Give your property a ‘green’ edge

Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Give your property a ‘green’ edge


If your home is on the market in the current climate where demand is thin and listing times are running between six and nine months, it’s crucial to make the property as saleable as possible.



Conventional wisdom is that now is not a good time to sell, but for any number of reasons, homes are still coming on to the market and indeed there is an oversupply of stock right now, says Gerhard Kotzé, CEO of the ERA South Africa property group



“The imperative for adequately preparing a home for sale has therefore never been more valid and any opportunity to add to the saleability of a home without breaking the bank should be seriously considered,” he adds.



“The need to get the basics right such as tidy gardens, clean carpets, adding a lick of paint, repairing structural defects and so on, is a given in this respect. However changing needs such as greater self-sufficiency in services, changing work patterns and strained household budgets, all help to place a new and different perspective on the saleability of property.



“For example, an energy efficient home with its own ‘gen-set’ and solar water heating system will obviously have an edge in the market. Similarly, self sufficiency in other respects such as borehole water will add to value and saleability – and it won’t hurt to have a little veggie patch going in the back garden.”



As for the actual accommodation, he says, you should consider scrapping one of your garages and turning it into a home office or a granny flat to make makes the property more appealing in the current circumstances. “We’ve noted an increased number of extended families sharing the same home and the extra space would come in handy for a buyer of that ilk.



“Moreover, domestic quarters are less in demand nowadays and again, the space could be earmarked for, say, a rentable flatlet.”



From a security point of view, it’s obviously also important to have the necessary gates, fencing and alarms.



“It’s all about ‘packaging’ at the end of the day, and the more boxes a property ticks, given the demands of today, the more saleable it will be – and the better the price it will realise!”

Back To The News Archives