KENYA · GUIDE 0723 · EDITION 4.7
Vacant unit inspection in Kenya: Pricing, Costing and Cash Flow Example
Editorial update: 28 October 2026 · Business planning reference · Review scope
Use one accepted sale unit throughout
Work through a fictional KSh 6,500.00 invoice against KSh 4,750.00 of selected cost lines; distinguish the invoice from collected cash.
This is a planning reference for vacant unit inspection. The order below is an invented teaching case. It is not a completed customer job, an operating approval or a prediction of demand or earnings.
The example offer and its boundary
Fictional vacant-unit observation service: make three authorized visits in one month to an empty two-bedroom flat and report visible changes across five zones: living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and entrance. Deliver dated photographs and an exception log. The word inspection describes a limited visual walkthrough only; exclude building survey, structural diagnosis, electrical/gas testing, security patrol, valuation and a guarantee that concealed leaks or intrusions will be found. The owner/agent must establish lawful access and genuine vacancy before visits.
Charging basis to confirm: Inspection report. The rates and quantities below are teaching assumptions. Even a previously recorded listing is not adopted here as a current quotation or an earnings forecast.
Itemised arithmetic
| Selected input/activity | Quantity | Assumed unit rate | Selected cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three walkthrough visits: one hour each | 3 | KSh 650.00 | KSh 1,950.00 |
| Comparison/report hours | 2 | KSh 650.00 | KSh 1,300.00 |
| Return travel trips | 3 | KSh 500.00 | KSh 1,500.00 |
| Calculation | Teaching result |
|---|---|
| Selected cost total | KSh 4,750.00 |
| Priced/accepted output | 1 example units |
| Assumed selling price | KSh 6,500.00 |
| Assumed invoice | KSh 6,500.00 |
| Difference before excluded costs and tax | KSh 1,750.00 |
Illustrative monthly cost is KSh 4,750. One three-visit package at KSh 6,500 yields KSh 6,500 revenue and KSh 1,750 pre-tax surplus before overhead and tax. Technical assessments, emergency attendance, repairs and security services are excluded. Confirm actual travel and competent inspection quotations separately; the model cannot price concealed defects or property value.
Check cash timing and a weaker outcome
TRAINING-0723: a fictional order for the scoped offer in section 01, using 1 priced units at KSh 6,500.00 each. Buyer group: Property owners needing a factual pre-occupation check. No buyer was contacted and no order was completed.
Teaching invoice = 1 x KSh 6,500.00 = KSh 6,500.00. The selected input lines in section 06 total KSh 4,750.00; their difference from this assumed invoice is KSh 1,750.00 before excluded costs and tax.
For cash-timing practice only, suppose a buyer pays a 30% advance of KSh 1,950.00. The invoice balance is KSh 4,550.00. If the selected input bill is paid before the balance arrives, additional cash of KSh 2,800.00 is needed after applying the advance. The advance is counted once, not again at final collection.
On full collection, total receipts are KSh 6,500.00. Cash against the selected example bill is KSh 1,750.00 before other payments. If a hypothetical 10% increase in the largest selected line (Three walkthrough visits: one hour each) adds KSh 195.00, the unchanged invoice leaves KSh 1,555.00 against that revised bill.
If the customer instead leaves 10% of the invoice unpaid, KSh 650.00 is a receivable. Cash collected is KSh 5,850.00 and collected cash less the selected bill is KSh 1,100.00. This differs from invoice margin; do not spend the unpaid amount as though it is already cash.
The scenario is complete only as a teaching record of the stated lines. Add actual excluded startup and operating costs using file 12, and replace every assumed rate before relying on a quote. Use measured accepted output for the actual invoice; unaccepted output is not automatically chargeable.
For an actual quote, add all relevant excluded costs, use measured accepted output, and compare amounts from the same period. An unpaid invoice balance is not available cash. A deposit held for an uncompleted obligation is not automatically earned income.
References and their limits
HSE: Inspection of Work Equipment
Purpose of competent equipment inspection; UK source is not Kenyan legal advice. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
ODPC: Guidance Notes for Data Protection Policies
Official Kenyan guidance on personal-data policies and incident handling; project-specific lawful basis must be established by the responsible operator. Reference check recorded 2026-10-26.
Recorded references support only the scope stated beside them. They do not prove current supplier stock, a local quotation, actual buyer demand, operator competence or the feasibility of this particular business. Later editorial changes do not refresh earlier source-check dates.
Prepared by Business Starter Guides using AI-assisted drafting and desk editorial checks. Independent operator trials and specialist certification are not claimed. See the editorial method for the review scope.
Editorial method and evidence limits