Private Property

Transport costs filter through almost every aspect of a household budget. For those already stretched to their limit, the rising cost of living creates so much pressure that they are questioning what else they can cut, or whether they should sell the home they have worked so hard to acquire.

We spend enormous amounts of money on the space we live in but rarely ask whether our homes are designed around our ‘mental wellness’. Yael Geffen believes that needs to change. A home is usually considered in very physical terms: how many bedrooms it has, how big the garden is, whether there is a braai area, the quality of the kitchen and, ultimately, what it is worth. But there is another question homeowners should be asking: How does this property make me feel, and can it help me heal?

Buying your first home is an exciting milestone, but it can also feel overwhelming. Between saving for a deposit, applying for a home loan and understanding the homebuying process, there’s a lot to think about. That's where First Home Finance can help. First Home Finance is a government housing subsidy that helps qualifying South Africans buy or build their first home.

Water security has become a legitimate property consideration as municipal outages and infrastructure failures increasingly disrupt suburban life. This comes as South Africa faces the prospect of a strong El Niño event during the 2026/2027 summer season, which could further affect homeowners, particularly in areas vulnerable to drought. With it comes the possibility of water restrictions.

The decision comes as inflationary pressures have intensified, with consumer inflation rising to 4.4% in August from 4.3% in July, said SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago. Higher oil prices and renewed geopolitical tensions have added to concerns about imported inflation and the potential for higher fuel and transport costs to filter through to household expenses.

You may have heard the saying, “if only these walls could talk”. Most homeowners know when they bought their property, what they paid for it and, perhaps, who lived there before them. Few, however, know the full story of the land on which their home stands. Who originally owned or built it? Was the property once part of a much larger farm? When was the erf created? Was the house built on an empty plot, or did another building stand there before it? Did anyone notable once live there?

The first thing you should know is that property listings do not generally tell you when the house first went to market. A house can appear as a new listing, but it may just be that its price was adjusted, there are new photographs or a reference number, or the house was taken off the market for a time but is back up for sale. We asked Yolanda Schubert, Director & Business Manager, RainMaker powered by RealNet, why it is important to know how long the seller has been trying to sell.

Property Advice Private Property South Africa | Affordability differs dramatically across South Africa. While many may aspire to live in premium suburbs, the truth is that the majority of people can’t afford such properties when entering the homeownership market for the first time. The good news is that South Africa's housing market is, however, accessible for many first-time buyers.

Discover whether you really are financially prepared for the costs that come with owning a property. You feel ready to buy your first property. You are excited, you may even have enough for a deposit, and your finances and budgeting suggest that you can afford a home loan repayment. But this is where many first-time homeowners make their biggest mistake: qualifying for a home loan and comfortably affording homeownership are not the same thing.

Buyers’ questions are usually about the house, but you should also ask about the underlying dynamics. Among the duties of an estate agent, aside from marketing a property, representing the seller, and negotiating sales deals, is to provide valuable insight to buyers that isn't obvious from an online listing or a 30-minute viewing. The questions that potential buyers ask are usually about the property itself, but much more lies beneath that could sway the decision to buy or not to buy.