The Home Improvements Thread (2)

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The_Mowgs said:
Had this exact conversation yesterday with a forum member that is helping me with electrical work. He pointed out so many things not up to standard, obvious things which I did not change but have to now to be compliant.

How are properties sold like this??
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R800 to a dodgy sparky gets the cert....
 
SAguy said:
Sad part is though that estate agents and home owners are allowed to sell their properties with illegal building and structures on them.

The standard boilerplate offer to purchase says something along the lines of that as the seller "to the best of my knowledge all building is legal". If the seller doesn't know you're not allowed to erect a lapa without plans, then you have little to no recourse once you find out afterwards.

Estate agents and home owners shouldn't be allowed to sell without proving approved plans. I got burnt now with the house I'm in. Cost me about R10k to get 2 x awnings on the plans before I could even start with the new plans for my renovations. The previous owner just said it was like that when he originally moved in.

Word of advice. Never. Ever. Ever... sign an offer to purchase unless there is a condition of sale linked to getting approved plans for the house.

Mentioned it here before, friends of mine bought a house with I think 2 rooms that they later found out were off plan an built on a servitude... last I heard they were told the rooms must be demolished.
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Interesting, in our case the buyer could not get his loan approved until everything in the house we were selling was on plan (and we had bought the house a few years prior not even realizing that some of it was off-plan). It cost us an extra 18K to get that sorted as fast as possible in order to sell the home. The same thing happened when we bought our next home, the bank insisted that everything needed to be on plan before they approved our loan. I can still imagine this slipping through on cash sales though but both the banks we dealt with (Absa and FNB) were adamant that everything needed to be on plan.
 
The_Mowgs said:
Had this exact conversation yesterday with a forum member that is helping me with electrical work. He pointed out so many things not up to standard, obvious things which I did not change but have to now to be compliant.

How are properties sold like this??
Click to expand...

I had some cheap electricians fix the electrical issues when I bought my house.
I think they fixed a lot but probably not everything.
Mostly they disconnected circuits and ran surfix cable.. some hot glued to the ceiling.

So now I'm actually doing some fixes where I can in anticipation of a big quotation.
I also expect even where they replaced conduit and cables, someone else will quote to redo it again.
 
martin said:
Interesting, in our case the buyer could not get his loan approved until everything in the house we were selling was on plan (and we had bought the house a few years prior not even realizing that some of it was off-plan). It cost us an extra 18K to get that sorted as fast as possible in order to sell the home. The same thing happened when we bought our next home, the bank insisted that everything needed to be on plan before they approved our loan. I can still imagine this slipping through on cash sales though but both the banks we dealt with (Absa and FNB) were adamant that everything needed to be on plan.
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Wasn't the case with our home loan with Standard Bank oddly enough... hopefully it's something that becomes more common and a legal requirement before selling.
 
SAguy said:
Wasn't the case with our home loan with Standard Bank oddly enough... hopefully it's something that becomes more common and a legal requirement before selling.
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This was nearly four years ago now. I'm honestly surprised it's not common practice yet as the banks are also essentially taking on some risk here.
 
Got caught for a sucker AGAIN by an electrician. His team dislodged a brick on a ledge below our DB board and disguised the damage by wedging the brick in place.

Luckily I had pictures to prove they'd done the damage, so the owner, Harold, kept saying they'd come and fix it. Its embarrassing to keep nagging but I phoned and messaged him about 8 times until five weeks later the ledge collapsed and I have to get it fixed myself :mad:

I also paid him R1 500 for a COC which didn't materialize.

Anybody know a decent electrician who works in Randburg.
 
maumau said:
Got caught for a sucker AGAIN by an electrician. His team dislodged a brick on a ledge below our DB board and disguised the damage by wedging the brick in place.

Luckily I had pictures to prove they'd done the damage, so the owner, Harold, kept saying they'd come and fix it. Its embarrassing to keep nagging but I phoned and messaged him about 8 times until five weeks later the ledge collapsed and I have to get it fixed myself :mad:

I also paid him R1 500 for a COC which didn't materialize.

Anybody know a decent electrician who works in Randburg.
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report him here, https://ecasa.co.za/
 
Quick question. Do you need municipal approval if you want to add a freestanding wood burning fireplace? Does your bank also need to know you installed said fireplace?
 
Fuma said:
Quick question. Do you need municipal approval if you want to add a freestanding wood burning fireplace? Does your bank also need to know you installed said fireplace?
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Like a free standing brick braai? If so, in Cape Town, I believe so. My neighbour across the road also needed my permission, as well as all his direct surrounding houses...

Or... An internal Fireplace? Internal, no.
 
I meant the ones you can install in your living room or bedroom with a flue and stuff. Or are they called wood burning stoves?
 
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Fuma said:
I meant the ones you can install in your living room or bedroom with a flue and stuff. Or are they called wood burning stoves?
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i do not beleive that you need approval for that, might be worth mentioning to your insurance tho
 
Fuma said:
I meant the ones you can install in your living room or bedroom with a flue and stuff. Or are they called wood burning stoves?
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Just installed a closed combustion stove, you don't need approval
 
For the married men/women here... Is it just me or does renovations have the ability to drive each other mad.
SO and I hardly argue or disagree, but I foresee a few months of near death experiences in my house.

My wife is coloured, so there's a chance I may get stabbed somewhere before the end of the year - and I'll probably deserve it :ROFL:
 
Fuma said:
Ok cool
Which brand and price if you dont mind me asking?
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Hydrofire - R33500 - definitely won't buy from them again. The sales side is fine, but as soon as you have an issue, it's a nightmare.
 
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