Is your plot still your plot?
When did a property inspection in Kenya last tell you the truth about your plot instead of what you wanted to hear? For many owners abroad, the answer is never.
You send money home for a house. The photos come late. The walls look the same as last month.
You own a plot you have not seen in years. Someone mentions a new fence nearby. You start to wonder whose fence it is.
These worries are common. They are also fixable. A property inspection in Kenya by someone with no stake in the outcome gives you facts instead of fears.
OnGround Africa is that someone. We go in person and film what we see.
We tell you plainly, even when the news is not good. That is the whole point of a property inspection in Kenya.
Think of us as your own eyes on the ground. We have no reason to make things look better or worse than they are. Our only job is to show you what is there.
What is a property inspection in Kenya and who needs one?
A property inspection in Kenya, the way we do it, is a visit in person to look, record and report. We go to the site, walk it, film it and answer the questions you send us.
It is not a valuation. It is not a land survey. It is an honest set of eyes on the ground for someone who cannot be there.
People who book a property inspection in Kenya with us
- Owners abroad who want to know their land is untouched.
- Diaspora builders who are paying for a house in stages.
- Landlords abroad who want to see the state of a rental.
- Buyers who want to see a plot before sending a deposit.
- Families sharing an inherited property who want one neutral report.
- Businesses looking at an office, shop or warehouse before signing a lease.
Some clients book after a scare. Others book before anything goes wrong.
The second group always says the same thing afterwards. They wish they had started sooner.
If you are wondering whether you need a property inspection in Kenya, ask yourself one question. Would you send this much money to a place you have never seen? If not, let us go and see it for you.
What do we check during a property inspection in Kenya?
Every site is different. So before we go, we agree a short checklist with you. Here is what we usually cover.
For a plot of land
- Access roads and how to reach the plot
- Visible beacons, fences or markers
- Signs of new building, digging or farming
- What the neighbours are doing on their plots
- Any notices, signs or structures that were not there before
For a building under construction
- Which stage the work has reached
- Materials on site and how they are stored
- Whether workers are present on the day
- Visible cracks, damp or poor finishing
- How the work compares with the photos you were sent
For a finished house or rental
- General condition inside and outside
- Roof, gutters, water tanks and drainage you can see
- Doors, windows, locks and security features
- Signs of leaks, damp or damage
- Whether the property is occupied and by whom, where we can tell
For an office, shop or warehouse
- The street, parking and how easy it is for customers to reach
- Power, water and any backup you can see
- The state of the space against the photos in the listing
- Security at the gate and around the building
- What other tenants say, where they are willing to talk
A business property inspection in Kenya often saves a bad lease. Listings online can look very different from the real street.
You can add your own questions. Want us to count the iron sheets or measure a room?
Tell us before the visit and it goes on the list for your property inspection in Kenya. No question is too small if it matters to you.
How does property inspection in Kenya work with OnGround Africa?
We keep the process short and clear. Here is what happens from first message to final report.
- You send the details. Location, a pin if you have one, photos you have and what worries you.
- We send a written quote. It covers our fee, travel and anything else agreed. You approve before we go.
- We agree the checklist. You tell us what matters. We add what we know to look for.
- We visit in person. We walk the site, take photos and video and talk to people where it is safe and useful.
- We send updates on the day. You can get photos and short clips on WhatsApp while we are there.
- You get the report. A written summary with the photos, videos and our honest view.
We plan the route the day before. Where a site is hard to find, we may call your caretaker or neighbour to agree a meeting point. If you would rather nobody knows we are coming, tell us and we keep the visit quiet.
Some clients want a live video call from the site. That works well if the network is good. We will tell you before the visit if the area has weak signal.
Many owners book a property inspection in Kenya once and then make it regular. A visit every few months keeps everyone honest and gives you peace of mind.
Is your building project on track? A property inspection in Kenya will tell you
This is the most common reason people call us. You are building a home in Kenya while you live abroad.
Money goes out every month. Progress feels slow. Every update ends with a request for more.
We hear the same story from nurses in the UK, drivers in the US and engineers in the Gulf. Hard earned money sent home with little to show for it. A property inspection in Kenya is often the first time they see the real site.
Maybe the contractor is fine and the delays are real. Maybe materials are walking off site. You cannot know from photos sent by the same person you are paying.
A neutral property inspection in Kenya fixes that. We visit, we record and we compare what we see with what you were told.
What we compare
- The stage you were told against the stage we see
- Materials you paid for against materials on site
- Photos you received against the site today
- The number of workers you were told against the number present
We also take photos from the same spots on every visit. Over a few months you get a clear record of progress, side by side. A property inspection in Kenya done this way shows you the real pace of work.
We are not engineers and we will not certify structural work. If something looks wrong, we say so plainly and suggest you bring in a qualified professional. Where that helps, we can arrange the visit for you at a cost you approve first.
Regular checks also change behaviour. When a contractor knows a property inspection in Kenya can happen at any time, the work tends to improve.
Buying land? Check the ground and the records
Land fraud worries almost every buyer abroad. Two checks matter. What is on the ground and what is in the records.
The ground
Our property inspection in Kenya covers the ground. Is the plot where the seller says it is?
Is anyone living on it or farming it? Do the neighbours know the seller?
These simple questions catch a lot of trouble early. A seller who refuses a visit is a warning sign in itself.
The records
Records are a different job. The Ministry of Lands runs Ardhisasa, an online platform for land information. The Ministry of Lands page on Ardhisasa lists search among its registration services.
The rollout has been county by county. The Ministry of Lands reported that Murang’a went live on 8 July 2024 as the second county on the system, after Nairobi.
A land search and a sale agreement belong with a lawyer. We are not lawyers.
When you are buying, we bring in a licensed Kenyan advocate to handle searches, agreements and transfer. You approve that cost first.
Put both checks together and you have a much clearer picture. A property inspection in Kenya on the ground. A legal check on paper by an advocate.
What is in your property inspection in Kenya report?
You get more than a few photos. You get a report you can act on and share with family.
- Date, time and location of the visit, with a map pin
- Photos of each area on your checklist
- Short videos walking the site
- Answers to every question you sent
- What we noticed that you did not ask about
- Our honest view in plain words
- Suggested next steps if something needs action
Photos are taken in daylight where possible. Videos are kept short and steady so you can see clearly. Every file is labelled so you know which part of the site it shows.
We write the report so that a busy person can read it in five minutes. The detail is there if you need it.
The summary comes first. Every property inspection in Kenya report ends with clear next steps.
Many clients forward our property inspection in Kenya report to siblings or partners. It ends long arguments because everyone sees the same facts.
Reports are also useful later. If you ever need to show what a site looked like on a certain date, you have it on record with photos and a written note.
What property inspection in Kenya warning signs do we look for?
Experience teaches you where to look. These are the signs that make us slow down and ask more questions.
- A new fence, wall or gate that you did not approve
- Fresh foundations or digging on your land
- Crops planted by someone you do not know
- A caretaker who cannot open the gate or will not let us in
- Materials on site that do not match what you paid for
- Cracks in fresh concrete or walls that are out of line
- Neighbours who name a different owner
- Signs or notices pinned to the property
Seeing one of these does not always mean trouble. It means you need to know about it. A property inspection in Kenya puts it in front of you while there is still time to act.
Some of these signs are about people, not buildings. A caretaker who keeps changing the story is one.
A neighbour who seems nervous to talk is another. We note these things carefully and without drama.
When we spot something serious, we call or message you straight away. We do not wait for the written report.
What does it cost?
A property inspection in Kenya with OnGround Africa costs $120 for a visit in Nairobi and nearby. Further areas add travel, quoted upfront.
| Service | Our fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| Property inspection visit (Nairobi and nearby) | $120; further areas add travel quoted upfront |
| Construction monitoring plan (2 site visits a month with report) | $390 per month |
| Land search coordination | $120 plus government and advocate fees |
| Power of attorney coordination | $150 plus advocate fees |
Add ons
- Sites outside Nairobi: travel is quoted upfront
- Urgent same week service: adds 25 percent
- You get a written quote before we travel
- Any extra cost, such as a professional you ask us to bring in, is approved by you first
- Receipts are shared for anything we pay on your behalf
You get a written quote first. You pay only after you approve the quote.
We quote in USD. You can pay by card, PayPal, bank or M Pesa. We confirm payment options with your quote.
Regular visits can be planned together. Some clients book a property inspection in Kenya every month while building, which is what our construction monitoring plan is for. Others book once a year for land they plan to keep.
A property inspection in Kenya outside Nairobi follows the same steps, with travel added upfront. Every property inspection in Kenya ends with photos, video and a written report.
See how we price all our services on the OnGround Africa pricing page.
What does our property inspection in Kenya not cover?
Being clear about limits is part of being honest. Here is what we do not do ourselves.
- We do not give legal advice or carry out land transfers. A licensed Kenyan advocate does that.
- We do not value property. That needs a registered valuer.
- We do not survey boundaries. That needs a licensed surveyor.
- We do not certify structures. That needs a qualified engineer.
What we do is show up, look carefully and tell you the truth. When you need one of these professionals, we tell you early. If you want, we arrange the visit and attend it with them.
This keeps your property inspection in Kenya useful without pretending to be something it is not.
Why trust OnGround Africa with your property?
OnGround Africa is run by Patrick Maina from Nairobi. Patrick also runs Growth Catalyst, with more than 870 projects delivered over 8 years and 452 five star reviews from clients in more than 56 countries.
Many of those clients lived far from Kenya. A client from Ethiopia wrote, “Patrick does amazing groundwork for those who are remote from Kenya.”
We have also handled sensitive work for clients abroad, from shipping certificates to the US to producing film scenes in Kibera for an international artist. The common thread is trust. People need someone here who does what they say.
That is the heart of what we do. We are the person who goes, looks and reports back.
- We have no stake in your contractor, caretaker or seller
- We share raw photos and video, not just a summary
- We tell you bad news as clearly as good news
- We answer on WhatsApp in your time zone
We also keep your details private. Your address, your plans and your family matters stay between us. A property inspection in Kenya often touches sensitive family issues and we treat them with respect.
Learn more about OnGround Africa and how we work.
Book your property inspection in Kenya today
Send us the location and what worries you. We reply with questions or a written quote.
- WhatsApp: +254 724 991 531
- Email: patrick@growthcatalyst.co.ke
Need more help while we are there? We can collect papers through Kenya documents from abroad or handle a small job through errands in Kenya.
Planning to hold the property in a company? See company registration in Kenya.
Tell us how often you want visits. A one off check, a monthly visit during building or a yearly check on land. We fit the plan to your property inspection in Kenya needs and your budget.
Stop guessing about your property. A property inspection in Kenya gives you the facts and lets you sleep at night.
Questions people ask
How soon can you do a property inspection in Kenya?
It depends on the location and our schedule that week. We give you a visit date in the quote. Urgent same week service adds 25 percent if you need us there sooner.
Can I watch the inspection live?
Yes, where the network allows. We can do a video call from the site so you can direct what we film. We tell you in advance if the area has weak signal.
Do you do land searches?
We are not lawyers. A land search and a sale should be handled by a licensed Kenyan advocate. We can bring one in for you. Our property inspection in Kenya covers what is on the ground, which is the other half of the picture.
Can you visit outside Nairobi?
Yes. We travel to other counties for site visits. A visit in Nairobi and nearby is $120. Further areas add travel quoted upfront.
Will you tell me if my contractor is cheating me?
We will tell you exactly what we see and how it compares with what you were told. We are not engineers, so we do not certify structural work. If something looks wrong, we say so plainly and suggest the right professional.
