A Cape Town estate agent, Bobby Ewing (name has been changed), wrote HouseCheck a letter this week which I think really exposes the deep seated and essentially unjust nature of the South African real estate industry. Bobby is an estate agent who is obviously both sincere and serious about his profession and I don’t for […]
Why Voetstoots can be so unjust and immoral Read More »
The South African residential property market is adjusting to the tough economic climate and new homes are getting smaller and more basic – with fewer bedrooms, swimming pools, staff quarters or garages. These reductions have implications for home inspection fees: HouseCheck home inspection quotes are based on the number of rooms and so HouseCheck clients
SA Homes Getting Smaller Read More »
Buyers of privately owned homes face massive potential risks and, despite the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), South African home buyers remain one of the least protected classes of consumers. Because the law does not provide practical protection for buyers of second hand homes from private sellers, the only option is for South African home buyers
SA home buyers take huge risks with voetstoots clause Read More »
It’s a tough time to be selling property and forward thinking estate agents are seeking ways to reinvent themselves as trusted transparent advisors, rather than mere marketers of property. Home inspections and compliance with the spirit of the Consumer Protection Act are two obvious strategies for future success in the property business. Not only is
Property industry needs to reinvent itself Read More »
According to Bill Rawson, chairman of Rawson Properties, there is “much ignorance” among estate agents and consumers as to how the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) affects property transactions. Rawson adds that leaders in the property industry had mostlysupported the more stringent transparency concepts which were now enforceable under the CPA Rawson is quoted in the
Estate agency chiefs warn agents about the CPA Read More »
HouseCheck home inspectors reckon that badly installed or faulty hot water geysers are easily the most common problem they encounter when doing home inspections. Here are some geyser problems which you the home owner may encounter. Dripping geyser overflow Geysers often leak (drip) through the pressure control valve overflow pipe. This is normal as the
Geyser troubleshooting Read More »
Leaking roofs are a very common problem identified in home inspections. HouseCheck home inspections show that there are three main issues to consider when diagnosing and fixing leaking roofs: The condition of the roof covering. This includes cracked, broken or dislodged tiles or slates, damaged or corroded roof sheeting, weathered thatch. Incorrect installation can render
Detecting and understanding roof leaks Read More »
Take 15 minutes to walk through any house and the chances are good that you will find several cracks in the inside and outside walls and possibly also some cracks through floor tiles or in the garage floor screed. Cracks are one of the most common problems found during home inspections of South African homes.
Understanding cracks in your house Read More »
Geyser installations are often incorrect An incorrectly installed hot water heater is the most common defect discovered by HouseCheck inspectors in South African homes. These defects can be very dangerous and clearly result when untrained, or un-supervised workers are left alone in the roof cavity to do the geyser installation. Most new geyser installations are
Geyser installation Read More »
By John Graham How did consumerism spread so quickly? In this age of instant information, the world is changing at an increasingly fast pace. There is a multiplication factor at work as more and more people communicate through the internet. A trend which once may have taken several decades to become obvious now occurs almost
The Tsunami of Consumerism Read More »
