Local couple, Peter and Jenny, wanted to place their property on the market and look for something smaller that better suited their needs after the kids had moved out. However, when looking at other listings for Blairgowrie houses for sale, they noticed that many of these listings needed a lot of work and realised that often when people need to make the choice of staying in place and renovating their house or selling it, that homeowners opt to sell.

When homeowners reach the point of deciding to renovate or sell, it’s because their home no longer meets their needs. Either they need more space because the family is growing, or they need less space because the kids have left home, or they wish to take on a tenant to ease the bond repayments, or they don’t want a pool any more, etc.

How to choose?
Do a detailed cost analysis of both options. How much will it cost to relocate, taking into consideration costs of an electrical certificate, transfer and lawyer fees, agent commission, and moving company? Chances are you’ll want to make small changes to the new property, so those need to be factored in too. And how much will it cost to renovate? Get pricing for all the changes you want to make, including plans and approval (if you want to build on), fittings, fixtures, paint, labor, and materials. Then add on 10% for any unforeseen costs.

when to renovate?

• You trust your building contractor to do the best job.
•  You need to be closer to work or want to find better schools for your kids
•  You can’t handle the disruption of renovations.
•  Renovating may overprice your home for your particular neighborhood ,you won’t be able to cash in on your renovation investment when you decide to sell.

If you have been through this decision-making process, let us know in the comments below what worked for you, or if you’re in a fix after making the wrong choice – what should you have done and why?

Visuals are courtesy of:realtor.com and dendovermep.co.uk

Real estate agents will tell you that the one thing that matters most in the search for property is… location, location, location. So in your search for houses for sale in Gauteng, have you perhaps considered the architectural influences of national buildings, historical icons that shape the Pretoria horizon, or the effects of a newly-built soccer stadium on the near-vicinity house prices? The Gauteng (and South African) landscape is dotted with unforgettable architecture, such as:

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You’ve spent a few months at your new job in Johannesburg, where life moves fast and can be exciting and dangerous and challenging. You’re ready to settle down in the city and make this a permanent move, so you’re busy checking out houses for sale in Gauteng. Before you get ahead of yourself, here are some important considerations for your home buying journey ahead:

1. Have you got the finance?

Instead of looking for your dream home, finding the perfect place and then applying to the bank, only to be told you can only afford 76% of the sale price, rather visit the bank first and find out how much you qualify for. Do this before putting down any non-refundable deposits, only to find out that the bank doesn’t want to be as generous as you’d hoped.

2. Do you have a long-term plan?

Even if buying a loft apartment seems like a trendy idea now, be honest with yourself about the long-term. What if you meet your other half and want to settle down? Will your 64m² place be big enough for the two of you (and her cats)? Buying a home gives you the opportunity to figure out what you want from the long term, and once you know that, you’ll be able to make wiser home-buying choices.

3. Do you know the neighbourhood?

Even if you find your dream home and want to purchase it on the spot, it’s important to remember that that home comes attached to a neighbourhood that has a personality and culture of its own. This is coupled with your long-term plan. If you don’t want kids, then there’s no reason to buy near to a school. However, if you do want kids, it’s important to know that there will be other kids of similar age in the neighbourhood, going to the same schools.

4. Do you know this is the right house?

There are two sides to this question – are you buying on impulse? Have you seen at least 10 or 20 other houses that you like? Do you know for sure that this is the one? Then – it’s also not such a great idea to see 100 houses without making a final decision. Are you waiting for the perfect house to come along, and in the process, missing the perfect house? Make a list of your criteria, and when you find them, make an offer!

5. Are you buying within your budget?

Often, new buyers will find out they qualify for a R900 000 home loan, so they’ll find a house for R900 000.  Remember that home ownership isn’t just about repaying a monthly bond. You also need to consider the cost of rates and taxes, electricity and water (always a rising cost), as well as home security fees, and other important monthly expenses like food. Don’t over-extend yourself. This is one consideration for home ownership where you need to be absolutely honest with yourself about what you can and can’t afford.

Image courtesy of: dcmetrohomeblog.com

We can see some of you simply recoiling at the idea of living close to your family – whether it’s your in-laws or your own parents, or even siblings that will get their noses stuck in your business if you live in the same city or town, or whether it’s the temptation to turn your mother into a permanent unpaid babysitter, we can see that you don’t approve of the idea.

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You’ve come to the end of your lease and since you’ve saved up for a deposit on your home loan, the time has come for you to buy your very own property. You’ve seen some pretty cool houses for sale in Florida, Constantia Kloof, and you might even go as far as Weltevreden Park, but you want to keep it close to work.

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What do Oprah, Tyra, Ellen and Ricki all have in common? Besides all being female, hugely successful TV talk show hosts, and each having a single-name title, they all share a very important person: their set design, Anton Goss.

The sets that Goss designs have to be grand enough to “work” on TV, yet not too pretentious as to be kitsch or unapproachable. Think of how rooms in show houses are staged, except these aren’t houses for sale, but rather the on-screen sets of some of the world’s most popular daytime TV talk shows.

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The Olympic Games put a bee in your bonnet: if you start now, perhaps your five-year-old can do for you what Chad Le Clos did for his dad – turn you into an international media sensation. First thing’s first: you need a swimming pool, but how do you decide which one? There are three main choices in terms of swimming pool. You’ll make your decision based on two main factors: size and cost.

Concrete or Gunite swimming pool

The hardiest swimming pool, a concrete pool requires extensive planning, digging and moulding or setting time. It’s the most expensive type of swimming pool, but also the most durable. Concrete is the most beneficial material to work with because it can be moulded into any shape imaginable, so you can really build the most unique pool in the neighbourhood. Plus, your little swimming star can boast that he learned to swim in a pool shaped like Spongebob, which is meaningful on so many levels.

Fibreglass swimming pool

Fibreglass pools are the easiest pools to install and the most cost-effective. They come in a pre-cast fibreglass mould, for which the hole in your backyard simply needs to be dug. Aside from the quick install of an economical swimming pool, there are some downsides: designs are limited, and since the pool mould is positioned and lowered by a crane, you will need to have considerable space in your backyard to allow the crane to move around. Overhead power lines and telephone wires will also get in the way.

Vinyl swimming pool

The major benefit of a vinyl pool is that it’s essentially a single piece of thick vinyl (20 mm-30 mm-thick) that lines an excavated hole in the ground. Vinyl pools have less variety than concrete, but more than fibreglass. The convenience and versatility of a vinyl pool is marred only by the danger of poking a hole in the vinyl lining. Over-excited swimming dogs, sharp swimming pool toys and delinquent teenagers might just cause a bit of damage to a vinyl pool. Make sure you get the thickest liner possible to prevent the need for plugging a hole.

On a final note: before going to all the trouble of kick-starting your dreams and living vicariously through your child, make sure he actually wants to swim!

Image courtesy of: gandpswimmingpools.co.uk

After the US markets crashed and many homes were repossessed, players and investors in the US economy needed to look at where they were investing their money and what smart moves they could make to ensure that, with the market’s recovery, there would be no repeats of this mistake in future.

Enter Warren Buffet – arguably one of the best investment brains in the world

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There is still a massive effort from many sectors in the South African economy to “go green” and reduce the country’s carbon footprint. It’s exciting and refreshing to see that real estate is also jumping on the bandwagon of sustainable development – and not just because it’s required in the industry, but because landlords and tenants are demanding it.

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If you plan to attend this year’s Joy of Jazz festival, there is plenty to anticipate. The festival and its sponsors will be lauded with having put South African jazz on the international map for the last 13 years, when this year’s festival opens on 23 August. The festival will be spread across various locations in the Newtown precinct, with stages being erected in the city to cater for the more than 20 000 anticipated guests. The build-up to the Joy of Jazz festival started in March, consisting of live acts performing at different venues in Joburg.

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