How much house can I afford?
Start from your take-home pay and what you have saved. The answer counts the loan a lender allows and every shilling you need on day one.
After PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the housing levy.
Car loans, SACCO and mobile loans — lenders count them against you.
Most Kenyan lenders work to about a third of net pay; some go to 40–45%.
Everything you can put in on day one, including stamp duty and legal fees.
Banks price 12–18% in 2026; KMRC-backed loans for qualifying buyers about 10%.
Usually 80–90%. The rest is your deposit.
How the answer is worked out
Two things cap the price. The first is the loan: a lender lets a share of your take-home pay go to repayments, usually about a third, less what your other loans already take. That monthly figure, at your rate and term, sets the largest loan. The second is cash: your savings must cover the deposit the lender asks for and the closing costs — stamp duty, legal fees under the Advocates (Remuneration) Order with VAT, and the valuation. The price shown is the highest where both hold, and the result says which one stopped it.
What it does not know: your credit history, whether a lender counts allowances or business income, mortgage insurance, and arrangement fees. Take the figure to a bank or SACCO as a starting point. For the repayment on a specific home, use the mortgage calculator; to see what homes ask where, the price index.