Some property investors make their money by buying older houses in good neighbourhoods – then renovating and “flipping” the house. This is a good business strategy for the property investor. It can also benefit the home buyer who can often get an upgraded and modernized home in a well-established older area. Such homes are usually …
When I was a small boy growing up on the outskirts of Johannesburg a free-standing wall fell on my late sister and me resulting in broken bones and for my sister a lengthy stay in hospital. Poor foundations, bad design, lack of expansion joints and piers (support pillars) can result in masonry boundary walls developing unsightly and …
Understanding Damp Damp damage to South African houses is one of the most worrisome conditions for estate agents and potential buyers or sellers. A HouseCheck home inspector will usually be able to diagnose the cause of the damp and place the situation in a practical cost-context. Like most problems, once the situation has been faced …
Understanding cracks Home Inspectors are trained to classify cracks Most buildings crack, but when should you become concerned? Most houses in South Africa will sooner or later develop wall cracks. Most of these cracks are not serious and can be ascribed to slight settlement of the foundations, mortar shrinkage, or slight roof movement. However, some …
HouseCheck home inspectors very often find black mould growing on the walls and ceilings of bathrooms and bedrooms. John Graham CEO of HouseCheck explains that mould is a fungus. Mould usually occurs in rooms such as bathrooms and bedrooms which are badly ventilated and which contain damp air (from shower steam or even from humans …
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 …
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Neighbours and building plan departures I had an interesting call from Brian (name has been changed) in Pinelands, Cape Town. Brian’s neighbours want to put a second story on their existing thatched roof house, which like many older Cape Town properties has been built over the building line. This house is only 2 meters from …
Thatch specifications HouseCheck home inspectors take the following factors into account when inspecting thatch roofs:Thatch should have a minimum thickness of 175 mm and a maximum thickness of around 250 mm and the thatch should be well-compacted. Good compaction of the thatch results in better durability and will also slow down the spread of fire. …
Damp damage to house walls is frequently encountered by HouseCheck inspectors. HouseCheck inspectors are equipped with sensitive moisture meters which enable them to determine whether the visible damp damage is old, unrepaired, damp damage or whether the surface is still wet. Wet surfaces indicate that the problem is on-going. HouseCheck inspectors also use their experience …
Damp, often in the corner of a room is sometimes seen by HouseCheck home inspectors. This is likely to be rising damp, or it may be damp from a leaking pipe in an adjoining bathroom, or maybe penetrating damp caused by a garden sprinkler continually wetting an outside wall. Rising damp is usually caused by …