Can Mambrui Beach Bay help you build your home?
Yes. If you would like support to design and build your home after buying, say so in your enquiry and we will talk you through it.
- Tell usTick “support to design and build” on the enquiry form, with what the home is for and the size you have in mind.
- Choose a designStart from one of our house plans for the estate, or bring your own.
- ApprovalsDrawings stamped by a registered architect and structural engineer go to Kilifi County, with a NEMA assessment where one is needed.
- BuildA registered contractor builds to the approved plans, connecting to the estate’s water, sewer and power.
Do you have to use the estate’s house plans?
No. We have set plans drawn for the estate, but we do not restrict owners to our drawings unless a design does not fit the overall estate plan.
The estate plan exists to keep Mambrui Beach Bay quiet, green and consistent: things like how far homes sit from boundaries and the shore, building heights, and keeping each 3-acre lot to a home and its outbuildings rather than a dense block. Within that, the design is yours. Ask us for the estate guidelines before your architect starts, and we will review the drawings with you early, before you pay for detailed design.
Start from our house plans
Homes drawn for a 3-acre beach lot and for the coast: shaded verandas, cross-ventilation and a layout that opens to the garden and the sea. Adapt the rooms to your family.
Bring your own architect
Use your own architect and drawings. We check them against the estate plan; if something does not fit, we tell you what and why, so it can be adjusted.
What kind of home suits the Mambrui coast?
A house that works with the heat, the sea breeze and the salt: shaded verandas, high ceilings, cross-ventilation, a roof that sheds heavy rain and materials that resist corrosion.
- Shade firstDeep verandas and overhangs keep walls and rooms cool
- Catch the monsoonOpen to the north-east kaskazi (about December to March) and the south-east kusi (about May to September)
- Swahili linesCoral-stone walls, lime render, carved doors and a roof terrace for the sea view
- Water to spareA storage tank and rainwater harvesting from the roof
- Sun powerSolar panels for fans, fridge and lights through outages
On a 3-acre lot there is room for a main house, a guest cottage, staff quarters, a pool and a garden of palms, set well back in your own grounds.
Which approvals do you need to build in Kilifi County?
Building-plan approval from Kilifi County, with drawings stamped by a registered architect and structural engineer, and, for some projects near the shore, an environmental assessment licensed by NEMA. Your contractor should be registered with the National Construction Authority.
If you ask for build support, we help you through these steps. Keep the approved plans on site while you build.
How do you build so a beach house lasts?
Protect anything metal from salt, keep water out of the walls and roof, and use materials made for the coast.
- Stainless or hot-dip galvanised fixings, and powder-coated aluminium windows rather than mild steel.
- Enough concrete cover over the reinforcement, so salt does not reach the steel.
- Coral-stone or quality concrete blocks, rendered and painted with breathable coastal paints.
- A roof with generous falls and gutters sized for coastal downpours, especially in the long rains of April to June.
- Hardwoods or treated timber against termites; keep untreated wood off the ground.
Can you rent out your home as a holiday house?
Check the estate rules first: the estate is planned for quiet, low-density living, so letting is subject to its guidelines. Any income is never guaranteed.
Malindi’s busy months run from about December to March and again in July and August. If letting is allowed and you plan to do it, register the income for tax, get insurance that covers guests, and plan who will look after the house while you are away. Read the honest case for and against on why Mambrui.
Questions about building at Mambrui Beach Bay
How do I ask for help to build?
Tick the build-support box on the enquiry form, or mention it when you email us.
Can I use my own architect and builder?
Yes, as long as the design fits the overall estate plan and the county approves it.
What does it cost to build a home in Malindi?
It depends on size, finishes and the market at the time. Get a bill of quantities from a quantity surveyor once the house is drawn.
Can I use a makuti roof?
Palm-thatch makuti is traditional and cool, but it is a fire risk and needs re-thatching. Check the estate guidelines and your insurer first.
Come and see the estate
Walk the 3-acre lots and the beach, see the roads and services going in, and go through the title documents and the estate plan with us. Want less than 3 acres, or more? Ask.