Advertorial Diaspora Building Checklist

Top 10 Things Kenyans Abroad Wish They'd Asked Before Their House Was "Finished"

A message saying “the lights are done” can describe three different things. These questions help you find out which one applies to your house.

By EMalove Lighting & home planning 5 min read

Read the practical checks below

Illustrative scenario — not a customer testimonial.

The update says the lights are done. You zoom into the photos from home: a fitting in the lounge, another above the stairs, a bright kitchen. It is tempting to tick lighting off the list and turn to the next expense.

But the photographs do not show every room. You cannot tell whether the bedrooms have their final fittings, which products were supplied or whether anything is waiting for approval. The update might be accurate about the work shown. It is still incomplete as a report on the house.

Instead of asking for more photographs generally, ask for an update room by room: selected, delivered, installed, or still waiting. That changes the conversation. The questions below help you make that distinction before “finished” becomes an assumption everyone interprets differently.

“Finished” can mean different things to different people

To one person, the house is finished when the wiring is complete. To another, it is when the fittings are installed. To you, it may mean walking into rooms that feel ready to live in. Those are different milestones, and a remote project can become frustrating when nobody makes the distinction.

Lighting sits across several responsibilities: product selection, electrical preparation, delivery, installation and final checks. The questions below help you establish who owns each part. They are not a substitute for a site inspection; they are a way to make the conversation more useful before you approve the next purchase.

Use the questions as a discussion, not an accusation

A relative, contractor or electrician may be doing their best with incomplete instructions. Start by explaining what you want the finished rooms to look and feel like. Then ask what has already been decided, which products have been chosen and what is still open.

Write the answers alongside each room. If an answer is uncertain, mark it as something to confirm rather than treating an assumption as an agreement. That gives your supplier and site team a chance to resolve the issue before an order is placed or a ceiling is closed.

Square Multi-Tier Raindrop Chandelier installed in a finished Nairobi villa

Planning context: agree the fitting, position and site requirements before installation. Illustrative image.

  1. Who is actually choosing my lighting?

    Agree your preferences and budget with your electrician and supplier before fittings are selected.

  2. Do I have a plan for every room, or just the ones someone remembered?

    Foyer, lounge, dining, kitchen, every bedroom, corridors, outdoor — all of it, in one document.

  3. Is the style consistent across the whole house?

    Check how the selected finishes work together before approving the room-by-room schedule.

  4. What happens if a fitting arrives damaged?

    Ask this before you pay, not after.

  5. Can I see proof it was actually installed?

    Photos and video, not just a verbal "it's done."

  6. Am I paying all at once, or in stages tied to progress?

    Staged payments protect you far better than paying everything upfront.

  7. Is the quote in KES, USD, or both?

    You should never have to do the currency math yourself under pressure.

  8. Who do I contact if something goes quiet for a week?

    One supplier, one contact — not five separate people to chase.

  9. Will the bulbs and fittings actually match what I approved?

    Get the exact product photos before anything is ordered.

  10. Do I have this in writing?

    A quote, a plan, a timeline — not just a phone conversation.

Turn each answer into something you can check

“We will choose nice lights” becomes a product list with pictures and finishes. “Delivery is included” becomes a stated destination and scope. “Installation is handled” becomes a named responsibility and an agreed date, subject to site readiness. These details are more useful than a general promise.

Keep the approved version together. When an alternative is proposed, record the change and its effect on price or timing. This is especially helpful across time zones, where a brief message can otherwise be mistaken for permission to make a larger decision.

The person reviewing those photos does not need a more dramatic promise. They need to know which rooms remain open and what action is expected from them. A short, labelled update can be more useful than another beautiful close-up.

A statement fitting above a dining table
Separate design inspiration, not an after-photo of the earlier room. Confirm the real product dimensions and finish before ordering.

Look at the whole home before approving one statement piece

A striking entrance fitting can be a good choice, but it does not finish the bedrooms, corridors or kitchen. List the less visible spaces too. Leaving them until the end can turn a considered scheme into a series of rushed purchases made with whatever budget remains.

You can still phase the order. The important part is to know the complete scope and deliberately choose what comes first. A room-by-room plan lets you distinguish a planned later purchase from something that was simply forgotten.

The next step is a clearer brief

If several answers are missing, you do not have to restart the project. Gather the room list, available photos, existing product choices and your target date. Ask your supplier to identify what can be quoted now and what needs measurements or an on-site check.

You can request the lighting checklist on WhatsApp and discuss your project with EMalove. There is no need to send a full floor plan just to start. Use the ten questions to keep the conversation focused on the decisions that make the house ready for you.

We built our process around these 10 questions

So you don't have to ask them one by one.

  1. 1Send your floor plan or room photos — no site visit required.
  2. 2We send back a written room-by-room lighting plan and quote in KES and USD.
  3. 3You approve it, pay in two stages, and we handle sourcing, delivery and fitting.
  4. 4Every step — arrival, install, final walkthrough — comes back to you on video.

Get The Full Diaspora Building Checklist

Ask for the lighting checklist on WhatsApp, then use it to discuss your own project. No floor plan is needed to request it.

Send Me The Checklist

WhatsApp opens with your checklist request. Ask us which points need attention in your project.

Before you get started

What happens after I enquire?

Tell us which rooms you are lighting, your location and your timing. Confirm the selected fittings, availability, delivery and any installation charges in your written quote before you order.

What should I have ready?

Room photos or a floor plan help us understand the space. Room dimensions and ceiling height are needed to check a fitting’s size and drop. Your installer should confirm site requirements before installation.

Free checklist No obligation Written quotes Video proof