Recent content by HugoBrooks

Once the location is narrowed, viewings should focus on the building before the dated finishes. Look for signs that warrant further investigation, ask direct questions about known defects, and leave room in the timeline for an independent inspection rather than relying only on listing photographs.

I partly disagree that nothing can be inferred yet. The difference between well-presented stock and homes needing work does suggest selectivity, although it doesn’t prove a lasting trend. The bigger issue is revision history: a sale 6.8% below the original ask tells a different story from one...

Are you appointing someone only to create the listing, or also to market the apartment and handle enquiries? That missing fact changes the answer. I would also ask who approves the final images and wording, where instructions and offer-related messages are recorded, and who takes over if the...

There’s another selection issue in “not many I would buy.” The appealing, correctly priced flats may leave quickly, so the remaining online sample naturally becomes dominated by compromised or ambitiously priced stock. That would create a gap between quick sales and stale listings even if buyer...

One missing point is the deposit exposure. Before signing, understand when it is payable, where it is held, and under what circumstances it could be at risk if financing, valuation or inspection does not go as planned. A supposedly strong offer should not depend on vague contingency language...

One caveat to my own answer: a scope is information, not a reason to empty your emergency fund. Ask whether you receive usable footage and a clear description of where any issue sits. Then budget in order: inspection findings and essential repairs first, followed by the insurance excess, moving...

Before booking it, ask the managing agent or body corporate where responsibility changes from the apartment owner to the shared system. With an apartment, “private sewer line” could mean a limited section, so clarify exactly what the ZAR 72,800 estimate covers. If that section will genuinely be...

What happened to transaction volume in the same sample? A 6.7% gap alongside steady sales would suggest something different from the same gap with very few completions. With a small number of deals, one unusual sale could move the result considerably.