Karen Area Profile

Karen splits into recognisable pockets. Karen Hardy and Miotoni hold the largest, most established plots. The Bogani and Ngong Road side has seen newer gated townhouse schemes, which is where most of the area's more accessible stock now comes from. Because large plots cannot be created, the character of each pocket changes slowly.

Water is generally from boreholes rather than mains supply, and most properties use septic systems, so a working borehole and its yield are standard due-diligence items in Karen.

Typical Karen stock is a four or five bedroom standalone home with a separate DSQ, a large garden, a garage and often a paddock or orchard on the bigger plots. Gated courts of three to eight townhouses are the alternative for buyers who want lower maintenance and shared security.

• Standalone family homes on quarter-acre to one-acre plots
• Townhouses in small gated courts
• Vacant residential plots for custom builds

Karen Road, Ngong Road, Langata Road and the Southern Bypass connect the suburb to the rest of Nairobi and to the airport. The Hub Karen and Galleria are the main shopping centres, and Karen Country Club, Karen Blixen Museum, the Giraffe Centre and Nairobi National Park sit on the doorstep. Schools include Brookhouse, Hillcrest, Banda and St Andrew's Turi's Nairobi prep feeders; Karen Hospital and Nairobi Women's Hospital cover medical needs.