Check insurance during occupation
If you've sold your home and agreed that the buyer can take occupation before transfer is registered, it is important to make sure that the property will remain properly insured during the occupation period.
"Accidents and natural disasters can happen at any time and you must be covered against damage due to wind, fire or water, for example, and for as long as you still own the property - even if you are not living there anymore," says Berry Everitt, CEO of the Chas Everitt International property group.
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Seller disclosure always advisable
Although many sellers may be tempted to keep quiet about known defects in their property in the hope of selling it faster and for a better price, advice from Peter Gilmour, Chairman of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, is that honesty is always the best policy.
"Eventually, buyers who have been misled through non-disclosure will become aware of the property's defects, and there is a good chance that they may take the matter to court to recover money they have spent on fixing the problem. This could turn what was supposed to be a quick and profitable transaction into a long and expensive nightmare," says Gilmour.
Rather, he says, sellers should disclose any defects and take the financial knock upfront. "This may even work in their favour, as the majority of buyers will appreciate their honesty and will be relieved to have prior knowledge of what the repairs to the property will cost."
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User guide for paint brushes
The quality of any paint finish depends largely on the quality and condition of the application tool - here is a users' guide on paint brushes:
Choosing a brush
Brushes designed for painting normally come in widths from 12mm to 150mm. The smaller brushes are often known as varnish brushes, and the larger ones are called wall brushes. A brush has four parts - a handle made from wood or plastic, the metal heel or ferrule that holds the bristles themselves, and filler strips with the ferrule which plum out the bristles. When buying a brush, you should consider the following points:
The handle: This must feel both comfortable and well balanced in your hand.
The ferrule: This should be securely fixed to the handle with either nails or rivets and there should be no sharp edges.
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Refurbished and empty for the World Cup
Thousands of the more affluent people in South Africa eagerly refurbished, furnished and stocked (with bed linen, towels, cutlery and crockery) the investment townhouses that were supposedly going to make them a fortune.
Many of these townhouse owners had signed deals with a group called Classic Hospitality who in turn had signed a contract with MATCH, FIFA's official booking agent.
The deal with Classic was one of many that cropped up in the past 18 months or so. Several property companies put out leaflets around the suburbs of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban aimed at seducing homeowners into renting their properties for the duration of the World Cup.
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Century-old Dbn market fights new mall
Durban's sweeping World Cup renovations are transforming the city centre, but 500 vendors at a century-old market are fighting off attempts to raze their stalls to build a shopping mall.
The traders at the Early Morning Market won their first round, with a court order stalling the demolition pending a court hearing in September, in a conflict that illustrates the tensions
between tradition and modernity in a country sharply divided between haves and have-nots.
"No way, we are not going to move. We are going to fight this here," said vegetable vendor Mony Govender, as she helped an old woman balance a 10-kilo (22-pound) sack of cabbages on her head.
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