After a lengthy search, we often fall in love with our perfect house and neglect to investigate what lies beneath the surface, but giving in to the excitement of buying your dream home can lead to some nasty shocks down the line.

Sellers can get away with a myriad property defects by hiding behind the 'voetstoets' clause which is incorporated into all property sale agreements, advises Bruce Swain, Regional Director of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.

Even though the law states that estate agents are obliged to inform a buyer of any known defects, unscrupulous agents choose not to hear about faults and are therefore under no pressure to inform you, the potential buyer.

Steve Dawson, Sales Associate with RE/MAX Property Associates, advises buyers to proceed with caution and ask lots of questions. There are several key elements that you should investigate thoroughly before you even consider signing the offer to purchase.

Taking the time to get to the bottom of these questions will leave you empowered before you make your final offer:

  • Geyser/water pressure: turn on the taps to gauge pressure and ask the agent to find out how old the geyser is.
  • Rugs: are they masking something underneath? Ask the agent if you can lift them and investigate the flooring.
  • Damp: is there any obvious evidence? If so, request a damp certificate
  • Leakage: rainy days are good days for house hunting, particularly if you are looking at older houses. Regardless you should ask your agent to find out about this.
  • Gutters: are they all in good working order?
  • Electrical compliance certificate: it is compulsory for this to be issued
  • What fixtures are included in the sale and what are not (Kreepy Crawly, satellite dish, stove etc)
  • Home warranty certificate: This is issued after a professional evaluation of the property prior to purchase, but there is normally a cost attached to this.
  • Cracks in walls could be an indication of a problem with the foundations or land subsidence
If the buyer asks the above mentioned questions, the estate agent is compelled to research all these issues on their behalf, in order to provide the buyer peace of mind regarding their new purchase.

"Don’t forget that you can also stipulate conditions on your offer to purchase, perhaps you want the pool to be inspected or the alarm to be tested,” says Ken Bluff, an agent with RE/MAX Elite.

After all, buying a house is perhaps the greatest investment that most people will ever make. Be sure that there are no hidden problems to cause you misery and unexpected costs down the line.


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