One named project manager
The same person from contract to handover, reachable on WhatsApp, email and phone. No switchboard, no being passed around.
Diaspora clients
Build at home while you live abroad, and see every stage as it happens.
You should not have to fly back to find out whether your money became a house. We manage the whole build and document it so thoroughly that being 8,000 kilometres away stops being a risk.
2xDated photo updates weekly
7Inspected payment milestones
0Lump sums paid up front
1Named project manager
Let's be honest about it
Why building from abroad goes wrong, and what we change
Anyone who has looked into building from abroad has heard a horror story, or lived one. These are the real failure points, and the specific safeguards we put against each.
What usually goes wrong
- Money is sent in lump sums against promises, not completed work.
- A relative supervises informally, and family harmony makes hard questions awkward.
- Photos arrive occasionally, undated, and could be any site on any day.
- Costs creep upward with no measured basis, and the budget quietly doubles.
- Substitute materials go in below specification, hidden behind plaster.
- Land turns out to have a title problem discovered after foundations are poured.
How we remove it
- Payment is released in seven stages, each one against inspected, photographed work.
- A contracted project manager carries the responsibility, so family stays family.
- Photos are dated and filed to a shared folder twice a week, plus milestone walkthrough video.
- Costs trace to a measured bill of quantities, with variations approved by you in writing first.
- Delivery notes and receipts are filed for every material batch, photographed on arrival.
- A licensed advocate runs the title search and we confirm beacons before any work starts.
The remote build process
How it works when you are not here
Six stages from first call to keys. You approve each one before we move to the next.
Video consultation
A free call in your time zone. We talk through your plot, your budget and what is realistic before anyone spends money.
Land & title verification
A licensed advocate runs the search, we confirm beacons, survey the plot and check ground conditions and access.
Design & fixed costing
Architectural and structural drawings, approvals, and a measured bill of quantities you can read line by line.
Contract & milestone schedule
A signed contract with seven payment stages tied to inspected progress. Nothing is paid ahead of work done.
Construction & reporting
Twice-weekly dated photos, a weekly written report, monthly video walkthrough and a live cost-to-date position.
Handover & documentation
Snags cleared, full photo archive, warranties, as-built drawings and keys. Optional letting or caretaking after.
Verified progress
Seven milestones, each one evidenced before payment
You are never asked to trust a verbal update. Every stage produces the same evidence pack, filed to your shared folder and summarised in your weekly report.
01
Site preparation and setting out
Clearing, access, beacon confirmation and the profile boards that fix your building's exact position on the plot.
Title search report Survey drawing Setting-out photos
02
Foundation and substructure
Excavation, blinding, reinforcement, concrete and damp proofing up to ground floor slab level.
Rebar photos before pour Concrete cube test results Engineer's sign-off
03
Walling to lintel level
Blockwork or stonework raised, openings formed, lintels cast. The stage where your floor plan becomes visible on the ground.
Room-by-room photo set Material delivery notes Walkthrough video
04
Roofing
Ring beam, roof structure, covering and rainwater goods. Once this is on, the building is weather-tight and internal work accelerates.
Timber and sheet specification Aerial and eye-level photos
05
Services rough-in
Plumbing, electrical conduits and drainage installed and pressure tested before anything is closed up.
Photos before plastering Pressure test record Electrician's certificate
06
Plaster, screed and finishes
Plastering, tiling, joinery, fittings, painting and external works, all to the specification you signed off.
Finish samples approved on video Weekly progress photos
07
Snagging and handover
Joint video inspection, snag list cleared, then the complete project archive handed over with keys.
Full photo archive As-built drawings 12-month warranty Final account statement
What lands in your inbox
Your weekly report, in plain numbers
Every Friday you receive a progress summary in this format, with the raw photos filed to a shared folder you can open any time.
Project4-bedroom maisonette · Kiambu
Week 18 · On schedule
- Contract sum
- KES 8,450,000
- Certified to date
- KES 5,120,000
- Approved variations
- KES 180,000
- Balance remaining
- KES 3,510,000
Illustration of the reporting format. Figures shown are an example, not a quotation.
Staying in touch
Communication that does not depend on you chasing us
Distance breaks projects through silence. These channels are scheduled, so updates arrive whether or not you ask.
Scheduled video walkthroughs
A live walk of the site at every milestone, so you can ask about a specific wall while someone is standing next to it.
Weekly written report
Work completed, work planned, materials delivered, cost certified to date and anything that needs a decision from you.
Shared photo folder
Every dated photo and document filed by milestone in cloud storage you can open from anywhere, at any hour, without asking us.
We schedule calls around your working day
Site time is East Africa Time (UTC+3). Typical call windows are early morning and evening EAT, so you are not taking calls at 3am. Offsets shift with daylight saving.
London2 to 3 hours behind
New York / Toronto7 to 8 hours behind
Los Angeles10 to 11 hours behind
Berlin / Paris1 to 2 hours behind
Dubai / DohaWithin 1 hour
Sydney7 to 8 hours ahead
Protecting your money
Safeguards you can hold us to
Trust should rest on structure, not sentiment. Each of these is written into the contract before work begins.
Stage payments only
Funds are released against completed, inspected milestones. If a stage is not signed off, the next payment is not due.
Independent verification welcome
Appoint your own engineer, quantity surveyor or advocate to inspect and certify each milestone. We will give them full site access.
Written variations only
No change proceeds without your emailed approval of its cost and time impact. Your final account should hold no surprises.
Contract, licence and insurance
A signed build contract, our contractor registration and site insurance certificates, all shared before you transfer anything.
Traceable material spend
Delivery notes, receipts and photographs of each batch on arrival, reconciled against the bill of quantities monthly.
Nominated representative
Add a relative or friend to the project group with viewing access, while approval authority stays with you alone.
Diaspora questions
What clients abroad ask us first
Do I need to travel to Kenya to start?
No. Consultation, design approval, contract signing and payments can all be handled remotely. Documents are signed electronically or through your advocate. Many clients first see the house in person at handover, though you are welcome on site any time you visit.
How do I know the photos are actually my site, on the date claimed?
Fair question, and the reason we do not rely on photos alone. Each stage is evidenced by a set that includes wide shots showing recognisable surroundings, the weekly report referencing the same work, a live video walkthrough where you choose what to look at, and an engineer's sign-off. You are also free to appoint your own inspector to verify independently.
How are payments structured?
The contract sum is split across seven milestones, each released only after the stage is completed and inspected. There is a modest mobilisation payment to open the site, and the balance follows verified progress. If you prefer additional protection, funds can be held by your own advocate and released on their confirmation.
Can a relative manage things on my behalf?
They can be added to the project group with full visibility of reports and photos, and can attend site whenever they wish. What we avoid is informal supervision, because it puts family in a position of policing money. Approval authority stays with you unless you formally appoint someone in writing.
What if I do not own land yet?
We can advise on plots and coordinate the search, survey and due diligence through a licensed advocate before you commit. We do not sell land and take no commission on it, so the advice you get is about whether the plot suits your build.
What happens if I need to pause the project?
Circumstances change. We agree a suspension point at the nearest safe stage, secure and weatherproof the works, issue a statement of account and a photo record, and hold the position until you are ready. You only ever owe for work completed.
Can you handle letting or caretaking after handover?
Yes, as a separate arrangement. That covers periodic inspection, maintenance, and tenant sourcing and management if the property is an investment rather than a future home.
Prefer to just talk it through?
Send a message on WhatsApp and we will reply with a time that suits your zone. No obligation, and no sales pressure.
Free consultation
Book a video call
Tell us where you are, where the plot is and roughly what you want to build. We come back within one business day with a call time in your zone and an honest view of what your budget can achieve.
Diaspora desk
Phone & WhatsApp
Call windows (EAT)
7:00 – 9:00 AM & 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Saturday mornings on request
Countries we are set up to work with
United StatesUnited KingdomCanadaGermanyUAEQatarAustralia
Start your diaspora build
Roughly two minutes. The detail helps us prepare properly for the call.