First Time House buyer

As a first time buyer, you're very likely to be looking for a "fixer-upper". In which case I can recommend the following:

1. Make sure you get the approved plans.
2. If buying in an estate, get a copy of the financials. The last thing you need is special levies to cover the other idiots not paying the bills.
3. Be on the lookout for damp, cracks in the walls and other items that will cost you money to fix down the line. Make a list and total up the costs.
4. Check the plumbing - run the tap in every room.
5. Check the wiring - you don't have to be an electrician but check if anything stands out as dodgy
6. Check the ceiling for insulation. Winter is coming!
7. Add conditions in the sale agreement to cover yourself and importantly includes dates for each. eg:
-Garage door in working order (7/5/18)
-Garage remote and all door keys (7/5/18)
-Stove in working order (7/5/18)
-Geyser in working order (7/5/18)
-All lights in working order (7/5/18)

That way you have timelines for all the deliverables and if the seller violates the agreement, the sale will fall through without you incurring damages. It also prevents the transfer dragging on for months.
 
Napalm2880 said:
7. Add conditions in the sale agreement to cover yourself and importantly includes dates for each. eg:
-Garage door in working order (7/5/18)
-Garage remote and all door keys (7/5/18)
-Stove in working order (7/5/18)
-Geyser in working order (7/5/18)
-All lights in working order (7/5/18)

That way you have timelines for all the deliverables and if the seller violates the agreement, the sale will fall through without you incurring damages. It also prevents the transfer dragging on for months.
Click to expand...

I must remember this
 
travcaine said:
Hi there,

My partner and I are looking to buy a house together, but have no idea where to even start. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Need help from the loan to the agents please?

We aren't in a rush but just want to start getting the ball rolling.
Click to expand...

I have just bought my first house. (well in Feb).

General tips.

1) Be prepared to get nailed with lawyer fees for transfer.
2) If you are looking to buy a house in a complex, make sure you find out how it is managed. Is it a sectional title or is it an HOA. Your quality of life depends heavily on the type of management.
3) As an addendum to 2), make sure you get a copy of the rules of the complex and go through them before you buy.

As for getting the loan, most property companies and estate agents will have people to assist you with getting all the documentation needed. I would advise that you should make sure you see multiple quotes from banks before you make a decision.
 
Oh 1 more thing. And this is just my 2cents as my 2cents comes from my interaction with different estate agents over te last year or so.

Deal with the bigger companies(agents). The small ones(1 or 2 man shows) I have dealt with were pretty much useless.
 
konfab said:
I have just bought my first house. (well in Feb).

General tips.

1) Be prepared to get nailed with lawyer fees for transfer.
2) If you are looking to buy a house in a complex, make sure you find out how it is managed. Is it a sectional title or is it an HOA. Your quality of life depends heavily on the type of management.
3) As an addendum to 2), make sure you get a copy of the rules of the complex and go through them before you buy.

As for getting the loan, most property companies and estate agents will have people to assist you with getting all the documentation needed. I would advise that you should make sure you see multiple quotes from banks before you make a decision.
Click to expand...

As another addendum, you are entitled to see the Body Corp's financials to see if the funds received from the levies are being spent properly.

It's no use paying R3-4k a month toward levies if they are giving each of their cleaners 13th cheques to the value of R20k every year as was the case of one building here in PE that I queried.
 
I'm also in the same position and have built up a check list.

General:
[ ] What is included in the levies?
[ ] Are there any special levies?
[ ] How many units are in the complex?
[ ] Electricity, prepaid?
[ ] General - About the complex?
[ ] Is there internet, fiber?
[ ] Current people staying @ the house? Owners or renters?
[ ] How long have the present owners lived there
[ ] Is there future development planned for the area?
[ ] Are there any homeowners association fees or levies?
[ ] Has the property repeatedly changed ownership over a relatively short period of time
[ ] When do the sellers have to move out
[ ] Has any major work been done to the property
[ ] If the answer is yes and the work has been completed, have the plans been updated
[ ] Can you move the furniture to look underneath?
[ ] Do they have noisy neighbours
[ ] Is there traffic/aircraft noise at certain times of the day
[ ] Will the sellers agree to a home inspection
[ ] What are the values of other homes in the neighbourhood?
[ ] House plans, everything should be on it
[ ] Get the house professionally cleaned. Fumigated
[ ] Electric certificate. Must be a new one, even if the old one is valid.
[ ] Ask to choose your own electrician
[ ] Is the house currently financed and by which bank
[ ] How much storage space?
[ ] Which direction does the house face? How much light enters the house?
[ ] Enough power points
[ ] Plumbing , toilets, all taps, washers, washing machine
[ ] Trip box
[ ] Outside water tap, to stop water, water pressure
[ ] Drainage - are there sufficient?
[ ] When does refuse remove occur? What about Bins?
[ ] Take note of important items that should stay with the house
[ ] Police station
[ ] Hospitals
[ ] Doctors

Condition of House
[ ] Roof condition
[ ] Plumbing
[ ] Damp Walls - Shower area?
[ ] Mould
[ ] Cracks on
[ ] Roof
[ ] Walls
[ ] Paving
[ ] Frames and hooks needs to be filled
[ ] Wooden floors
[ ] Secure
[ ] No nail heads sticking out
[ ] Chimney & fire place
[ ] Ceiling. Water leak?
[ ] Geyser ? Age ?

Offer to purchase:
[ ] Exit the agreement based on an unfavourable inspection report
[ ] (seller) gets to choose attorneys
[ ] Document everything
[ ] Ensure that the seller completes the “sellers questionnaire” which discloses any and all faults with the house.
[ ] The OTP must state the the seller must ensure that the rates and taxes are settled up to date by the seller. This clause should include electricity and water

Area:
[ ] Get stats from local police station
[ ] Talk to neighbours & neighbourhood watch

Sectional Title:
[ ] Body corporate in a good financial standing
[ ] What % of units are in the default
[ ] Most people staying in the complex are owners or renting
[ ] Body corporate rules
[ ] What are the responsibility of the body corporate
[ ] Special levies
[ ] History of levies and price increase
 
VG008 said:
I'm also in the same position and have built up a check list.

General:
[ ] What is included in the levies?
[ ] Are there any special levies?
[ ] How many units are in the complex?
[ ] Electricity, prepaid?
[ ] General - About the complex?
[ ] Is there internet, fiber?
[ ] Current people staying @ the house? Owners or renters?
[ ] How long have the present owners lived there
[ ] Is there future development planned for the area?
[ ] Are there any homeowners association fees or levies?
[ ] Has the property repeatedly changed ownership over a relatively short period of time
[ ] When do the sellers have to move out
[ ] Has any major work been done to the property
[ ] If the answer is yes and the work has been completed, have the plans been updated
[ ] Can you move the furniture to look underneath?
[ ] Do they have noisy neighbours
[ ] Is there traffic/aircraft noise at certain times of the day
[ ] Will the sellers agree to a home inspection
[ ] What are the values of other homes in the neighbourhood?
[ ] House plans, everything should be on it
[ ] Get the house professionally cleaned. Fumigated
[ ] Electric certificate. Must be a new one, even if the old one is valid.
[ ] Ask to choose your own electrician
[ ] Is the house currently financed and by which bank
[ ] How much storage space?
[ ] Which direction does the house face? How much light enters the house?
[ ] Enough power points
[ ] Plumbing , toilets, all taps, washers, washing machine
[ ] Trip box
[ ] Outside water tap, to stop water, water pressure
[ ] Drainage - are there sufficient?
[ ] When does refuse remove occur? What about Bins?
[ ] Take note of important items that should stay with the house
[ ] Police station
[ ] Hospitals
[ ] Doctors

Condition of House
[ ] Roof condition
[ ] Plumbing
[ ] Damp Walls - Shower area?
[ ] Mould
[ ] Cracks on
[ ] Roof
[ ] Walls
[ ] Paving
[ ] Frames and hooks needs to be filled
[ ] Wooden floors
[ ] Secure
[ ] No nail heads sticking out
[ ] Chimney & fire place
[ ] Ceiling. Water leak?
[ ] Geyser ? Age ?

Offer to purchase:
[ ] Exit the agreement based on an unfavourable inspection report
[ ] (seller) gets to choose attorneys
[ ] Document everything
[ ] Ensure that the seller completes the “sellers questionnaire” which discloses any and all faults with the house.
[ ] The OTP must state the the seller must ensure that the rates and taxes are settled up to date by the seller. This clause should include electricity and water

Area:
[ ] Get stats from local police station
[ ] Talk to neighbours & neighbourhood watch

Sectional Title:
[ ] Body corporate in a good financial standing
[ ] What % of units are in the default
[ ] Most people staying in the complex are owners or renting
[ ] Body corporate rules
[ ] What are the responsibility of the body corporate
[ ] Special levies
[ ] History of levies and price increase
Click to expand...

This is definitley something handy I will keep on hand, thanks!
 
If a pool condition of the pump and anything pool related. Also if freehold house check condition of outside walls as well don't want your wall between you and the street falling down. This happened luckily it was only a section but now I've got a piece of wall that doesn't match.
 
So, we went to our first show house today

We were the only couple there so we had a very attentive estate agent but got enough time to walk through the place to get a good idea of what we may letting ourselves in for. I definitely concentrated on the more serious aspects like levies, small patches of damp, the condition of the skirtings, making sure the plans were accurate and up to date, the location and number of plugs around the house and what the overall condition was like. There are some things I felt were in need of attention like the skirtings and the whole house needs a fresh coat of paint, but the overall impression was good.

I failed to find this thread in time before we left but I may visit again next weekend to ask again. This is the first house we viewed so there is no real pressure to jump at it and there are plenty of others to see in the area. Exciting times ahead though which I am looking forward to!
 
I don't think anyone's mentioned the old adage that it's better to buy the worst house in the best area (within reason, of course) than the other way around. And take a look over the wall at the neighbour's property. We fortunately did that when viewing one house where the estate agent had taken us round the block to avoid going past the property. Nuff said...
 
Marsie27 said:
I don't think anyone's mentioned the old adage that it's better to buy the worst house in the best area (within reason, of course) than the other way around. And take a look over the wall at the neighbour's property. We fortunately did that when viewing one house where the estate agent had taken us round the block to avoid going past the property. Nuff said...
Click to expand...
Definitely. But there's also no use in buying a fixer upper that needs to be knocked down the foundations to make it liveable (worst case scenario of course).

Clever tip regarding the neighbours too, something which isn't always apparent if you're there only for a few hours or minutes at a time. Or my pet peeve - dogs that won't stop barking or howling. We have them across the road from where we are now, and both next door neighbours also have noisy mutts that bark for no reason at all. Drives me nuts
 
Venomous said:
And do remember that there is a small chance of the first house you view being your dream house. It could take week or even months.
Click to expand...

Even longer. I spent years drifting and looking through houses until I found the one I wanted.
 
PhireSide said:
As another addendum, you are entitled to see the Body Corp's financials to see if the funds received from the levies are being spent properly.
Click to expand...

This. Do not buy into a sectional title until you seen the AFS. Also, research who the managing agents are of the sectional title.
 
Splinter said:
This. Do not buy into a sectional title until you seen the AFS. Also, research who the managing agents are of the sectional title.
Click to expand...

Been trawling around the popular property websites and it astounds me that some townhouse complexes have levies up to R1800 a month for a small 100sqm facebrick home with a garden no bigger than the space my car occupies. Nee sies man
 
Look into Pension back home loans, if you need money for transfer, renovating etc. Has a lot of benefits, like no registration fee, up to 30 years to pay off, low interest etc.
 
Marsie27 said:
I don't think anyone's mentioned the old adage that it's better to buy the worst house in the best area (within reason, of course) than the other way around. And take a look over the wall at the neighbour's property. We fortunately did that when viewing one house where the estate agent had taken us round the block to avoid going past the property. Nuff said...
Click to expand...
Ha,

The one place we looked at, and liked, the neighbours had a decent enough looking yard. We drove past it and could see through the palasade fence.
While we were in the for sale yard looking around outside those neighbours decided to slaughter a chicken! :eek:
Needless to say, we moved on.
 
Venomous said:
Ha,

The one place we looked at, and liked, the neighbours had a decent enough looking yard. We drove past it and could see through the palasade fence.
While we were in the for sale yard looking around outside those neighbours decided to slaughter a chicken! :eek:Needless to say, we moved on.
Click to expand...

:crylaugh: You did well, next thing they were going to slaughter a cow and invite you over.
 
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