What we build
Container homes in Kenya
Shipping container conversions have become a common sight, especially on holiday and Airbnb plots. They go up fast and they suit remote sites where a conventional build would be a logistics problem. They also have failure modes that nobody mentions in the sales photos.
What they are good at
Speed, mainly. Most of the work happens in a yard and arrives on a lorry, which matters when the site is far from suppliers or the access road is poor. They also sit lightly on the ground, so the foundation is simpler.
For a remote guest unit, a site office or a first building on a large plot, they make sense.
What decides whether you enjoy living in one
Steel conducts heat both ways. Uninsulated, a container is hot by midday and cold before dawn, and at Nanyuki altitude the cold is the one you will notice. Proper insulation, a ventilated cavity and a shaded roof over the top are not optional extras, they are the whole difference.
Condensation is the other one. Warm inside air meeting a cold steel wall drips, and hidden damp behind a lining is how a conversion quietly rusts. It is a solvable detail, but it has to be done deliberately.
- Insulation and a ventilated cavity on walls and roof
- A separate roof over the container for shade and rain
- Vapour control, so condensation does not sit against steel
- A level, drained foundation, because a racked container will not close its doors
The honest comparison
Once you have insulated a container properly, roofed over it, lined it and fitted it out, the price starts to approach a small conventional building of the same size. If speed and remoteness are your reasons, it is a good choice. If cost alone is the reason, do the sums on both before you commit.
Questions we get asked
- How much does a container house cost in Kenya?
- A basic 20ft studio conversion starts around KES 550,000. The common option, a 40ft one bedroom fully fitted, usually runs KES 1M to KES 1.5M. Multi container homes with a proper roof, insulation and finishes run from KES 2.5M upwards.
- How long does a container home last?
- Twenty five years or more if it is insulated, ventilated and kept off wet ground. Far less if condensation is trapped behind the lining, which is the failure that ends most of them.
Also worth reading
Tiny homes and cabins
A tiny home is a small, well designed house, usually under 50 square metres. Done properly it feels deliberate rather than cramped. Done badly it is a shed with a bed in it, and the whole difference is in the detailing.
Off grid homes
Off grid means the house makes its own power, finds its own water and deals with its own waste. Around Laikipia people mostly do it for practical reasons, because the nearest transformer is three kilometres away and nobody is coming to move it.
Prefab and panel houses
Prefabricated panel systems, expanded polystyrene panels and light gauge steel frames all promise a faster house. Some of them deliver, particularly on remote sites and on very repetitive projects such as staff housing.
Planning a container home?
Tell us the plot and roughly what you have in mind. We will come and look, then give you an itemised figure and a programme.