Sara Engel of Watamu Property Services writes the Coast Buzz section for Kenya Buzz.  In a former life she worked for BBC Radio Drama in London, where she was involved in several award winning Radio Dramas both as a BBC employee and as a freelance radio drama consultant for several leading independent television companies.  Her last position in London before moving out to Kenya was as a freelance editor for Oneword Radio, a new digital talk radio station.

In 2002 Sara and her husband, Ivor, spotted a gap in the Watamu market and started Watamu Property Services (WPS), primarily a Management company set up to look after houses, pay bills and manage staff etc. for the many people who had a second home in Watamu.  This lead on to arranging holiday lets and setting up their very successful website, www.DiscoverWatamu.com, marketing properties for holiday lets, plots and properties for sale and generally informing the visitor of Watamu and the myriad things to do in and around the area.  Through their own personal experience of buying and starting life in Watamu, they are in a unique position to advise potential buyers of the processes involved in purchasing property in the area.  They can put the buyer in touch with excellent people to help them with legal matters, surveying, even how to go about executing a brand new build, from  planning permission to how to clean your swimming pool (once built!).

Today, WPS manage over twenty five properties, some available for holiday letting and some just looked after for the owner’s peace of mind.  In addition, they have several properties featured on the website that they can let, but do not manage.    For those seeking a refuge on the coast, the holiday houses range from 2 to 6 bedrooms and are of differing standards and locality - some beachfront and some within walking distance of the beach.  The choices available mean that there are prices to accommodate all budgets. They range from 2 bedroom cottages with plunge pools on the beach to 5 and 6 bedroom luxurious homes on the beach.   In addition, there are houses just set back from the beach, offering reduced prices, being second row and yet with easy access to the beach.  The majority of houses have swimming pools and certainly all have staff to make your holiday so easy. Where a cook does not come with the regular house staff, WPS can arrange for a casual cook for an extra charge.  In addition to providing any extra staff, WPS’s services include arranging transfers to and from the airports, for those without their own transport, helping to arrange car hire and even excursions and safaris, if required.  An initial grocery shop can also be arranged, by the staff at WPS, for delivery to the house prior to arrival.  This means that you can relax immediately when you arrive with a beer in hand and a meal ready to be served. For the rest of the holiday, the local supermarket offers a delivery service to make shopping easy, and local taxis and tuk-tuks can be with you in minutes to take you to the shops or other local attractions when required.

For the owners of the houses there is good income through renting of their homes and this income allows for them to cover the cost of owning for what in the majority is a second home. The Lettings season covers some 40 weeks of the year due to favourable weather conditions. It is not unusual for these homes to be booked out for in excess of 150 nights per year.  

To enquire about management, sale or purchase of your Coast property, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  For holidays on one of Kenya’s most prized beaches – check out www.DiscoverWatamu.com