Home Renovation Budgets in Nairobi: What It Really Costs (By Neighborhood & Home Size)
Renovating a home or apartment in Nairobi is one of the highest-ROI upgrades you can make—whether you’re preparing a family residence, a rental, or a luxury Airbnb. But costs vary widely by scope, finish level, and neighborhood. This guide gives you ballpark budget ranges, neighborhood cost multipliers, and sample budgets for typical Nairobi home sizes—plus how to choose a partner you can trust.
Why trust this? Prestige Bluestar was named Kenya’s Top Interior Design Brand 2025 at the Kenya Excellent Brands Awards (gala at Villa Rosa Kempinski, Nairobi) on 5th September 2025. We deliver award-winning interior design and full renovations across Nairobi’s top estates—with diaspora-friendly transparency.
Quick Price Guide (Cost per m² of Renovated Area)
Use these as rule-of-thumb figures for full renovations (materials + labour). Furniture/appliances and VAT are typically separate.
- Refresh (paint, lighting, small fixes): KSh 8,000–15,000/m²
- Mid-Range Full Renovation: KSh 25,000–40,000/m²
- High-End Full Renovation: KSh 45,000–65,000/m²
- Luxury/Ultra (custom millwork, marble, automation): KSh 65,000–120,000+ /m²
Tip: Kitchens and bathrooms usually drive budgets. If you’re only doing “dry” areas (living/bedrooms) costs drop meaningfully.
Neighborhood Multipliers (Nairobi)
Base your per-m² figure on finish level, then apply a location multiplier to reflect logistics, expectations, building rules, and finish benchmarks in that area.
- Karen / Runda / Muthaiga / Rosslyn / Nyari: ×1.25–1.40
- Lavington / Kileleshwa / Riverside: ×1.10–1.20
- Kilimani / Westlands / Parklands: ×1.05–1.15
- Ruaka / Ridgeways / Roysambu: ×1.00–1.10
- South B / South C / Lang’ata / Donholm / Embakasi / Komarock: ×1.00 (baseline)
Example: High-end 45k/m² in Kileleshwa (×1.15) ≈ 51,750/m² effective.
What’s Inside a Typical Renovation Budget (Percentages)
For a full renovation (excl. design/PM, appliances & VAT), a practical split of the construction & finishes subtotal (CFS) is:
- Demolition & prep 3%
- Masonry/partitions 9%
- Plumbing & sanitary 8%
- Electrical & lighting 6%
- Kitchen cabinetry & counters 15%
- Bathrooms (tiles, glass, fittings) 14%
- Flooring & wall finishes 22%
- Ceilings & cornices 7%
- Windows/doors/hardware 5%
- Wardrobes & storage 6%
- Smart home & security 5%
Then add:
- Design & Project Management: ~7% of CFS
- Contingency: ~10% of (CFS + Design)
- Appliances/Furniture allowance: 5–10% of CFS (optional)
- VAT (16%) where applicable (often applied to materials/services; confirm how your contractor invoices)
Worked Examples (Realistic Nairobi Scenarios)
All figures exclude VAT (16%) and are illustrative—your scope and selections may push costs up or down.
1) Ruaka 1-Bedroom Apartment (55 m²) — Mid-Range Finish
- Assumptions: 30,000/m² base, ×1.05 (Ruaka), full interior refresh + kitchen & bath
- Construction & finishes (CFS): KSh 1,732,500
- Design & PM (~7%): KSh 121,275
- Contingency (~10% of CFS+Design): KSh 185,378
- Appliances allowance (~7% of CFS): KSh 121,275
- Estimated total (excl. VAT): KSh 2,160,428
2) Kilimani 2-Bedroom (90 m²) — High-End Finish
- Assumptions: 45,000/m² base, ×1.10 (Kilimani)
- CFS: KSh 4,455,000
- Design & PM (~7%): KSh 311,850
- Contingency (~10% of CFS+Design): KSh 476,685
- Appliances allowance (~7% of CFS): KSh 311,850
- Estimated total (excl. VAT): KSh 5,555,385
Detailed line-item split for the CFS (Kilimani example):
- Demolition & prep (3%): KSh 133,650
- Masonry/partitions (9%): KSh 400,950
- Plumbing & sanitary (8%): KSh 356,400
- Electrical & lighting (6%): KSh 267,300
- Kitchen cabinetry & counters (15%): KSh 668,250
- Bathrooms (14%): KSh 623,700
- Flooring & wall finishes (22%): KSh 980,100
- Ceilings & cornices (7%): KSh 311,850
- Windows/doors/hardware (5%): KSh 222,750
- Wardrobes & storage (6%): KSh 267,300
- Smart home & security (5%): KSh 222,750
3) Kileleshwa 3-Bedroom (120 m²) — High-End Finish
- Assumptions: 45,000/m² base, ×1.15
- Estimated total (excl. VAT): KSh 6,210,000 (CFS) + design, contingency & appliances → KSh 7.59M–7.85M (typical range)
4) Lavington 4-Bedroom Townhouse (220 m²) — High-Luxury
- Assumptions: 55,000/m² base, ×1.15
- CFS: KSh 13,915,000
- Add design (~7%), contingency (~10%), appliances (~7%)
- Estimated total (excl. VAT): ~KSh 17.35M
5) South B 4-Bedroom Townhouse (200 m²) — Mid-Range
- Assumptions: 30,000/m² base, ×1.00
- Estimated total (excl. VAT): ~KSh 7.48M
6) Karen 5-Bedroom Villa (400 m²) — Luxury
- Assumptions: 65,000/m² base, ×1.35 (Karen)
- CFS: KSh 35,100,000
- Add design (~7%), contingency (~10%), appliances (~7%)
- Estimated total (excl. VAT): ~KSh 43.77M
Reading ranges: If you’re keeping existing layouts (no re-planning), or choosing mid-grade finishes, expect the lower half of these ranges. If you’re adding bespoke millwork, stone, automation, and re-planning MEP, expect the upper half.
Hidden / Variable Costs to Plan For
- Building rules & approvals: Condo/estate work-hours, lift protection, deposits, waste disposal fees.
- MEP upgrades: Old buildings may require new plumbing stacks, electrical load upgrades, extra DBs, or waterproofing.
- Structural works: Any wall removals need engineer sign-off.
- Window/door replacements: Aluminum/UPVC upgrades materially move the budget.
- Delivery logistics: Upper floors without service lifts add handling costs.
- Lead times: Imported tiles, stone, or fittings can add 3–8 weeks—plan early.
How to Stretch Your Budget (Without Sacrificing Quality)
- Prioritize wet areas first (kitchens/baths) for the biggest lifestyle & valuation gains.
- Mix-and-match finishes: Pair statement stone with quality porcelain look-alikes.
- Standardize cabinet modules to reduce carpentry time and waste.
- Value-engineer ceilings: Use feature zones instead of full-house gypsum.
- Lighting layers, not chandeliers: Great ambience at lower cost.
- Phase non-critical items (e.g., guest rooms, secondary wardrobes) into a later stage.
Choosing the Right Renovation Partner (Checklist)
- Recognition & credibility: Shortlisted/awarded brands signal consistent quality. (Prestige Bluestar: Kenya’s Top Interior Design Brand 2025).
- Diaspora-friendly systems: Clear contracts, BoQ, milestone schedule, and remote updates (weekly photos/videos & virtual tours).
- Transparent pricing: Unit rates, named specifications, and exclusions stated before signing.
- Design deliverables: Mood boards, finish schedules, 2D/3D drawings, and shop drawings for joinery.
- Change-order policy: Written process with pricing before extra works begin.
- Work warranties: Written defects liability (e.g., 12 months) and aftercare.
- Compliance: Insurances, HSE plan, site protection, waste handling.
- References & site visits: Real projects you can see (or virtual walk-throughs for diaspora clients).
Why Prestige Bluestar
- Award-Winning: Kenya’s Top Interior Design Brand 2025 (Kenya Excellent Brands Awards, Villa Rosa Kempinski, Sept 5, 2025).
- Turnkey delivery: From concept and BoQ to installation and final styling.
- Luxury craftsmanship: Imported stone, bespoke joinery, designer lighting, smart security.
- Diaspora trust: Milestone-based billing, weekly reporting, video walk-throughs, and transparent procurement.
- Coverage: Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Westlands, Parklands, Ruaka, South B/C, Lang’ata, and beyond.
Plan Your Nairobi Renovation with Confidence
Whether it’s a 90 m² Kilimani apartment, a 220 m² Lavington townhouse, or a 400 m² Karen villa, we’ll align scope, finishes, and timeline to a budget you can trust—with zero guesswork.
Let’s map your exact budget and timeline this week.
📞 +254 714 444 4516 | +254 745 730 042
📧 info@prestigebluestar.com
📍 Westlands, Nairobi – Muthithi Road
