No one can argue that electrical geysers are serial offenders when you eyeball your electricity consumption at the end of every month. And these units

Artificial grass may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but does it affect a home’s resale value? “In my experience, this decision is really a

When it comes to home renovations a widely held assumption is that any improvement or alteration to a property immediately adds significant value to

Legislation requires that all geysers comply with certain standards and requirements in order to limit risks and damage. The Institute of Plumbing South Africa

Q Good day, the upper bedroom in my house was built with a board which looks like RhinoBoard. The paint is coming off and I

It’s no secret that old homes have a very special kind of character that is difficult to replicate in modern spaces. From Cape Dutch

Not all renovations or upgrades are created equally – some period features of older homes add beautiful value to your home and should never

Whether you are preparing to list your home or just want to invest in your property for your own enjoyment, there are some simple,

The kitchen is one of the most important spaces in your home; it’s where you cook for your family. You want and need it

Painting exterior walls in winter can be a daunting prospect for even the most experienced painters. Depending on which parts of the country you

While we all have that one friend that professes to enjoy cleaning their home, for most of us it is a grudge chore often

The once warm mornings now greet us with an icy embrace and evening creeps in earlier and earlier each day. Summer lovers be warned:

Whether you have been staying in your home for a few years or you just bought your first home, there is one thing you

What do you do if you love your home’s location and the area, but the home no longer fits your growing family’s needs? Do

Giving your home a fresh coat of paint is a simple yet highly impactful way to refresh its look and increase its aesthetic appeal,

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Whether you are renovating your house to create more space, rejuvenate or to put it in the market, getting to grips with how renovations

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

You have done your homework thoroughly, researching the market and current trends in the area and gaining a clear understanding of the renovation process

Donna had been struggling to find the right rental property and was thrilled when she eventually found what she considered to be the perfect

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Did you know that inefficient, badly fitting windows can heat up your house by a whopping 75% in summer – and account for a

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There can be some confusion when it comes to who is responsible for which elements of maintenance on a rental property. “Some aspects fall

Are you one of the lucky South Africans that received an annual salary increase in the last year? Chances are that even if this

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Gerhard Kotzé, MD of the RealNet estate agency group, says there are basic maintenance checks that every homeowner should do at least annually. This

A study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) revealed that apart from a safe neighbourhood, the factor that influenced home-buying decisions

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Q Hi, I have a piece of agricultural land in Grabouw (4,000m²) and am putting up four shipping containers to use for storage of fruit

Q Hi there, I have read that I don’t need to inform my local municipality of minor building work. Is this really the case? -

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Because your home’s roof is one of the largest, heaviest and most costly structures in your home’s design, it is fair to expect that

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Every so often, a complex residential roof, of average scale and with relatively small truss spans, arrives for design and estimation at a timber

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Deciding to build your own home, or take on major renovations is an exciting endeavour. Homeowners are sure to encounter many challenges and even

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

‘Tis the silly season! You probably have a bonus cheque burning a hole in your pocket and a whole lot of free time. This

Q Hi, I have these cracks in my walls that look like spider webs or something. I have heard that cracks are serious and because

Q My boundary wall has these huge cracks that run from the top to the bottom and I am scared it is going to fall

Heating and cooling accounts for up to 50% to 70% of the energy used in an average home. Installing insulation in your house is

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

Q After the recent heavy rains, my house flooded because of all the storm water that came from my neighbour. He refuses to handle his

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

There is no user manual for all aspects of homeownership, from moving, to taking occupation and to maintaining and understanding common and uncommon defects.

What you are about to witness is real. Gauteng Home Inspections visited two newly built homes in the same complex just outside of Pretoria and documented incidences

A house’s roof is one the most important structures on the home. It protects everything inside the house – from the furniture, appliances, electrics,

A house’s roof is one the most important structures on the home. It protects everything inside the house – from the furniture, appliances, electrics,

When sitting on your patio lost in thought this Saturday, waiting for the braai, you might be staring at your wall and suddenly notice

Changing lighting sockets, DIYing a new ceiling fan, or fixing the wiring on your child’s favourite talking doll doesn’t always require specialist expertise. But

As the weekend rolls around you may feel the urge to get busy around the home, finally finish that DIY paint job you’ve been

Research shows that it will take the average home buyer only a few seconds before deciding whether or not they like the home. In

Mother of four boys, Marinda and her hubby, who own a local pub in Blouberg, bought an old, dilapidated six-bedroom house which had been

Mother of four boys, Marinda and her hubby, who own a local pub in Blouberg, bought an old, dilapidated six-bedroom house which had been

The introduction of compliance certificate amendments, the need for solar powered additions and water restrictions have made it apparent for homeowners and estate agents

Your home’s plumbing is a bit like your car’s wiring. Unless you see this as your Sunday past time, you’d rather “call a guy”

A gas certificate of compliance is required when a property is transferred which has a gas installation. This is according to MC van der

Whether you’re thinking about doing a big renovation or just some light fixing up around the house, there are things that your handyman or

One of the most common problems found by HouseCheck inspectors when checking roofs with concrete tiles is badly installed ridge capping tiles. This common defect

In this information-driven age, we are becoming more and more aware of how to look after ourselves and fight against the influx of chemicals,

How often have you spent a weekend scrubbing down and repainting old asbestos or cement pot plant containers to give them a new lease

To increase the rate of adoption of the ZA Plug, the SABS is considering making the standard semi-compulsory. Workgroups at the South African Bureau of

ALCOHOL: Soak white articles in diluted bleach, rinse and wash. BLOOD: Soak article in ½ litre of cold water and 1 teaspoon salt for 1

Buying up run-down homes with an eye to renovating and reselling them at a profit has become very popular in recent years, but such

With the current drought conditions looking set to stay in South Africa, developing water-wise habits is becoming essential. Homeowners are already feeling the pinch

HouseCheck reports already protect cautious South African home buyers from making expensive mistakes when purchasing a property. However, soon after taking transfer of the

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes, and it holds especially true these days for homeowners. “By

A home renovation can add significant value to a home as well as improve the resident’s quality of life. However, not all upgrades are equal

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) will start its public hearings on Monday, January 25, 2016, which will deal with Eskom’s latest

Before you attempt painting over the galvanised metal on your roof or wendy house, there are a few things that need to be considered

Just about every DIY or craft project requires some kind of sandpaper. But what is sandpaper and how do you know what kind to

South African insurance companies say that the most common claim area for homeowners’ insurance involves hot-water geyser failure. Usually, when the geyser fails, the

Protecting and beautifying our built environment is what the painting industry is fundamentally based on. The problem is that paints and varnishes are often

We already know we live in a water-stressed country, which has been exacerbated by the recent heat wave conditions and very little rain this

We live in a dry country and we are all aware of the need to save water in everything that we do. When painting,

The cost of water as part of our living expenses is unavoidable. At a time when all other living expenses are on the rise

Although DIY is fun, there are times when we just don’t have enough time to tackle the next project. And even though there is

There may be a number of reasons why you want to replace your shower head. It could be because your current shower head is

Damp is one of the most worrying conditions for a home owner. You often fear the worst and you’re not sure whether to opt

There’s more to colour than meets the eye – literally. Sure, you absolutely love that hue of blue, but did you know that it

A professional home inspection should not be skipped when you first buy a property. But after you move in, doing an annual maintenance inspection

A professional home inspection report is especially valuable to first-time homebuyers who do not have a lot of property experience. It provides an independent, professional

It's possible to cut your electricity bill by 10%, and the best thing is it won't cost you a cent. Hot water: Turn down the thermostat

Your home should be repainted every five to 10 years, however there are other signs, according to Jack’s Paint, that your home may need

Homes consume 17% of South Africa’s electricity. However, this figure nearly doubles to 27% between 5pm and 9pm on weekdays. This explains why Eskom