thus providing maximum comfort for the residents in those areas. It is all about status, that’s why the price tag for a quarter acre of land here would go for more than 30 Million shillings.

Middle catchment area

These are areas that have a lot of good infrastructure but are also mixed with residents that are middle income earners or low income earners. Places like South B, South C and Langata are middle catchment areas. They have both the trappings of high catchment areas but are also besieged with poor infrastructure and high density of people clustered together. You will always find these areas divided into estates or communities trying to segregate themselves from the low income earners. The price of a quarter acre of land in South B would go for between 15 to 20 Million shillings.

Low catchment area

As the name implies means there is a dearth of infrastructure which makes it difficult for the inhabitants to really enjoy their homes, plus the area is highly populated. Being a low catchment area doesn’t mean it’s a place reserved for the poor. On the contrary, a lot of wealthy and successful people have land here. It only means that instead of the government providing the amenities desired, the community in most cases come together and contribute money to either dig trenches or repair the roads. Don’t make a mistake about it, these so called low catchment areas that were once looked down upon by people are now being sought after daily and the price keeps shooting up, a classic example being Dagoreti Corner or Eastlands, which, according to to the the latest Hass Index report , is an upcoming investment area as land and property prices appreciated in value

Hurlingham might be your ideal location to buy property in but you might not be in a position to afford a home in Hurlingham. Don’t despair, examine your options, Jamuhuri Estate (Middle catchment area) or even Dagoreti Corner (Low catchment area) could be ideal in the long run. These areas might seem far from Hurlingham today but with the road expansions and link roads being developed by the government, it should take approximately 10 minutes to get to Hurlingham, plus the value of your property in the next couple of years will definitely increase significantly.

You just have to be patient; Rome was not built in a day. At the end of the day, the wait will be worth while, plus you and your family will be the greatest beneficiaries in the future. Don’t despair on where you have to purchase your land or property. It might not be very hospitable today, but you never know what the future holds. The basic truth is that children will grow up to be adults, people will always migrate, people will always want shelter and comfort and the places that were once know as bushes or too far end become high catchment areas.

The next part is to shop for estate agents, and that is what we shall be looking at next.