In real estate realm, a lot of us are familiar with residential properties (properties to live in).

Not much is said about the king of properties, commercial properties (properties for exhibitions,shop, office space and other business activities)

The interesting thing is, it is the cheapest to build but has a higher re-sale or rental value than residential properties.
You do not need the basic conviniences of residential propertiies like the kitchen, living room etc. You require less build up space per unit.

In Nairobi ask the traders in Down Town Nairobi, or the tiny Exhibitions in Tom Mboya streets the monthly rent they pay and you will be amazed about the prohibitive prices. For standard office space especially with conviniences at times the rental value is determined per square feet rather than per office space.

The major problem of a real estate developer or investors like me is that it is hard to come by commercial plots, this is because they have to be in a good location. Location! location !! location !!!, is the most important factor that drives commercial propertities.

If you cannot build a commercial property you can equally invest on existing commercial property by buying a shop or exhibition space or office space and put it up for rent

As a rule of thump be aware that the ground floor exhibition/shop space is always of higher demand than the upper floors. In tandem with the the demand the going prices are higher so your returns in terms of rental income or re-sale value is also higher than the upper floors.

It is very worthwhile for commercial property to be part of your property portfolio. You can never go wrong.

so which is the best order: start with your own residential hse thereafter go for a commercial property, or vice versa?

At this point we actually have a golden opportunity to become like Kirima (in investments ofcourse).

With the development of counties in the next few years now one can still buy a plot today and build a commercial building that will house exhibitions in 10 years time. I am sure a quarter acre plot in the middle/outskirts of Tana River Town or Nyamira Town cannot have reached a million bob.