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 […]
Expect more building failures as South Africans flout regulations
Expect more building failures as South Africans flout regulations A leading building inspector has warned that fatal building failures in South Africa like the collapse of a new Tongaat shopping mall will proliferate due to a lack of adequate policing of building standards and of building materials. John Graham, CEO of property inspection company HouseCheck […]
Attorney warns: CPA doesn’t apply to single property transaction
Attorney warns: CPA doesn’t apply to single property transaction A Cape Town attorney, specialising in property transactions has warned prospective buyers to thoroughly inspect properties before buying. The attorney Denver Vraagom of Gunston Attorneys recommends that prospective buyers should consider using inspection professionals if required for peace of mind. Buyers need to be careful, says […]
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 […]
Buyers beware: Don’t skip the home inspection
Buyers beware: Don’t skip the home inspection Buying a house, especially if you are a first-time buyer, is both nerve-wracking and extremely expensive. Once you’ve added to the purchase price, transfer duty, legal fees and the cost of relocating (moving, curtains, schooling etc) the total cost of buying a new home can be huge, John […]
I am a victim, says Tobie
I am a victim, says Tobie Here is another sad story about a house buyer who bought voetstoots without the protection of a home inspection. Now neither the bank, which gave him the bond and which insured the house, the estate agent who pocketed the commission, nor the private seller can or will help Tobie. […]
HouseCheck wins accolades
Our Tableview franchisee Annelize McCarthy is a person who truly represents the HouseCheck spirit of customer service and attention to detail. Here are some recent accolades sent to Annelize by satisfied HouseCheck clients. I am including these as a blog because I think that the views of these clients really show why a home inspection […]
Conflict of interest
Below is email correspondence this week between HouseCheck inspector, Gerrie van Niekerk, and a satisfied client from Cape Town: Good morning Gerrie. Thank you for the detailed report, it is extremely professional and helpful. Is there a company you can refer us to for the waterproofing problem? Regards Janette. Gerrie replied: Hi Janette, Thanks for the […]
Latent defects are hard to spot
It is very important for buyers to fully understand the condition of a house before they buy it. While some defects such as damp stained ceilings, wall cracks and damp walls might be more obvious, latent (hidden) defects such as rotten roof beams or a leaking geyser are more difficult to spot. Yet potential buyers […]
Voetstoots – latent and patent defects and the home inspection report
What is the real effect of a voetstoots clause in a property sales contract if the buyer later discovers undisclosed defects in the house being bought? Because the authority of the Consumer Protection Act does not extend to private “once-off” sellers of real estate, most sellers and their agents still rely heavily on the insertion […]