Repairing windows is a relatively simple exercise be they wood or steel frame windows. It is often a simple case of giving the windows and the paintwork a good clean that can make all the difference. If your home has windows and frames that in disrepair or look like they need replacing this is a negative factor when prospective buyers view your home. Their first impression will be that they need to spend money on the home to replace or repair windows and even if they make an offer, will factor in an amount for what they feel needs to be spent getting the window frames replaced or repaired.

• Go around your house and count how many broken or cracked panes of glass need replacing.
• Take a good look at the colour of the paint and ask yourself honestly if the window frames make the home attractive. If you need to repaint to enhance the visual appeal of your home, do it, it takes very little paint and can make a huge difference to the appeal of your home.
• If you are happy with the colour check for dust that is causing the colour to appear dull. Clean the windows and frames, they should sparkle, be bright and inviting.
• By adding inexpensive shutters in complimentary colours, you can change the entire appearance of your home, consider this if you have a style of home that lends towrads using shutters.
• 90% of all window and window frames need a very good clean to bring out their shine which can be simply achieved with dish washing liquid and a cloth. Do one window and you will notice the difference.
• The next thing to do is to thoroughly the window sills both inside and outside and paint if necessary.

Windows and window frames can be effectively repaired at very little cost as with doors and door frames. They are focal points of your home and should be treated as such.

Home styling has been shown to add as much as 20% to initial offers on homes that have battled to sell.

Clever use of the equity available in your home loan can prove to be a very valuable wealth generation tool and here are a few ways in which best to use that home loan equity.

By using the equity in your home loan to purchase a vehicle, you could be saving as much as 4% in interest payments but it is important to pay the instalment amount as if you had financed the vehicle at the higher rate over a shorter period. By doing it this way you are saving a lot of money on your vehicle purchase but, if you do not pay what would have been the car payment it will end up costing you a whole lot more. Discipline is the key here, do not use you bond to make a vehicle affordable over the period of your bond.

In a similar fashion, by using the equity in your bond to repay credit card debt and paying the usual credit card payment amount directly into your bond you will again be saving a lot of interest. Credit cards attract the highest interest rate of most short term lending so it is important to be very careful with your credit card once the debt has been paid off from your bond. Never over extend yourself again on your card, only use the amount you are able to pay in full at the end of every month and pay the debt reduction instalment directly into your bond and you will again be saving a large sum of money in interest payment.

By increasing the excesses on your home and vehicle insurance you can dramatically reduce your premiums and in the event of a claim, you could easily withdraw money from your bond to finance the excess if required. The key to this strategy is to ensure that you drive carefully and live in a secure manner. Insurance is meant to be for unusual happenings but today it is often seen by people as an item replacement option, hence the high instances of insurance fraud in South Africa. Drive a little slower, never drive drunk and be vigilant around your home and you will save yourself a fortune in insurance payments with this strategy.

Make it your goal to repay your loans as quickly as possible to reduce interest amounts and ensure that you are well versed in the early settlement penalties that some institutions put on early settlement.

One thing to be very aware of is that South African banks require that in order to settle your home loan before the end of the term you as the bond holder are required to give them 3 months notice of settlement. By way of example, if you are selling your home, you must give the bank written notice of your intention to settle your home loan 3 months before the expected settlement date. If you do not settle the home loan in the 3 month period you are again required to give notice of home loan settlement. Never assume anything when it come to South African banks, call your bankers and get the answers before you do anything out of the ordinary, it could save you a lot of money.

In May 2010 the average house price growth across the spectrum was around 10% with the biggest showing being residential properties at lower end of the market. Growth of over 30% has been seen in small home under 140 sqm with a steady demand. This is very good news indicating that banks are beginning to lend a little more freely in the lower end of the market while lending in the upper end or tradionally more indebted remains very stringent.

Most economists are forecasting rates to remain flat for the rest of the year with single digit growth in residential property price growth.

Most are expecting the success of the World Cup to have an impact on property prices in South Africa and with the rand at it’s current low levels, this may take a little longer than expected to materialize. Having said that, most visitors to the World cup have yet to return and we can expect tourism figures over the next 3 years to increase significantly and only then perhaps see the interest in residential property by foreigners to be a significant contributor. Those that have never been to South Africa before will visit a number of times before spending their money on South African property and of course we must not forget that the entire world has been suffering from the economic crisis, making their priorities to deal with any financial issues at home.

What we can expect is to see interest from foreign buyers in the very high end of the market, of which Cape Town can expect to see the bulk of those investments.

If you are considering buying, you may wish to read our article the costs involved in buying a home.

Surface preparation does not only apply to using paint techniques but for any painting jobs that you wish to last.

Use a scraper to remove any loose paint or debris. If there are any cracks, use the edge of the scraper to widen the cracks slightly and clear out any loose objects. Use a paintbrush to remove dust particles from the cracks.

Use polyfilla to fill any cracks and really make sure that the polyfilla has been pressed into the crack well, allow to dry.

Sand the surface with a rough sandpaper using a light touch to aid adherence of the paint.

Always apply a primer or undercoat to the surface whether you are using a paint technique or not. Allow to dry before apply the next coat of paint.

Now that the surface is prepared you are ready to apply your paint technique. The most common paint techniques are:

Colour washing

Colour washing gives a beautiful rustic feel and is commonly seen in Tuscan style buildings or country kitchens.

This technique requires the use of 2 colours, with the lighter colour as a base colour, then applying the darker layer where the light colour comes through.

Colour washing can be subtle as well as dramatic. By using colours that are similar or from the same spectrum the affect is less dramatic. Use the colour tool to get an idea of complimentary colours.

How to colour wash

Select your colours and paint on your base coat.

Mix the top coat with glaze in a 4 parts colour to 1 part glaze ratio

For a dramatic finish use a roller covered in a cloth and roll out the top coat

For a subtle finish use a cloth to apply the top coat in circular motions, this gives a subtle cloudy texture.

For a more uniform but speckled effect use a sponge and sponge the top coat on uniformly.

The images below will give you a good idea of the effects you are likely to achieve.

Always test your paint technique on a piece of wall before you you apply to the entire surface, if you don’t like it, simply apply a further coat of base coat and start over until you find the technique you like best.

In this sample, the two colours that were used were fairly close to one another on the colour chart with the base layer having a slightly yellow tinge to it. The top coat is darker with more brown pigment and the method used was to use wide sweeping motions with a heavy rag to apply the top coat and then to simply even out the edges with smaller circular motions creating a dreamy cloudy effect.

The effect is warming and ideal for family rooms or covered outdoor areas.

This is an example of ragging. Using a light base coat and contrasting top coat which has been applied with a roller that has had a piece of cloth wound around the roller.

Once the topcoat has been initially applied, a dry roller was used to soften the colour contrast slightly. It is important to allow the paint to dry for about 10 minutes before smoothing the edges.

The effect is more vital and bold.

This far more dramatic effect is the result of sponging with a very heavy sponge that has a lot of holes in it.

The sponge is loaded with paint, wiped on the side of the container and the applied in careful placements which overlap creating a stippling effect. No smoothing was used and the effect is a deep contrast with dramatic effect.

Option 1

Selling your home privately through an existing private sale channel like privateproperty.co.za is an option for those who are prepared to spend about R3000 on advertising but in return get assistance with paperwork in the form of bond approvals for the buyer and having access to documents for the sale of your property.

You are able to set your price expectation and negotiate the deal with the buyer directly in the knowledge that your documentation is correctly drawn and the bond will be handled professionally.

Option 2

Selling your home directly by placing your own adverts in the newspaper and taking advantage of agents selling in your area by putting up your for sale boards in positions which will take advantage of the agents advertised properties is a good way to get feet through your show house.

Private sale agreements for property, be it freehold property or sectional title, are available at most Waltons stores and good stationary suppliers. It is viatlly important that you have an attorney at your disposal who is aware of your property for sale who will be able to accept the deposit from the buyer into his trust account once your private sale has been successfully negotiated.

Bear in mind that while you will be saving the 5% to 7% in agents commission, the risks are fairly significant and you will be required to spend a lot of time  preparing advertising material, negotiating with the buyer and of course dealing with the banks regarding the bond and attorneys. Think carefully before you decide to go the private sale route and be sure that you have the time and energy to devote to the sale.

Before you place your home on the market privately or have a show day, read the tips and tricks to get your home sold.

The reason we say now as a good time to start is that contractors have been under pressure with fewer consumers qualifying for finance to renovate their homes and your ability to negotiate a good price is at it’s best right now, but what are the finance options available and what is the best and most cost effective way to finance a renovation.

Bathrooms and kitchens are the most commonly renovated rooms in the house and can be very expensive unless you follow these simple ideas too improve your kitchen or bathroom, particularly if you are selling your home.

Cash

If you have been saving and have the cash available consider what you have been saving for. If your cash is in investments like unit trusts or mutual funds, you may be best off leaving it intact with the stock market reacting to the end of the recessionary influences.

Credit card

Credit cards bear some of the highest interest unless you settle them within the interest period, in which case you could effectively get short term finance at almost 0% interest for 25 days. If the renovation you are anticipating is not a very large amount of money, this is an option, otherwise put away your plastic.

Bond

If you have funds available in your bond this is the best way to finance a renovation or you can apply for an additional amount on your bond based on the future value of your home after the renovation. Ensure that your credit rating is in good standing and use a bond originator to secure your the best rate.

Her are a few really handy things to do that will make those entering your home feel more enclined to make an offer.

Place a bowl of fresh green apples in a bowl near the entrance or on the kitchen counter.You have probably received scented candles as gifts that are sitting in a cupboard, get them out and make a candle display.

The scents you are looking for are fresh citrus and cinnamon or vanilla. These are homely comforting scents.

Get out your best crystal and display it neatly in your kitchen cupboards. A well looked after home makes a good impression.

1. Shine you taps and bathroom fittings
2. Clean any visible appliances very well.
3. Place an unopened sachet of baby smelling fabric softener in the cupboards, who can resist the smell of babies!
4. Vacuum you carpets with a scented conditioner.
5. Give your furniture the once over with the vacuum and pretty up with cushions.
6. Cut the lawn and remove any dead leaves from plants in the garden.
7. Clean the swimming pool and brush the paving.
8. Never leave any clothing or toys lying around.
9. Borrow furniture or cushions from friends to make it more homely.

If you have any visble cracks or damp areas on walls or ceilings, you are going to need to spend a little cash to fix them. A fresh, clean, neutral wall colour goes a long way to catering for anyones tastes.

1. Fix any cracks and paint the whole wall, not necessarily the whole room, but the whole wall.
2. Clean the skirtings and paint if necessary
3. If you have stains on your carpets, get them cleaned or cover with a simple rug.
4. Clean or paint the ceilings. It’s amazing, but every person who enters a house looks up!
5. If your garden hasn’t seen much attention for ages, go out and buy a few colourful and green plants.

The aim here is to spend as little as possible to make your home as welcoming as possible and to present it in a way that shows off all of the best attributes of your home. Most of these suggestions take a little time and very little money but will make a whole lot of difference in the final sale price that you achieve. Showing your house as a clean, well kept and much loved home will do wonders for the prospective buyers of your home so give the estate agent something to work with. The Estate agent has to spend hours in your home and the more he likes it, the better the chances are of him concluding a sale on your behalf.

• Fire, earthquakes or explosions
• acts of nature like sever wind storms, high seas etc.
• Protection against burst pipes and geysers
• Accidental damage kitchen and bathroom appliances or fittings
• Land subsidence and 3rd party insurance

All of these items effect the value of the property and as the bank has loaned you money against the value of the property, it is a term of the loan agreement that suitable insurance be taken out in order to preserve the value of the property.

Home owners who have a home loan are also obliged to take out life insurance that will cover the value of the outstanding bond in the event of death or disability. It is possible to get life cover if you are HIV positive and will not negatively effect your ability to get a bond. This type of insurance applies to all of those who are sureties or applicants to the bond and must be maintained while there is still a bond over the property.

Home owners insurance which covers personal items like furniture and fittings or any valuables contained on the property is not required by the bond holder but is recommended to home owners. Taking out insurance for personal effects and valuables is very tricky and realistic values of all of the items need to be obtained and updated annually to ensure that you are not over or under insured.

1. Your own bank will seldom give you the best home loan deal.
This trend has become more and more evident over the past year, as banks try to woo new clients from their competitors. Moreover, we’re seeing a sharp rise in instances where bonds are being declined by a client’s traditional bank and approved by another bank with which the client has no connection.

2. Your bargaining power ends the day your bond is registered.
If you’ve ever tried to get your bank to lower your bond rate, you’ll know what I mean. Make sure your bond originator shops around among the various lenders to secure the best possible rate concession. It’s too late to seek a better deal once your bond is registered and switching your bond from one lender to another is no longer viable.

3. You must give 3 months’ notice to cancel your bond.
When you sell your property, you should give the bank 90 days’ notice of your intention to cancel your bond. If you don’t, you’ll be charged a punitive cancellation penalty equal to 3 months’ interest. On a bond of R1million, this is like throwing R25 000 down the drain. The banks are inflexible on this cancellation penalty, and will no longer waive it, even if you place your next bond with the same bank.

4. Voluntarily increasing your monthly payment by a small amount will knock years off the term of your bond.
The miracle of compound interest! Play around with the Bond Calculator on my website and you’ll see that by repaying an extra R312 per month on a R1m bond, you’ll knock 5 years off the term of a 20 year bond and save yourself R433 160!

5. Make sure you’re getting the best insurance deal
Homeowners Comprehensive Insurance is compulsory if you have a bond. In the past, this cover was provided automatically by the bank (the mortgagee) and you were not allowed your own choice of insurer. Now you, the mortgagor, can shop around for the insurance cover that best suits your needs, and your pocket. Be aware, though, that should you choose an outside insurer, the bank may levy a monthly “admininstration fee” on your bond and this could negate the effect of a cheaper premium.

This is a clear indication that we are moving out of the perceived recession and that the banks have faith in the future of property prices.

Salaried applicants with a clear credit record have never had it so good! Interest rates are at their lowest levels in 30 years and some analysts predict that the recent drop in the Purchasing Managers’ Index |(PMI) leaves the door open for another interest rate cut, in spite of the Reserve Bank’s earlier indications that rates should stay on hold. And although FNB’s latest house price index showed a further acceleration in house price growth from 10,1% to 11,9% in April, the current buyer’s market seems set to remain until at least the end of the year.

Self-employed applicants still find it difficult to secure bond approvals, but only if they’re not able to prove their income to the banks’ satisfaction. Ensure that your financial statements are up to date and choose a competent bond consultant to motivate your application properly, and you shouldn’t have a problem.

The miracle of compound interest! Play around with the Bond Calculator and you’ll see that by repaying an extra R312 per month on a R1m bond, you’ll knock 5 years off the term of a 20 year bond and save yourself R433 160!