{"id":148344,"date":"2017-04-03T10:26:57","date_gmt":"2017-04-03T08:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/?p=148344"},"modified":"2017-04-03T11:40:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-03T09:40:03","slug":"part-1-need-know-buying-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2017\/04\/03\/part-1-need-know-buying-house\/","title":{"rendered":"PART 1: What you need to know when buying a house"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Location, Location, Location<\/h3>\n<p>You have heard this phrase over and over and over. The <a href=\"http:\/\/homes.germistoncitynews.co.za\/\"><strong>area<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>in which you buy a home is your most important consideration. It\u2019s better to downscale on the size or quality of house than to buy your dream home in an area that can potentially affect its resale value.<\/p>\n<h3>Amenities<\/h3>\n<p>Experts say that homes located near day-to-day amenities like shopping malls, schools or medical centres will increase the future value of the home whereas homes located in remote areas with no amenities and <a href=\"http:\/\/biz.germistoncitynews.co.za\/\"><strong>businesses<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0nearby, may depreciate in value.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<h3>Safety and Security<\/h3>\n<p>Once you have decided on the area you want to buy in, research the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/category\/news-headlines\/local-crime-news\/\">crime<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in the area.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find out what the collective attitude to security in the neighbourhood is.<\/li>\n<li>How secure is the house (inside and outside) that you want to buy?<\/li>\n<li>Is there easy access to major highways?<\/li>\n<li>Chat to the surrounding neighbours about crime in the area.<\/li>\n<li>Observe the security measures in their homes and ask about crime they have experienced.<\/li>\n<li>Ask whether there is an active neighbourhood watch in the area.<\/li>\n<li>Which security company do they use and what is their level of satisfaction with the company.<\/li>\n<li>Speak to a senior person in the most popular security company active in the area as they keep crime statistics. Ask how these compare with other neighbourhoods.<\/li>\n<li>Is the street a popular route for pedestrians, buses and taxis?<\/li>\n<li>Are there open tracts of land nearby or building sites that could promote incidents of criminal activity.<\/li>\n<li>Are there commercial areas close by?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Do your research<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-139028\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/03\/Computer-working-purchasing-property-Calibre-Real-Estate-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" \/><\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>With the internet you have unlimited information at your fingertips. Do your research and know exactly what you are in for. For instance, you don\u2019t have to use the home loan provider your <a href=\"http:\/\/homes.germistoncitynews.co.za\/\"><strong>estate agent<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0suggests. They get a commission from the bank. Shop around and go directly to the provider you feel comfortable with.<\/p>\n<h3>Costs and hidden costs<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-139024\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/03\/miskien.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A lot of bonds only cover 95 percent or less of the selling price. The buyer is liable for the difference. This deposit\u00a0is usually requested a few days after the bank has approved the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/homes.germistoncitynews.co.za\/profile\/bond-affordability-calculator\">bond application<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>A mistake many buyers make is taking a further loan with the bank to cover the deposit amount. This usually puts the buyer under financial distress.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to know that there are an array of additional costs involved when you buy a home, apart from the purchase price and deposit.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Transfer costs<\/li>\n<li>Registration costs<\/li>\n<li>Transfer Duty costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Make a list of new expenses, besides your monthly bond.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rates or levies<\/li>\n<li>Insurance<\/li>\n<li>Utility bills<\/li>\n<li>Repairs or maintenance<\/li>\n<li>Living expenses<\/li>\n<li>Travelling costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Considering these costs will help you estimate what\u00a0it is going to cost you to own your own home.<\/p>\n<h3>You\u2019re on your way<\/h3>\n<p>Once you know how much you can afford, you can search for a home that suits you. Use a reputable <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/homes.germistoncitynews.co.za\/\">estate agent<\/a><\/strong>, who will be the liaison between you and the seller.\u00a0Prices are negotiable, so don\u2019t be afraid to speak out.<\/p>\n<p>Some people choose to\u00a0register their preferences with as many agents in the area as possible to <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/homes.germistoncitynews.co.za\/\">find the right home<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>There are many, which can be a quick way to gauge potential areas, prices and properties on offer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"stream-item stream-item-below-post-content\">\n<div class='tenancy_slot tenancy_slot_1 jannah_ad' style='display: none;' data-query-id='22674fbd5f225a876bf35011e8246498'><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before embarking on the important journey of buying a house, make sure that you know what you&#8217;re in for. Here are some pointers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7782,"featured_media":148345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Caxton Central","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[14123,14124,14125],"class_list":["post-148344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news-headlines","tag-pointers-when-buying-a-house","tag-what-you-have-to-consider-when-buying-a-house","tag-what-you-need-to-know-when-buying-a-house"],"amp_enabled":true,"category_labels":{"Category":"News","SubCategory":"Local news"},"tag_labels":["pointers when buying a house","what you have to consider when buying a house","what you need to know when buying a house"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7782"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}