Buying vs Hiring Tables and Chairs in Kenya: Which Costs Less?
By Foldable Tables and Chairs Kenya, Nairobi · Published
Quick answer: Hire tables and chairs if you have a single event and nowhere to store furniture. Buy them if you host more than a few events a year, if you are a church, school or family that gathers often, or if you can rent them out to neighbours. Divide the purchase price by what you pay for one hire to find how many events it takes to break even.
Many people in Kenya hire tables and chairs for every function out of habit. Others buy a set after paying hire fees two or three times in one year and realising the money is gone. Neither choice is always right. It depends on how often you need the furniture and what it costs you to hire each time.
The Break-Even Calculation
Events to break even = cost of buying ÷ cost of hiring for one event
Include everything in the hire cost: the rental fee, transport both ways, any deposit you lose for damaged or missing pieces, and the time spent collecting and returning furniture. Then check the current price of the items you would buy on our table price list and chair price list.
For example, if buying 4 tables and 30 chairs would cost about the same as hiring them six times, and your family or group hosts four or more events a year, the furniture pays for itself in under two years. After that, every event is free seating.
Hidden Costs of Hiring
- Peak season shortages: in December, Easter and school holidays, popular hire businesses are booked out and prices go up.
- Transport both ways: you pay for delivery and again for collection, or spend your own time and fuel.
- Damage charges: a cracked chair or a stained tablecloth can come out of your deposit.
- Condition and matching: hired chairs are often a mix of colours and ages, which shows in photos.
- Timing: furniture usually has to go back the same evening or next morning, which rushes the clean-up.
Hidden Costs of Buying
- Storage space: folded tables lie flat and chairs stack, but you still need a dry corner, store room or garage.
- Moving it: for events away from home, you will need a pickup or a delivery service.
- Upkeep: wiping down after events and replacing the occasional damaged piece.
Who Should Buy
| Buyer | Why buying usually wins |
|---|---|
| Churches | Weekly services plus weddings, funerals and fundraisers mean dozens of uses a year |
| Schools and colleges | Exams, parents’ days, sports days and dining all use the same tables |
| Families that host often | Christmas, birthdays and visitors add up to several events a year |
| Small businesses | Market stalls, salons, cyber cafés and offices use tables daily |
| Anyone starting a hire business | The furniture earns money every time it goes out |
Who Should Hire
Hiring makes sense for a one-time event with a large guest list when you have no storage space and nobody in the family will reuse the furniture. Even then, some families buy and then resell to relatives or a local church after the event, which brings much of the cost back.
A Middle Option
You do not have to choose all or nothing. Many households buy 2 to 4 foldable tables and 10 to 20 white folding chairs for everyday use and family gatherings, then hire extra chairs only for the occasional very large event. Others buy a full set and rent it out to neighbours, which is how many hire businesses start.
Ready to Compare Prices?
Send us your guest numbers and how often you host on WhatsApp 0756161300. We will suggest a set and give you a price so you can compare it with your hire quotes. Delivery in Nairobi takes about 3 hours and you pay on delivery.