Durban Property

Just like buying any house, buying a holiday home is a massive commitment. But that commitment can be avoided if you consider the pros and cons of buying a holiday home.

Pros

1. As holiday home is self-explanatory. It is a place where you and your family head off to during the holiday season.
2. Take a holiday home as your retirement home. The good thing about it is that you will buy it at today’s prices and by the time you retire, you will be probably done with the bond.
3. Fun, relaxation, enjoyment, tranquillity and escape are all the elements that are presented by a holiday home.
4. Should you want to let it out, you will be providing yourself with an extra income which will help you pay the mortgage.

Cons

1. The rising of the interest rates are making it hard to own holiday homes because buying one will be an extra drain on your finances.
2. Your holiday home might be taking quite a sum from your income. And should that be happening, you might as well spend all your holidays there.
3. As mentioned above, a holiday home is just like your house, but elsewhere. It also needs maintenance and security. This can be a strenuous job, especially if your holiday home is miles away.
4. The community where holiday homes are located don’t take kindly people who just come and go as they are pleased. So try by all means to contribute to the community and support local businesses.

Image courtesy of SimonM

It was 2011 when the Umlazi B10 residents were celebrating after receiving keys to their new RDP houses. However, only a year after that, the same residents have been experiencing water running through the floors and walls, mud and soil falling down into the back walls and many other scary experiences.

These RDP houses are in a bad condition in a way that they can collapse anytime and cause casualties.

Some of these houses are nearly covered by sand in a way that residents have to close their windows to try evade soil from making its way into the bedrooms, and room for fresh air is absent.

Residents are worried because they don’t know where they’ll go should these houses collapse.

These “I’m about to fall” houses have no retaining walls and whilst other people are praying for rainy days, these residents pray for sunny days because rain brings nothing good but disaster.

Stevens Mokgalapa, DA human settlement spokesman, gathered a group of public representatives to go and asses these homes. He said that this was a first in a number of site visits across the country. He also said that RDP houses are uninhabitable because of poor workmanship.

There is basically no other option but to demolish these structures and have them rebuilt. These leaky structures and unstable walls will only result to severe injuries or death.

The R1.3 billion rand that has been set aside by Human Settlement Minister, Tokyo Sexwale, will definitely come in handy in assisting these residents.

The first of July 2012 will see the new property valuations coming into force. This came after the eThekwini home owners started objecting about their incorrectly categorise and underdeveloped houses.

These unhappy home owners have been meeting and encouraging each other to send as many objections as possible. Even though municipal officials have declined to disclose the number of objections they have received; more and more objections are still being sent through as the numbers were being collated.

Valuations are expected to be undertaken once in four years. This is required by the Municipal Property Rates Act. If you log on to the municipal’s website, you will realise that besides the fact that there are many factors influencing the value of a property; the value can only be determined if the willing buyer is prepared to pay a willing seller at that time.

Moreover, the value of the property can also be broken down into different locations/categories: type and extent of buildings, condition, property size, and quality.

The reason why the selling price and the municipal value are not synonymous is because the property value is not determined. And the only time the property value will be determined is via two pricing methods i.e. replacement costs and cost-based pricing.

On the other hand, supply and demand has been driving forces of value-based pricing – whilst the price has been driven by what the buyer was willing to pay.

Even though objections will come to an end at the end of the month, there is, however, ample relief for buyers.

The land of the old Durban International Airport will soon be South Africa’s biggest sea port. This came after Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and Transnet declared that they are working on closing a multibillion-rand deal on this piece of land.

Solomon Makgale, ACSA communications manager, said that the land negotiations have been going on for a while now and it is about time that the parties involved come to an agreement. He further said that there are lots of aspects and implications, but the discussions are progressing very well.

Part of the aspects pertaining to the deal is that ACSA is still waiting for approval of the board and the ministerial approval, as this is required by the Public Finance Management Act.

On the other hand, finalising contractual aspects is still running smoothly and speeding up the transaction.

Mboniso Sigonyela, Transnet spokesman, said that work is already underway at the old Durban International Airport. Transnet is looking to start 16 container berths. There will be four liquid bulk berths and five automotive berths in five phases.

Sigonyela also said that the project is going to take a while, with the first phase finishing in 2019 and the rest being completed by 2037. The port will accommodate 529 000 roll-on/roll-off units. These are the vessels that will be assisting in carrying wheeled cargo on and off the ship such as trailers, cars, and trucks.

Transnet plans to invest R100 billion into this great project and chances of changing their mind are very slim, said Sigonyela.

Another positive aspect of this project is that it will create a lot of jobs in the country.

We’ve all had or have the neighbour from hell. They are the noisy, rude, loud and obnoxious people living next door. We unfortunately see them every day and hope they would change but sadly that seldom happens. We complain about them because they make living next to them a nightmare. We list some of things we deal with when it comes to complaints about neighbours:

• Barking dogs: there’s nothing worse than dealing with loud dogs. People seldom make an effort to keep their dogs quite and not everyone is a lover of pets.

• Loud music: when a neighbour throws a party they seldom come over to your house to notify you of it. They just assume you won’t mind that they will be playing music so loud you won’t even hear yourself think.

• Parking over neighbour’s lawns: a number of people park over their neighbours lawns without asking for permission. They assume that their neighbours won’t mind, and truth is they do mind it’s someone’s lawn you need to be aware of that.

• Noisy children: children can get loud sometimes and people assume that they neighbours will be okay with hearing your 4 year sing along to Barneys’ music. You need to be cautious and take others into consideration.

Having a neighbour doesn’t have to be a horrible experience if you talk to them when you or they move in. Being upfront from the beginning can save you both a number of disagreements.

I recently had to move out of home. My moving was unexpected… the decision almost came out of nowhere. So I had to act fast. I knew a bit about the property to rent market so I thought finding a place would be a walk in the park.
I first called a good friend of mine, she had an extra room available, she lives in a town house so everything was sorted all we had to do was make sure that we pay our rent, water and electricity bills on time. Initially my friend was cool with us being roommates but a week before I had to move, she was suddenly not cool with it.
A week before I was to move in with her was also a week before the start of a new month. I had to find accommodation fast. I looked at property listings and I found a few promising places.
I made a list and went to view the different property for sale. After seeing 2 places that I liked, I called estate agencies only to find that those places were taken.
It I took my time and I found a place that was very affordable and in close proximity to all the places I needed to be.
Remember you are bound to hit a few speed-bumps when searching for property to rent. Hang in there take your time and do things right.

Be careful when you sign contracts and other legally binding documents.
I am currently paying for an apartment that I am not using all because I rushed into signing a contract. When I first found the place I was so happy and exciting I want to close the deal quickly. It didn’t help that the landlord mentioned that I needed to have signed and submitted the lease agreement back to him by 12pm the next morning.
My apartment was/is cool, the rent is reasonable and I liked living there. But after doing my budget I found that moving a walkable distance to work, would be a lot more cost effective than living where I still had to drive to work.
When I wanted to terminate my lease agreement I found out that I couldn’t. I had signed an agreement that stipulated that I will liable for the apartment until for a period of 3 months.
It is frustrating hearing such news, I consulted with my legal counsel and I was told that a law suit would cost me than if I just stuck out the 3 month contractual period.
If you have a lease agreement in front of you at the moment, make sure you are happy with the clauses in it before you sign it. Get a lawyer to look through your lease agreement as well. Take your time and don’t make decisions you may regret tomorrow.

These days we are bombarded with information on eco friendly living. The emphasis is on the importance of living the green life and its role in global warming. We are encouraged to play our part in this initiative by educating children about it, but most people are unaware of how they can incorporate this in their own homes.
Tips on making your home eco friendly:

• Change your door and fix your windows: it might seem like a simple thing but can save you a lot of money in the long run. A lot of heat escapes through a cracked window or a door that can’t close properly. By fixing them you’re saving the money you would have spent on a heater.

• Under floor heating: under floor heating is one of the best ways of making your home more eco friendly. The temperature is controlled which also saves energy; it’s affordable and is recommended in the race to save energy.

• Solar power: adding a solar powered geyser is one way of making your house more eco friendly. Solar power is one of the new ways of saving power as a number of homes and companies are incorporating solar powered panels. Solar power saves energy which will save you money and makes your home more eco friendly.

• Recycling: it’s one of the most important eco friendly things to do. It’s best to have three separate rubbish bins in your home, one for plastic, paper and glass.

Having a house near the beach is one of the best property investments one can make. The beach is your back yard. Who wouldn’t want to feel the sand in their toes everyday or stare at the ocean and waves? People pay a lot of money every single year on holiday, when you own property next to the beach you save that money.
Here are some advantages of living next to the beach:

• Exercise: you have the opportunity of exercising whenever it’s suitable for you. The beach offers great spots for running and swimming which are both great ways of losing weight. You can also include water sports such as surfing.

• Fishing: is one of the best ways to relax and distress. When you live next to the beach you’re able to fish and seafood is very healthy as most is high in protein.

• Sunshine: vitamin D is very important for our health. We are encouraged by doctors to get at least 10 minutes of sunshine every day. Sun block is also very important as it protects our skin from sun rays which due to over exposure can be harmful.

Another advantage of living next to the beach is the lovely weather. Beach weather is beautiful and most beaches have a number of birds meaning you can do bird watching. The view of the beach every morning will definitely put a smile on any face and listening to the crashing waves before going to bed is one of the best things.

When the sun sets, Durban’s daytime playtime turns into night time reverie. This part of the country is famous for some of the most spectacular and lavish parties. Just think of the annual Durban July – an event that is famous for fun, style and which sets a whole new bar in terms of fashion trends. And let’s not forget about the horse racing. Another annual event that gets the crowd going is the MetroFM Awards held at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Durban’s nightlife promises to deliver on entertainment and is definitely worth checking out if one is looking to have a great time. Here are a few hotspots worth considering for your next night out:

• 80s Nightclub: This bar and club venue is unique in that it takes you back in time when you’re on the dance floor. The DJ plays music from the 60s through to the 90s, so 80s Nightclub is a must-see, must-hear experience for those who appreciate the classics.
• 9th Avenue: This is a stylish and contemporary restaurant that’s popular for its interesting cuisines and unique menu. A recommended dish is the sea scallops, and don’t forget to try out their widely stocked cellar.
• Moses Mabhida Stadium: Built just before the 2010 World Cup, this stadium offers a magnificent view of the grounds. It is truly breath-taking and makes any match or concert event worth watching.

Durban has a lot to offer when it comes to entertainment, arts and nightlife – there is a whole city to explore for great venues and experiences.