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Top safety tips for sellers on show days
Homeowners and estate agents agree that open house or show days help to sell houses because this practice introduces the property to prospective buyers. However, opening your home up to potential buyers may also mean an open house for potential burglars.

“Estate agents especially need to be security conscious and need to discuss the option of putting security systems in place before a show day, not only to protect the sellers’ valuables and property, but to ensure the agents are safe as well,” says Verena Hulme, district manager (Cape Town North) for Fidelity ADT.

“We advise sellers to lock all their valuables away and to ensure that your agent understands your concerns regarding the safety and the security of your property on show day. Posting a guard on the premises and giving the agent access to a panic button is also a good idea.”

While you cannot plan for every eventuality, Hulme says the following pointers will definitely help to discourage thieves from taking advantage of the situation:
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Smart urbanism and sustainability in RICS Summit Africa spotlight
Africa needs to be smart about city planning and sustainability as it faces one of the fastest urbanisation rates in the world and challenges around climate change.

That’s the word from TC Chetty, South Africa country manager of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), ahead of the influential 2018 RICS Summit Africa event, scheduled to take place on 30-31 May in Sandton Central, Johannesburg.

“The dominant theme for RICS Summit Africa this year is ‘Driving sustainable growth through smart urbanisation’… In the wake of rising economic growth, Africa’s rapid urbanisation topped the agenda at last year’s summit. And, this year we zone into how Africa can build smarter cities and more sustainable cities, to better deal with its high levels of urbanisation and global climate change,” says Chetty.
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Investors: Cash in on short-term rentals in SA and abroad
Investors looking to buy a property offshore can potentially recoup their money faster through short-term rentals than traditional letting options, all the while earning income in a foreign currency according to George Radford, Head of Africa at IP Global, who says the growing popularity of short-term rentals as holiday accommodation has made buying a property abroad more appealing than ever.

Using online marketplace Airbnb as an example, the 2017 Property Return on Investment Index created by “proptech” company Nested showed that it would take over 13 years to recuperate the value of an average three bedroom property in Durban via traditional rental methods, and just 18 months using Airbnb.
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Your guide to a hassle-free ‘self-move’
Moving into a new home comes with such a long list of expenses that one often searches for ways to cut back on costs. Hiring a professional moving company is one of the first expenses that many buyers tend to try and work around, especially now that purse strings are even tighter owing to the VAT increase that took effect recently.

“Using a professional moving company will reduce the risks of damage to your furniture and injury to yourself, and while I would always advise enlisting their help, smaller moves can be done effectively by yourself if you plan carefully and take all the necessary precautions,” says Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.

Relocating is no walk in the park, so you need to weigh up the pros and cons of doing it alone carefully before making a decision. Unless you have a tow bar and a large trailer, a bakkie or a SUV with collapsible seats, you are going to have to fork out some cash regardless, so make sure you explore the costs of each option before you decide that hiring professionals will be too expensive of an option.
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