Offer to purchase question

[ForgetfulLegend20244]

Soooo....Our offer was accepted on a different property. We are in the process of bond application. Bond will hopefully be sorted early next week. Then it's off to the registration/transfer phese.

Long overdue update on this post.
We are in our new place since the beginning of June. Transfer should be going through this Friday 9 July. We have paid occupational rent - not a problem as it is less that the bond would be...

 

[APoc184]

We are up for Prep!!

 

[Marsie27]

We are up for Prep!!

Wow - almost a year since you started this thread. Quite a journey! What was the main hold-up after you took occupation several months ago?

 

[APoc184]

Wow - almost a year since you started this thread. Quite a journey! What was the main hold-up after you took occupation several months ago?

There was an occupation clause on the original title deed that needed to be removed because the property was bought as an empty stand back in 1980. During the request to the council to have this clause removed, they noticed that the approved building plans were lost by the council.

Seller had to get the plans again from the architect, submit to council and get everything approved again. During this whole time everything was just delayed and delayed and yet again delayed due to a combination of council backlogs, Covid19 closures and also uselessness by the various departments.

 

[Marsie27]

Eish. A case of if anything can go wrong, it will likely go wrong. This emphasises the necessity for property owners to keep copies of approved plans. At least the end is in sight, hopefully...

 

[Tman543]

There was an occupation clause on the original title deed that needed to be removed because the property was bought as an empty stand back in 1980. During the request to the council to have this clause removed, they noticed that the approved building plans were lost by the council.

Seller had to get the plans again from the architect, submit to council and get everything approved again. During this whole time everything was just delayed and delayed and yet again delayed due to a combination of council backlogs, Covid19 closures and also uselessness by the various departments.

Yikes. What council/municipality is this? Seem like they are on the ball, usually they don't check if there are current approved plans in place. (I would of expect that from a bank, maybe )

Or since there were no plans, that raised a flag, unlucky I reckon. How does plans get lost at the coucil?

 

[PhireSide]

Yikes. What council/municipality is this? Seem like they are on the ball, usually they don't check if there are current approved plans in place. (I would of expect that from a bank, maybe )

Or since there were no plans, that raised a flag, unlucky I reckon. How does plans get lost at the coucil?

It happens. In our case, the attorneys lost our plans and it's been a huge PITA to get everything sorted. Not to mention the delay - 253 days and counting since we signed our OTP.

The council I'd imagine handles thousands of plans a month, and back when @APoc184 mentioned there were probably no digitization methods available so everything was physical copies with no backups. When you have thousands upon thousands of folders flying around, some of them are sure to get lost or misplaced.

 

[Solitude]

We've been looking at houses for about a month or so and so many houses are insanely expensive for what you get and the ones that are priced well sell immediately. I was interested in a place that was listed this week. I wanted to organise a second viewing and get a list of the defects but it already had a cash offer accepted the day after I viewed it.

Can anyone recommend a building inspector in the Roodepoort/Randburg area?

 

[TechGirl04]

We've been looking at houses for about a month or so and so many houses are insanely expensive for what you get and the ones that are priced well sell immediately. I was interested in a place that was listed this week. I wanted to organise a second viewing and get a list of the defects but it already had a cash offer accepted the day after I viewed it.

Can anyone recommend a building inspector in the Roodepoort/Randburg area?

Alot of sellers are pricing their houses really high. Eventually they can't sell and end up dropping the price. We found the same thing while looking for houses in the Randburg and Sandton areas. Also been looking for around a month or so now.

 

[Solitude]

Alot of sellers are pricing their houses really high. Eventually they can't sell and end up dropping the price. We found the same thing while looking for houses in the Randburg and Sandton areas. Also been looking for around a month or so now.

We are both going to go view the same place at the same time, both fall in love with the place and then we'll have to fight for it.

And the gyms aren't even open to train!

 

[Sinbad]

Signed final paperwork and paid over most of the deposit to my solicitor (I have a payment limit of 25k gbp per day). Rest to be paid tomorrow, then we wait for the bank to give the go ahead, and then contract exchange happens... (basically committed to the sale). Completion (transfer) to happen on 31 August. Went to visit the building site today. Man houses in this country have small rooms... But it's going to be very cosy and comfortable!

 

[RedViking]

I am also planning to buy. Tired of paying rent and can't modify my house.

I have only ever worked for myself. Don't have any debt. Early 30's.

How do I go about how much they will loan me before I start looking?

 

[bokka1]

I am also planning to buy. Tired of paying rent and can't modify my house.

I have only ever worked for myself. Don't have any debt. Early 30's.

How do I go about how much they will loan me before I start looking?

The best will be to contact a bond broker to do a pre-approval for you.

They will also tell you what you are going to need seeing that you work for yourself.

 

[Solitude]

I am also planning to buy. Tired of paying rent and can't modify my house.

I have only ever worked for myself. Don't have any debt. Early 30's.

How do I go about how much they will loan me before I start looking?

I contacted FNB and got pre-authorization. They have a place on the app to do it. If you are with a different bank then they hopefully have the same.

 

[maxxis]

Anyone else having endless issues with clearance certificates being issues.

Both Johannesburg and Tswane are dragging serious ass on this.

At least we have a moving and occupation date set even though the damn occupational rent is R2000 more than our bond...

 

[Steamy Tom]

Anyone else having endless issues with clearance certificates being issues.

Both Johannesburg and Tswane are dragging serious ass on this.

At least we have a moving and occupation date set even though the damn occupational rent is R2000 more than our bond...

To give you some consellation, on top of your bond you would also be paying rates and taxes and insurance which would likely bring them much closer. I get your point though and i had a similar occurence its annoying that at least in paying the bond you would be decreasing the capital amount ever so slightly.

 

[TechGirl04]

My husband and I are looking in older areas to buy. We just looked in to the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 which states “No person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years without a permit issued by the relevant provincial heritage resources authority”

Ummm.....wtf...

Our plan was to buy an old house and renovate. It's quite likely we will find a house that is 60 years old or older in the areas we are looking.

Anyone know what is required to get this permit from the required authority?

 

[The_Mowgs]

My husband and I are looking in older areas to buy. We just looked in to the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999 which states “No person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years without a permit issued by the relevant provincial heritage resources authority”

Ummm.....wtf...

Our plan was to buy an old house and renovate. It's quite likely we will find a house that is 60 years old or older in the areas we are looking.

Anyone know what is required to get this permit from the required authority?

Yes its the same in all all of the provinces. Its a form you fill in and send back to them but I wont buy a house without checking with the relevant building inspector for that area.

It would be very sht to buy a house and you cant do anything to it. I know there used to be someone on the forum, I think they bought a place in the Karoo somewhere, also a heritage building. They had some issues iirc.

Like I said in a earlier post, try to befriend the building inspector of the municipality, they will know all of these things. I think if you send them the erf number they should be able to give an indication if it will be a problem or not.

If its just a normal house which is older than 60 years then I think it should be fine. If it has some historical value then I would walk away.

 

[TechGirl04]

Need some help - we have found a house and want to put in an offer. BUT, there is a single garage on the latest approved plans, built on the boundry wall. The current owners have converted the single garage to a flatlet (they also bashed through the wall to the servants room and added a door to the bathroom) but did not update the plans. So now, there is a dwelling area on the boundry wall but not on the approved plans.

Is there a way for us to check if council would approve this if we were to submit updated plans?

I know someone suggested we make friend with the local building inspector. Easier said than done. Is there any other way to check this?

 

[zerocool2009]

Need some help - we have found a house and want to put in an offer. BUT, there is a single garage on the latest approved plans, built on the boundry wall. The current owners have converted the single garage to a flatlet (they also bashed through the wall to the servants room and added a door to the bathroom) but did not update the plans. So now, there is a dwelling area on the boundry wall but not on the approved plans.

Is there a way for us to check if council would approve this if we were to submit updated plans?

I know someone suggested we make friend with the local building inspector. Easier said than done. Is there any other way to check this?

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My honest advice, specify that approved plans exists in the otp. Make it the sellers issue.

Why would you waste time on something that isn’t garenreed to be yours?