The home renovations that will give the best return on investment in South Africa right now

[TedLasso]

First off, you are never guaranteed that you will ever get your money back on any renovations you do at your home. You may end up hundreds of thousands of Rands in the gutter.

Secondly, with a government gunning for EWC, and taking away property ownership rights, your current property may not be worth the value of the paper the deed is printed on.

Until we get clarification on EWC and the future of the ANC in government, properties remain a bad investment in SA.

Yup. Looking at our area, prices down about 500k from our purchase price 4 years ago, and we have done about R400k of improvements (basically fixing some bad workmanship by previous owners). Not happy, as we want to ditch this country because of the EFFing cANCer.
Ah that's another bar I've lost.


Edit:- I will have to remove most of the cool WiFi / home automation bits if I sell or rent this place. Fok!

 

[Steamy Tom]

Out of interest; why no tarred driveways? I plan on pulling up my driveway - its brick, but that horrible pattern, half cut brick **** that is coming up.

tarred driveways look kaaaaaaak

 

[randomcat]

Pay a hot looking couple to go for a run everyday. If they have a cute looking kid, they can bring it along in a decent stroller.

Follow me for more property advice.

 

[rubber_otter]

Having been renovating houses for 33 years, I'd suggest

Install
1 - A neat kitchen with built-in appliances, a large pantry
2 - Neat bathroom
3 - Pay attention to the hot and cold water supply
4 - A brick-paved driveway with real bricks
8 - Neat light fittings
9 - Curtain rods
10 - Pay attention to the condition of the ceiling - no strips
11 - Fit a modern electrical DB with plenty of plugs
12 - Pay attention to insulation
13 - A tidy and water-wise garden, a minimum of grass
14 - Driveway gate and motor

I just bought a house with all of these. It was really well thought out and the owner put a lot of effort in here. Hoping I can maintain his level of perfection here.

 

[Priapus]

tarred driveways look kaaaaaaak

Yes, yes they do.

 

[chrisc]

We made sure that the house to be renovated was in a good suburb like Rondebosch or Kenilworth so the ROI was worrhwhile

There were a few Sheriff auction houses that were so cheap that a good finish (nothing over the top) was acceptable

Most renovation jobs were complete in 10 weeks and the returns were good. It also provided employment for 8 to 10 people

 

[chrisc]

Yes, yes they do.

Tarred driveways absorb dirt and oil, show weeds readily and are difficult to clean. It can also be difficult to get levels right to avoid puddles of water

 

[Priapus]

Tarred driveways absorb dirt and oil, show weeds readily and are difficult to clean. It can also be difficult to get levels right to avoid puddles of water

I want to get my driveway done. But that is like a 60k bill I can live without for now.

 

[reneil69]

Intruder proof glass good enough to not require burglar bars? We are renovating our home slowly using only cash so need to do it in phases. My biggest gripe is the burglar bars. They really spoil the entire look, feel and flow of the house.



One of the most underrated way to improve a home. Those ugly boob lights were the first on my list to be replaced. It's also an inexpensive way to bring a home up to date.

@Emjay Have a look at Magnadoor burglar bar products. May cost a little more but looks dam sleek. Got them to do my burglar bars and it's solid.. only way to get those bars off would be to break the wall!

 

[Sideshow Bob]

Coincidence. I was budgeting one bathroom renovation few days ago. This is what I came up with so far, excluding labour. Still need to add specifics but I think this covers most of it.

Are these reasonable estimates for a 2m x 4m size bathroom? Too high/Too low? I suspect Tiles are gonna cost me more than 10K because ceiling is approx 2.8m high.

	55000​
Toilet set	3000​
Shower column	5000​
Bath	5000​
Bath accessories etc	2000​
Twin Basin + faucets	5000​
Twin cabinet	4000​
Shower enclosure	5000​
Mirror	2000​
Tiles (floor & walls up to ceiling)	10000​
Railings	2000​
Marble slab for basins	5000​
Sundries	5000​
Light fittings - downlights	2000​

 

[rietrot]

I want to get my driveway done. But that is like a 60k bill I can live without for now.

Whut? Do you live on a farm with 200m of driveway.

Bevel Bond Paver Brick 50MM - Terra Cotta (Per 1000 Bricks)

We supply, Deliver and Install Concrete Brick pavers. Cement pavers , Quality pavers available in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban. nationwide Deliveries to your project.

www.pavementmaterials.co.za

R3500 for 20m^2

 

[Steamy Tom]

Coincidence. I was budgeting one bathroom renovation few days ago. This is what I came up with so far, excluding labour. Still need to add specifics but I think this covers most of it.

Are these reasonable estimates for a 2m x 4m size bathroom? Too high/Too low? I suspect Tiles are gonna cost me more than 10K because ceiling is approx 2.8m high.

	55000​
Toilet set	3000​
Shower column	5000​
Bath	5000​
Bath accessories etc	2000​
Twin Basin + faucets	5000​
Twin cabinet	4000​
Shower enclosure	5000​
Mirror	2000​
Tiles (floor & walls up to ceiling)	10000​
Railings	2000​
Marble slab for basins	5000​
Sundries	5000​
Light fittings - downlights	2000​

it really depends on the quality and style of the items, but i think you are shooting for mid to high range here based on this

 

[Mosgi]

Coincidence. I was budgeting one bathroom renovation few days ago. This is what I came up with so far, excluding labour. Still need to add specifics but I think this covers most of it.

Are these reasonable estimates for a 2m x 4m size bathroom? Too high/Too low? I suspect Tiles are gonna cost me more than 10K because ceiling is approx 2.8m high.

	55000​
Toilet set	3000​
Shower column	5000​
Bath	5000​
Bath accessories etc	2000​
Twin Basin + faucets	5000​
Twin cabinet	4000​
Shower enclosure	5000​
Mirror	2000​
Tiles (floor & walls up to ceiling)	10000​
Railings	2000​
Marble slab for basins	5000​
Sundries	5000​
Light fittings - downlights	2000​

Did bathrooms around 2 years ago on our current property and the prices are about R15k shy of what it cost to do both bathrooms.

Needed just under a pallet of tiles (57sqm) because the ceilings were quite high and we tiled all the way up. The cost of these was around R8k for 600x600 but I bought them on auction, there are now cheaper options available depending on where you shop.

If you give yourself decent time until taking the plunge you can save quite a bit with specials and sales that pop up. On labour I got my tiler to recommend people he works with and it worked out well for the plumber, and the carpenter I found on Facebook marketplace, which was risky but it worked out.

Mirrors were R800 EA for 1x1m above the basins installed.

Shower went for a single glass panel, which I could have gotten cheaper if I had just used the mirror guy to source and polish edges on 8mm TSG

Ultimately it was about adjusting my desired style as a compromise to get to appropriate pricing. I didn't have to move too far out. Avoid making your bathroom too trendy because it can age fast. As far as possible keep it neutral and relatively classic timeless if you will be selling in the next 10 years.