Why She Chose Land Over A Car Upgrade

Mary had spent three weeks watching car reviews on YouTube.

She already knew the color she wanted, had screenshots saved on her phone, and had spoken to the dealership twice. Her current car still worked perfectly well, but after seven years with it she felt she had earned something newer. Nobody around her disagreed. Her colleagues had upgraded. Friends were posting delivery photos. After years of working, saving, and taking care of everyone else, spending money on herself felt entirely reasonable.

Then one Saturday she joined a site visit to Nanyuki.

She almost cancelled. The plan had come together through a friend who kept insisting she should at least see the place before making any major financial decisions that year. She went mostly to satisfy the conversation.

On the drive back to Nairobi, something had shifted.

She still liked the car. She still planned to upgrade at some point. What she could not stop thinking about was how quickly everything around Nanyuki was changing. They had driven past holiday homes, fenced properties, and construction sites that looked very different from what she had imagined when someone first mentioned the area years ago.

The numbers stayed with her too. At Nanyuki Lanes Phase 3, a 50×100 plot near Maiyan Development was selling at Ksh 399,000 cash or Ksh 420,000 through installments, sitting only two kilometres from the main road with ready access roads and views that had already attracted buyers planning holiday homes and Airbnb developments.

When she compared the cost of the car upgrade with the cost of securing land, she realized both decisions would bring satisfaction. The difference was that only one would keep opening options for years to come.

The decision did not come quickly. She spent weeks going back and forth, discussed it with her sister, looked carefully at her savings, and postponed the dealership appointment twice. Eventually she reserved a plot.

Months later, her friends still ask whether she regrets delaying the car. She laughs whenever the topic comes up.

The old car is still serving her well. What changed was something less visible. She says she sleeps differently knowing she owns land — and not because she plans to build immediately. She still has career goals, responsibilities, and plenty of things competing for her income. The difference is that part of her future no longer depends entirely on how much she earns every month.

At Risiih Investments, conversations like this one happen more frequently than people might expect. Women in their thirties and forties are becoming more intentional about where their money goes. They still enjoy travel, still reward themselves, still want nice things. What has changed is the order of decisions.

Some luxuries can wait. A low entry point in a growing area does not always stay available long enough to be revisited later.

Mary still plans to upgrade her car. She simply decided she wanted to arrive at the dealership already owning a piece of Kenya.