‘He is not a full man who does not own a piece of land,’ goes the popular saying. Needless to say, land is one of the most coveted acquisition in modern times. Before you put money down please do the following;
- Identify the area
Ideally, the first thing you should do is to identify the location that you intend to buy into. This can be a general area; a county or even a city. - Engage a real estate firm/agent
Once you know where you want to buy, you can now engage in specific search for projects and real estate firms working in the given area. - Site visit
The next obvious step will be to visit the site. Real estate agents should at least provide you with a minimum of 3 options. This would be the ideally time to verify the measurements of the land, accessibility and the amenities on the ground. - Due Diligence
You might want to engage a lawyer at this point. Should you not have resources to do so, you can conduct a site visit independently and talk to the neighbors about the history of the said property. Such unverified information although useful should not be treated as the entire truth. A land search at the Ministry of lands is the most vital. - Agreement/Payment
The real estate firm should prepare the paperwork for you. If you already have a lawyer, he should be able to advise you on the next move which is payment. Should you not have a lawyer, read through the agreement carefully before appending your signature. You can involve a spouse or partner before making the payment.
The land transfer period in Kenya may take a maximum of 90 days.