Preparing Your Property for Sale

While there are various steps to keep in mind when preparing your property for sale, changes in zoning laws and building regulations means sellers must have certain things in place before putting their home on the market.
According to Lanic Steward, managing director of Knight Frank– a leading privately owned global property agency:

“Gone are the days where you could put your house on the market and hide behind the voetstoots clause. It is in the interest of the seller to take time to ensure the house he is selling is fully compliant.”

The following steps should be taken to protect the seller against any claims that may take place later. Choosing a prominent estate agent in Cape Town, such as Knight Frank, is a sure-fire way to make sure this is done correctly.

• Make sure that all renovations to the property have been approved. If you are in a situation where you haven’t done so, make an effort to find the old plans and submit them to the Council for approval. A buyer may lose interest if they have to wait a few months for these types of complications to be sorted out.
• If you have any doubts about whether your property is water compliant, check for leaks before calling in an inspector. The easiest way to do so is by turning off the water supply to check if the meter is still ticking over – if it does, this means there is a leak somewhere.
• If you have a leak in the roof, get it repaired as soon as possible and make sure you receive a guarantee from the contractor. This guarantee should be addressed to the house and not the person owning the house.
• Make sure any plumber or electrician who has been involved in readying the house for sale presents the seller with a certificate that states the work complies with regulations. If possible, you should try getting a guarantee for this work.
• Any unapproved plans should be taken through the Council and approved as soon as possible. If left too late, you may encounter problems doing so.
• The most important thing for sellers to remember is that they need to give full disclosure to both the buyer and the agent. This way, issues can be rectified quickly and will be listed in the sales agreement or condition report.

The above steps are important for the seller as they will eliminate any timeless problems that may occur during the transfer process. Remember, municipalities can demand that an illegal building be demolished – make sure it is not yours.
Source: http://exploring-cape-town.tumblr.com/post/66332444343/the-sellers-checklist-home-compliancy