Thinking of buying in Karen, Kilimani/Lavington or Runda/Muthaiga? Here’s the clean, practical path from first viewing to keys — plus the real costs you must budget for in Kenya.

Snapshot

• Typical timeline: ~30–90 days depending on searches, consents and registry processing. wka.co.ke+1

• Core costs (buyer): Stamp Duty (4% urban / 2% rural), legal fees, valuation, registration, searches. Wacu Mureithi & Co. Advocates+2cmadvocates.com+2

• If selling: Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is 15% of net gain. kra.go.ke

The Nairobi home-buying process

1. Offer & acceptance → lock the price and key terms in writing (letter of offer / term sheet). BuyRentKenya

2. Due diligence → title search on Ardhisasa/eCitizen to confirm owner, charges, caveats and parcel details. ardhisasa.lands.go.ke

3. Sale agreement (advocates) → sets deposit (often 10%), timelines and conditions. chepchiengassociates.co.ke

4. Valuation for stamp duty (Govt valuer confirms market value used to compute duty). cmpropertydigest.com

5. Pay taxes & fees → Stamp Duty is paid through KRA/iTax; CGT (seller) at 15% of net gain. kra.go.ke+1

6. Consents & clearances → e.g., Land Control Board for agricultural land; rates/rent clearances. chepchiengassociates.co.ke

7. Transfer & registration → lodge executed instruments; registry issues the new title to the buyer. Timeline commonly 30–90 days end-to-end. wka.co.ke+1

What stamp duty actually is (and how much)

• Urban property (e.g., Nairobi municipalities): 4% of the value; rural: 2%. The Lands PS directed registrars in 2024 to apply 4% in gazetted towns/municipalities under the Stamp Duty Act. Always confirm your property’s classification at the registry. Ngeri, Omiti & Bush Advocates LLP+1

Avoid these common mistakes

• Skipping the registry search (or not checking charges/caveats). Use Ardhisasa for searches. ardhisasa.lands.go.ke

• Under-budgeting for duty/fees → duty can be 4% of value in Nairobi; sellers must plan for CGT at 15% of net gain. Wacu Mureithi & Co. Advocates+1

• Rushing documents → allow 30–90 days; align “completion”/“long-stop” dates in your contract. wka.co.ke

Next step with Miiza:
Browse homes → /buy-property. Need pricing guidance? /sell/valuation. Want area insights? /areas-we-serve/karen • /areas-we-serve/lavington-kilimani • /areas-we-serve/runda-muthaiga.