Property transactions are complex and this was brought home recently when doing an inspection for a client. A young couple had bought a place from a developer off-plan. The developer built the house, and by and large the workmanship was good. The experience however, was not. Normal tensions between the builders…
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A new Bill with big implications for buyers, sellers and estate agents, the Property Practitioners Bill, was passed in Parliament yesterday. This bill follows the international trend of providing greater consumer protection. The bill closes the gap in providing protection to buyers of second-hand homes which The Consumer Protection Act…
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A letter we addressed to estate agents on 20 November 2018 turned out to be prophetic. It pointed out that organisations need to act in a way that is seen to be just and equitable and if they do not do so they will face the court of public opinion….
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The Consumer Tribunal set up in terms of the consumer protection act issued a judgment in 2014 that clarifies the rights of sellers and buyers in a second-hand property transaction. In case number NCT/12984/2014/75(1) (b) CPA the applicant sought relief from the first respondent (the estate agent), the second respondent…
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Properly anchoring the roof to the walls in fundamental for structural soundness. Yet there appears to be a loophole in the legislative requirements which may leave home buyers exposed. HouseCheck was recently commissioned to do a HouseCheck on two relatively newly built duplex units. When inspecting the roof cavity it was…
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The new Property Practitioner’s Bill (PPB) will go a long way to “levelling the playing fields” for South African home buyers, sellers and their estate agents, says John Graham of HouseCheck, South Africa’s leading home inspection company. Graham says the proposed new law will ensure much better consumer protection for…
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It would seem that nobody is exempt from being ripped off by bad workmanship, or by a shoddy approach to upgrades. HouseCheck offers a special report for those contemplating “upgrades” or those who may be in conflict with their builders. Use an indépendant SAHITA and NABISA accredited inspector to make…
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Home inspectors are unable to document all defects in a home for the simple reason that not all defects are visible and therefore able to be observed by the inspector. For this reason most reputable home inspection strive for transparency and full disclosure up front and their reports usually come…
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In rejecting an appeal against an insurance company for defective plumbing the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance, Dennis Jooste has warned home buyers that the onus remains on home buyers to satisfy themselves that the property was not defective in any form. Jooste dismissed a buyer’s claim against Absa for leaking…
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Dear John, I recently bought a house with a non compliant electrical CoC. I am a qualified electrician myself, but do not have a wireman’s license. I can see all the areas where there is no compliance. I have informed the transfer attorney of this as well as the estate…
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