New law will give big boost to home inspection industry
The imminent publication of the draft Property Practitioner’s Bill (PPB) is a game changer for the small but fast-growing South African home inspection industry. The PPB is expected to give a massive boost to the local home inspection industry and in doing so create up to 10 000 new jobs in the private and public […]
CoC issues with electrical installation and electric fence
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 agent, but all that I […]
Tips for buying a renovated home
Are you about to buy a newly renovated home? If yes this is for you. 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 […]
The consumer is king
The South Gauteng High Court has dismissed an urgent application with costs by Cell C against a banner critical of service at one of its retail outlets. This judgement followed the putting up of a huge banner on a busy road by an irate customer criticizing Cell C after attempting to have his phone repaired […]
Home inspection: SA estate agents are laggards
Home inspection is really taking off in South Africa but estate agents are still lagging far behind international trends in consumer protection. The majority of South African estate agents are still not recommending that buyers make a home inspection a condition of their offer if the property is being sold voetstoots. HouseCheck, South Africa’s leading home […]
How to build a safe and stable boundary wall
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 […]
What makes HouseCheck different?
At HouseCheck, we believe home inspections should provide home buyers and sellers and their estate agents with clarity and confidence, not anxiety. We believe a strong brand and consistent inspection and reporting standards inspires confidence from real estate agents and gives clarity to home buyers and sellers. The HouseCheck professional brand difference is the first […]
High litigation costs a threat to incautious home buyers
The Oscar Pistorius and Shrien Dewani trials have highlighted the huge cost of litigation in South Africa. This often means that justice is reserved for the rich. John Graham CEO of HouseCheck says the same situation mostly applies in the real estate world where buyers of second hand homes enjoy no effective government sponsored consumer protection […]
SA must get its home building act together
South Africa needs a massive wake-up call as regards policing of its building standards for residential housing, says John Graham CEO of HouseCheck in the wake of the collapse of a double storey house in Alberton which killed seven people yesterday. Our building regulations are among the finest in the world, but enforcement of these […]
Chas Everitt: Home inspections FAQ
Barry Davies, a director of the Chas Everitt International Property has published a valuable guide to home inspections in the form of Frequently Asked Questions on the Chas Everitt website – see http://www.chaseveritt.co.za/home-inspection-faqs What is a home inspection?This is a thorough check of all accessible areas of a house by a trained and observant home inspector. […]