Negotiating the repairs
Negotiating the repairs Many home sellers in South Africa are discovering that the days of unloading undisclosed problems onto unsuspecting buyers are past, says John Graham CEO of house inspection company, HouseCheck. Graham says savvy South African buyers are becoming much more aware of the potential risks which the standard voetstoots clause poses to buyers. […]
Why sellers should have their home inspected before listing
Why sellers should have their home inspected before listing A seller should always consider paying to have a property inspected by a professional home inspector before putting the house on the market. A home inspection report gives the seller advance warning of any potential problems and also allows the seller to deal with these problems […]
Home inspection: What to expect
Home Inspection: What to expect If you’re buying a home, then you’re in one of the financially riskiest places of your life. After weeks, or months of searching, your new home is now becoming a reality and you’re getting set to make the biggest investment of your life. But before you can pick out the […]
Negotiating the deal
Negotiating the deal More and more South African home buyers are now making their offer to purchase (OTP) contingent on a “satisfactory” home inspection report – usually paid for by the buyer. This means that, while the signed OTP places seller and buyer “on the same page” and guarantees the deal, the buyer still has […]
10 Most Common Problems that estate agents, buyers and sellers should know about
10 Most Common Problems that estate agents, buyers and sellers should know about HouseCheck home inspectors know that most home defects they are likely to find in a typical house are fairly similar. Knowing about these common home problems can help the estate agent advise both the buyer and seller. Here are 10 common home […]
When should agents recommend a home inspection?
When should agents recommend a home inspection? We had a call recently from an estate agent who wanted to know: “Do estate agents recommend to all buyers that they get a home inspection or do they only recommend a home inspection to buyers if they suspect the property may have hidden problems?” Estate agents should […]
Are estate agents qualified to give this opinion?
Are estate agents qualified to give this opinion? A brief five minute browse through the Private Property web pages this morning revealed some interesting claims made by estate agents about certain properties that they are marketing. When describing the properties they have used terms such as “Immaculate condition” and “sheer perfection”. From a buyers perspective […]
Rawson warns about risks of voetstoots sales
Rawson warns about risks of voetstoots sales Estate agent doyen Bill Rawson this week warned agents and home buyers about the perils of buying a property where alterations and additions have not been approved by the local municipality. Rawson pointed out that private one-off sellers are not governed by the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and […]
OTP should have home inspection as default
OTP should have home inspection as default An estate agent called me the other day to say that his buyer was asking for a home inspection report as a condition of sale. “I hope that this doesn’t cost me the deal” the agent confided anxiously. “Almost certainly not”, I reassured him. “HouseCheck takes the view […]
Questions to ask your estate agent
Questions to ask your estate agent South Africans spend more than R500-million a month on estate agent commissions. If you are a home buyer then follow these tips to make sure you ask the right questions and get your money’s worth: Ask: How long has this house been on the market? This is a very […]