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Worker in an orange helmet and safety vest bending on wooden scaffold boards to plaster a grey wall, with a bucket beside him
A construction worker on scaffolding applies cement plaster to a building facade.

Renovation in Zanzibar: houses, villas and older buildings

We carry out renovation in Zanzibar on houses, villas, flats and other existing buildings, from one leaking roof to a full strip-out and refit. Every job starts with a site survey and a written defect list, and only then do we price the work item by item. We work in Zanzibar only.

Opens a WhatsApp chat with Coral & Teak. No forms.

What we do: renovation in Zanzibar for existing buildings

Our work here covers buildings that already stand: houses, villas, flats, shops and guesthouses. The scope can be a single bathroom, a kitchen, the roof or every room down to bare walls.

An existing building, unlike a new house, hides part of its problems, and the price depends on finding them early. So we survey first, list every defect and build the estimate from that list. New interiors are planned from the same survey by our interior design and fit-out service.

You can stay in the house during the works or leave us the keys. To see what a dated photo record of site work looks like, open the stages of a villa build in Zanzibar.

Older buildings and houses in Stone Town

Older buildings, including houses in Stone Town, get the same survey with extra attention to original doors, ceilings and plaster you may want to keep. Before any work starts we find out which permission the job needs; our guide to building permits in Zanzibar sets out what official sources say.

What a house renovation in Zanzibar includes

The survey and the estimate come first, followed by any of the trades below, together or one at a time.

Included

  • Site survey and a written defect list with photos
  • Itemised estimate based on that list and your brief
  • Roof repairs: leaks, gutters, parapets, the roof slab or a new roof covering
  • Plaster repairs, damp treatment and repainting inside and out
  • New wiring and lighting, water supply and drainage pipes
  • Bathroom and kitchen refits down to new tiles and fittings
  • Layout changes: walls moved and new openings, after a structural check

Not included

  • We build on a plot you already hold.
  • New buildings, covered by our house construction service
  • Interior design and furniture selection, a separate service
  • Work outside Zanzibar
Roof slab reinforcement on a villa site in Zanzibar, aerial view: steel mesh and conduits laid on formwork over block walls
Roof slab reinforcement. Photo: .

How a Zanzibar renovation goes, step by step

Nothing found behind old finishes is priced as a guess: it gets its own written price before work goes on. The sequence every job follows, adapted for an existing building, is in how the process changes for a renovation.

  1. First message and photos

    You send photos of the rooms, the roof and any damage, and say what you want changed.

    You receive: Our questions and a date for the site visit.

  2. Site survey

    We check the roof, walls, floors, wiring, plumbing and drainage room by room, marking what stays hidden until opened.

    You receive: A written defect list with photos, sorted into urgent, needed and optional.

  3. Itemised estimate and work plan

    Each defect and each wish gets its own priced line. If you stay in the house, we agree which rooms remain in use.

    You receive: An itemised estimate with unknowns listed separately, and a plan by room.

  4. Strip-out and hidden defects

    Old finishes, fittings and pipes come out where agreed. Whatever turns up behind them is photographed and priced before work continues.

    You receive: A written price for each extra item, for your approval.

  5. Repairs, services and finishes

    Roof and structure first, then new wiring and pipes, then plaster, tiles and paint, one section at a time.

    You receive: A photo report after every stage on WhatsApp.

  6. Final check and handover

    Each line of the defect list is ticked off room by room against the finished work, and the routes of new pipes and cables are marked on a plan.

    You receive: A record of the pipes and cables replaced, with photos taken before they were covered.

How the survey shapes the time and cost of renovation in Zanzibar

The roof, what hides in walls and floors, and how much you change move the total most. We do not publish renovation prices; the parts of an estimate are explained in how an estimate is built.

FactorWhy it mattersWhat we need from you
Condition of the roof and structure Leaks or cracks there decide the order and scope of all other work, so we check them first. Photos of ceilings, the roof and any cracks.
What is hidden in walls and floors Old pipes and cables show fully only once opened, so the estimate marks them as items to confirm. Drawings or notes from past repairs.
Living in the house during the works Smaller sections, daily clean-up and protected routes through the rooms add time. Which rooms you must keep using.
Layout changes Moving a wall or cutting an opening needs a structural check before anything is removed. A sketch of the layout you want.
Fittings and original features We price the exact tiles, sanitaryware and units you choose; old doors or plaster you keep are repaired to match. Your choice of fittings or a budget per room, and the features to keep.

What we need from you to start a house renovation

Photos of the building, its location and a note on what you want changed let us plan the survey visit. Drawings help but are optional.

  • The town or area in Zanzibar where the building is
  • Photos of each room, the roof and any damage
  • What you want repaired and what you want changed
  • Whether you will live there during the works
  • Any drawings or notes on past repairs

Questions about renovation in Zanzibar

How much does a house renovation cost in Zanzibar?

The estimate has one priced line for each defect on the survey list and each change you ask for. Items hidden until walls and floors are opened sit in a separate group. Fittings are priced from the exact models you choose. Send photos of each room, the roof and any damage on WhatsApp, and we arrange the survey.

How long does a renovation take in Zanzibar?

What the survey finds in the roof, walls, pipes and wiring sets the scope and the order of rooms, and so the time. Living in the house during the works and delivery of fittings also count. No duration is given before that visit; afterwards we write a work plan by room and update it if hidden defects change the job.

Do you take on small renovation jobs, such as one bathroom?

Yes. A single bathroom, a kitchen or one leaking roof goes through the same survey and defect list, scaled to that room. The estimate then covers only that room, plus any defect next to it that affects the work, such as a wet wall behind the tiles.

Can you repair a leaking roof without replacing it?

That depends on where the water gets in, so we find that point first: the covering, the roof slab, gutters, parapets or pipe openings. Damage in one area gets a repair price. If it is spread across the roof, we price a repair and a new covering side by side.

Send us photos of the building and a few lines on what you want fixed. We reply with questions, arrange a site survey and price the work from it.