Not Everyone Wants a Mansion. Some Just Want a Good House with a Fence and a Garden.
Not Everyone Wants a Mansion. Some Just Want a Good House with a Fence and a Garden.
There’s a quiet revolution taking place in how people think about home ownership in Rwanda. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t shout. But it’s significant.
I’ve spoken with dozens of potential homeowners and investors over the last few months - young professionals working in Kigali, mid-career parents abroad looking to invest back home, and local families finally ready to move from renting to owning. And again and again, I hear a version of the same thing:
“I don’t need a mansion. I just want a proper house. A decent, well-built home. Something with privacy, a garden. A place I can settle. That’s all.”
It’s a simple request. But in today’s real estate market, it’s surprisingly hard to find.
The Quiet Middle
Rwanda’s housing landscape, like that of many growing cities across Africa, is heavily polarised. On one end, we have luxury properties: expansive villas perched on hilltops, built for high-end investors or upper-class buyers. On the other end, there are government-supported affordable housing projects, targeted at low-income earners.
But what about the middle? What about the family with two incomes, who’ve saved over time and are now ready to buy - not in high-end neighbourhoods, but somewhere they can actually afford? What about the diaspora Rwandan who wants to come home a few times a year and eventually retire - but doesn’t want to build a ten-bedroom house that sits empty most of the time? What about the person who simply wants a three-bedroom home, in a secure neighbourhood, with running water, maybe solar option, a kitchen that makes sense, and a patch of garden to call their own?
That’s who we’re building for at Masaka Views.
The Myth of “Bigger Is Better”
There’s a deeply ingrained idea - across much of Africa, not just Rwanda - that success must be proven in bricks and square meters. That the larger the house, the louder the proof of one’s achievement. And yet, if you walk through many oversized homes, what do you find? Rooms that aren’t used. Spaces that are hard to clean. Balconies that gather dust. Expensive finishes that crack after two rainy seasons. Some of the most beautiful homes I’ve seen in Kigali aren’t the biggest. They’re the smartest. Homes that breathe. Homes that flow. Homes that feel both functional and warm, modern but rooted. These are not “statement homes.” They’re living homes.
At Fortis Green Housing, we believe it’s time to challenge the bigger-is-better narrative. Not by rejecting ambition, but by reimagining it.
What if success wasn’t a giant compound on a remote hill? What if it was a thoughtfully designed house, well-insulated and affordable to maintain, within walking distance of Kigali’s growing health hub?
Designing for Real Life
When we started designing Masaka Views, we asked a simple question: What do people actually need to live well? Not what looks impressive on a glossy brochure, or what feels “aspirational” to a foreign investor. But what makes day-to-day living easier, calmer, healthier? That meant paying attention to things others overlook:
- Homes that are not too big, but well-proportioned for family life.
- Fenced private gardens - because in Rwanda, privacy and outdoor space matter.
- Carefully considered window placement and ventilation - so homes stay cool naturally.
- Kitchens that make sense for the way people actually cook.
- Storage. Because everyone needs somewhere to put things.
- Optionality - between our “Essential” and “Standard” finishes - because not everyone wants the same thing, or the same level of completion.
- Parking for two cars, because we know you’ll likely need one, and visitors will come.
And yes, the little touches - like where you’d hang laundry, or sit with friends on a Sunday afternoon - also matter to us. This is not minimalist for the sake of fashion. It’s intentional simplicity - a home designed around real life in Rwanda.
The Value of Enough
We live in a time where everything is built to impress. But at Fortis Green, we’re more interested in building homes that last. Homes where your kids can grow up with space to play. Where you can plant a tree and watch it grow. Where guests feel welcome and you feel proud - not because it’s opulent, but because it fits.
There’s real dignity in enough.
A home that’s manageable. Affordable to maintain. Easy to secure. Comfortable year-round. Close enough to Kigali to stay connected, but far enough to breathe. A home where you’re not constantly worried about finishing it “someday.” One that’s either ready to move into, or finished to a high structural standard so you can do the final touches at your own pace - without taking on unnecessary stress or cost. We’re not selling dream homes in the air. We’re selling real homes, on real plots, in a part of Kigali that’s rising steadily: Masaka, a location set to become a cornerstone of the city’s future thanks to the Kigali Medical City, nearby logistics parks, and new infrastructure links.
Our Promise
We don’t believe in pressuring people into buying homes they can’t afford or don’t need. We believe in offering something better: the right-sized home in the right place at the right time. A home that balances beauty with function, aspiration with realism.
Not everyone wants a mansion. Some just want a good house - with a fence, a garden, and the peace of knowing they’ve made a wise decision. If that’s you, we built Masaka Views with you in mind.
If you'd like to learn more about our homes for sale in Masaka Views, including our three finish options (Essential, Standard and Luxe), you can visit www.fortisgreenhousing.com or get in touch directly via sales@fortisgreenhousing.com.
