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It can be said that going on holiday creates magical memories that last a lifetime, right? In reality, it’s all about who you spent that time with. Memories of waking up to home cooked meals, waiting patiently for Santa or even getting the chance to spend a day in the sun with those cousins you only see once in a while were some of the best times for many of us. You didn’t care about where you were, you only cared that it was with the people you cherished most.

This festive season, it’s time to break routine and enjoy incredible resort-like facilities at home while you finally get a gap to be away from the office for a bit. Afterall, who cares about long queues in Harrismith when you could just stroll 2-minutes away from home and have an even better experience. So, pack your picnic baskets, grab the kids and go on an adventure… I bet you haven’t even tried that super tube in our Super Splash Water Park yet or just splashed around in the pool playing those incredible games that you were ALWAYS the best at.

The holidays shouldn’t be about where you go, it’s about who you went with. If you are travelling these holidays, be sure to take plenty of rest stops and stay safe!

Here’s to more staycations where you know you can always #ExpectMore with Houss Rentals.

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Both options have their benefits, and it might be worth listing the pros and cons for each, before making a final decision. Experts say that you ought to look at what the value is you’re getting out of your new home. Many people say that buying a property offers a long-term investment that will mature over time. But, if you do not play the property market correctly, you might expose yourself to the risks of homeownership – such as never-ending maintenance, depreciation linked to the surrounding area (if it becomes less appealing), ongoing costs of retaining a security company, regular expenses with hiring garden services etc, etc.

Renting however gives you the opportunity to enjoy your home while the landlord takes care of the rest. This means that you, as the tenant, won’t need to worry about painting, fixing a broken toilet or dealing with any leaks whatsoever! Providing you choose the correct landlord, costs such as maintenance, building insurance, security and relevant taxes should be covered in your monthly lease. Some landlords even offer additional benefits, such as free monthly internet and community events as part of their leasing offering. This ensures that you will enjoy a higher quality of lifestyle, as opposed to having to fund that yourself…

Take maintenance of a swimming pool as an example; beyond the costs of chlorine, water and even electricity to run it – renting offers you all of this without it ever becoming YOUR headache. The reality of living in a lifestyle estate is that you have security 24-hours-a-day on top of having access to facilities that make it feel like you’re on a permanent holiday.
In recent years, the South African property market has undergone incredible improvements across the board and the rental market is no different. Vacancy rates are currently at the lowest they have been in eight years! According to the “Q2 2024 TPN Residential Vacancy Survey”, the national vacancy rate for the first half of this year was, on average, 5.57%. This is a significant drop from the 17.21% in the previous year. With current interest rates, it is a major challenge for first time homeowners to purchase property – unless they have large deposits and a great credit score.

Houss Rentals steered away from traditional rental models by offering month-to-month leases, zero deposit specials and a bundled package that covers your apartment as well as your gym membership, maintenance, security and even internet access. The only additional costs are items such as water consumption, prepaid electricity usage, Eskom capacity charges, sewer and refuse which is billed by council and deducted from your smart wallet.

There is also a massive benefit in forming part of a lifestyle development consisting of a large number of units. More households paying towards common costs ensure that more facilities are available at lower rates. So, if you are pondering whether you ought to rent or buy, the best advice would be to look at what you’re going to get for your monthly instalments versus monthly rental…

If you are looking to rent, have a look at Houss Rentals’ large portfolio of luxury lifestyle apartments in Gauteng and the Western Cape, by clicking here.

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Century Property Developments currently have four different estates where there is a river that ribbons through the secure development. It is never a surprise when we see riverfront developer stands being the last stands to be sold. The reason for this is simple; investors tend to purchase the cheaper stands first, in order to minimize the risk of owning the most expensive house in an estate that could be considered a failure upon completion. The irony behind this, is the fact that it is always the riverfront stands that yields the best returns – and you do not often get the opportunity to invest in such stands in an estate that is already heralded as a massive success in the property industry!

For example, let’s have a look at Helderfontein Residential Estate. The last few stands are situated along the riverside, at slightly higher prices than the other stands in that phase. This might be hard to believe, considering the fact that the stands have scenic views of the river, whilst having enough foliage to shelter it from the houses on the other side of the river. Whilst prospective buyers contemplate if these stands are priced too high in comparison to the other stands in the development, it is clear that this could not be further from the truth. These stands are the buy of the century (pardon the pun), and here is why;

In Waterfall you cannot get a riverfront stand for under R4,5 million. Why would that be? It is a simple matter of ‘supply-and-demand’. Waterfall Estates is now an established neighbourhood, boosting investor confidence – but alas, there are no more riverfront stands left (very limited amount were ever released). Simply put, these are the best stands in the estate. Needless to say, riverfront stands in Helderfontein are even more pristine than in any of our other developments, yet these are the last stands to sell. Imagine being the first investor that purchased a vacant riverfront stand at Waterfall Estates, directly from the developer… This individual would have made his money back threefold since the launch. Current prices indicate that these stands are already, on average, increased by R1,5 million. If this is not enough to convince you, all the houses on the river get an extra R1,5 million in value, just because of their position within the estate. This is without taking these houses’ fittings, finishes and design aesthetic into consideration. You simply cannot get a house on the river for less than R14 million, and not all of them are showstopping architectural masterpieces.

When considering investing in a riverfront stand, also look at the trends from other developments in the area. Steyn City, where riverfront stands start at R7,2 million, is located adjacent to Helderfontein Residential Estate. In Dainfern Estate, there are no stands available on the river. Often modifying an existing house could also cost you in excess of R2 million to bring it up-to-date. At a starting price of R3,29 million, riverfront stands in Helderfontein Estate is probably the best investment in the current property market. The investors that have already purchased these stands are looking at a R1 million increase in value over the next year, as houses start developing in this phase of the development – that is, if there are still any stands available by next year. Needless to say, the investors doing research in the neighbourhood, will quickly realize that there are no other developments in this area that are located along the river. Therefore, the supply will soon run out. Most of the other estates along the river cater to high-density apartments, as these are known to give large-scale property developers the best return-on-investment over the shortest period of time. So, if you are looking at vacant land to build your dream house on, rather spend more on the stand positioning, as this will ultimately increase the value of your investment without any further enhanced features to the actual house’s design…

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Look at your current work situation. Are you going to stay employed or are you looking to embark on your own endeavour? Will you require a study/separate building on the property to run your business in the beginning? Is the property close to where you work? This will determine the area in which you buy.

The overall goal of purchasing property is to make a financial investment that you can afford and to hopefully grow its value in the future. Are you looking to build your dream home or do you want to buy a “fixer-upper” and renovate? Both of these options require research into the property market. You need to be aware of the price ceiling for the area, and what the basic requirements are for purchasers in that neighbourhood. For example, should someone wish to build in Helderfontein Estate, they must have 4 bedrooms en-suite, triple garage, staff accommodation, pool, backup power, large open plan living areas, fireplaces, large entertainment area and so on. Should you wish to sell the house, remember that according to our research, anything under R10 million sells within 3 months.

If you are looking to buy your dream home, move in and just live; make sure you understand the market. What is happening in the area? Are there road upgrades? Infrastructure upgrades? Are new schools or shopping centres coming? Are there any other developments within the area? All of this will increase demand in the area and thus increase the price of the home you are living in. You need to decide on what style you like, and how negotiable you are on certain items. This helps you to have a clear description of what you are looking for when you start searching properties yourself and when you make contact with an agent.

Consider if you want to be in or out of an estate or gated community. If you want to be within an estate, what must the estate offer? Perhaps you require a clubhouse, play areas, walking trails, dams, schools within walking distance, and top-notch security. Look at what the books of the estate look like, you don’t want to buy a house and then have to start paying special levies or worse; invest in an HOA that is bankrupt. That will not be good when reselling your home.

Property is an incredible investment opportunity, but all too often it is an emotional decision. One needs to take the emotion away and look at it as a business, by making sure you have all the data before purchasing a home. You need to know who built it and when was it built. Has it had any structural issues? This you will see when walking through the house. Are there any cracks, dampness in any areas or possibly parts of the building that are not straight? The more information you have, the easier it will be able to make a decision.

Other questions that you need to ask from a financial point-of-view are; what are the rates and taxes? Find out what the monthly levy is. Be aware if you are on Eskom or City Power electricity as City Power is more expensive. What are the costs to maintain the house per year? This includes painting, sanding down and varnishing wood. All of these things add up and need to be considered and accommodated in your budget. If you are getting a bond, have a look at the interest rates and what is predicted for the future. Your financial calculations should be based on the worst-case scenario so that you are never put into an uncomfortable position.

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A really good Estate Manager would also go the extra mile. This could take the form of weekly estate inspections, to ensure everything is in working order; such as signage, roads, curbs, paths, speed humps, security equipment, outdoor play areas, common areas, and so on. The best estate managers have check lists for every aspect of their job to ensure that nothing is missed. These lists should be ever-changing and upgraded as-and-when needed to ensure that they are always relevant. Estate reports are sent out weekly to update the board/developer. Estate Managers are required to be ‘on call’ 24-7 as one never knows when something will happen. It would be a good idea to have training in first aid (at least level one), paired with their level one with regards to fire and safety training in case of an emergency.

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The key tip here is to never show more than three properties at a time. One that is slightly out of your clients price range, one that is perfect and one that is ok but doesn’t tick all of the client’s boxes. Showcase more than three properties, and clients tend to be overwhelmed – unable to make a decision. You need to be able to understand the market, discuss trends and advise on the best financing solutions. You need to know the building industry; who designed the buildings, where did the finishes come from, who was the builder, what are the maintenance costs associated with each property? The more you know, the better you will be able to advise your clients and provide them with the data on why you are saying what you saying. Communication is key, it must always be instant and feedback must never take more than 2 hours. Every single email must be answered daily, and marketing outflow needs to take place on an ongoing basis (online and in person).

Presentation is another key factor. Always look and talk the part. Managing your database is a key ingredient to being a successful agent. Maintain and update your spreadsheets of everything – including your prospects and the data you have on them, so that when you do contact a client you know what they are looking for as well as your available deals. Manage the process and make sure it happens as quickly as possible. Keep relevant contact info for past clients so that you can touch base when it is their birthdays and anniversaries. A simple motto that will assist you, is “control equals income”. There are allot of balls to juggle when selling and renting property, so it is crucial to manage your day accordingly to accommodate for each factor that will make up your daily routine. I advise my staff to do all of their admin and marketing in the morning, followed by appointments in the afternoon. Obviously this is of course not always possible, but when you have a basic structure in place, it ensures that nothing gets dropped. Personally, I have found that routine is good.

Setting monthly targets is also a brilliant way to track your progress and production. Monitor it daily and assign your weekly tasks that need to be achieved in order to achieve your monthly goal.

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These forms of outflow are used by every single property group to advertise their products, it’s called the “shotgun” approach. Using this method, you have a rough idea of the market, but are not 100% sure what it is going to produce when it comes to quality clients. If you want your marketing to really bring in quality prospects, you need to focus on face-to-face marketing outflow (which has not been easy during the Covid pandemic). This kind of marketing places you in your ideal market with higher rewards, if you know what you are doing, and are good with people. Such outflow consists of networking events, setting up one-on-one meetings with corporate companies, creating good relationships with the Corporate Relocation Agencies, treating your clients like gold so that you get referrals and reward them for such. Cheese and wine evenings at a specific house or development and invite those clients that are ideal for the product. Another great outflow is public relations (PR). Getting your business out there through the press, costs you nothing and gives it credibility – you just have to be newsworthy. Marketing is all about attracting the appropriate public to your product, so that they purchase it. For this to happen, you might need to think outside-the-box. Create your own events, attend events, get in front of your market and make your brand known on more than 12 platforms. Word-of-mouth is the easiest and cheapest form of marketing and something every company (not just property companies) should focus on. If you offer an outstanding product at a decent price, with incredible service, you should never have a problem achieving fantastic results.

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