Most Recent Living Articles
HOW TO MAKE A NEW CITY FEEL LIKE HOME
Moving house is among the top five life stressors and even more so when the move is not just from one house to another, but to a new city or country. In another article, we discussed how the 80:20 principle plays an important role in choosing a new city and preparing for the move. In this article we’ll give you some useful tips and the odd life hack for putting that preparation – the 8
Read moreTHE IMPACT OF THE REPO RATE ON YOUR HOME LOAN
If you hold any kind of debt, it is important to keep a close eye on interest rates: as interest rates go up, so do your monthly repayments. The interest rate that your bank charges is based on the repo rate which is set by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). To help you stay on top of this, we’ll explain what the repo rate is, how it is set, and, critically, its impact on your home loan.
Read moreHOW TO CHOOSE FENCING THAT'LL INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE
Should I choose fences or walls when setting up a perimeter around my home? And which of these options will add value to my property? The answer depends on personal taste and preference as well as budget. Other factors that come into play can be security and the area in which you live. Let’s dive into some of the pros and cons of each option and what the potential implications are for your p
Read moreCHOOSING A NEW HOMETOWN: RELOCATION 101
There are a myriad of reasons why people move to new towns or cities, ranging from retirement and lifestyle choices, to transfers and employment opportunities. Whatever the reason, the key to making it work for you is in your homework. Like so much in life, the 80:20 principle applies. In this case, the 80% is your research (homework) and the other 20% is the actual relocation. In this article
Read moreGOOD NEWS FOR HOMEOWNERS: INTEREST RATES REMAIN UNCHANGED
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announced today that interest rates will remain stable at 8.25% (repo rate), leaving the prime lending rate at 11.75%. This comes as some much-needed relief as many debt holders are struggling to keep up with repayments, even at the current rates. Given that inflation increased to 5,4% in September from 4,8% in August, it is understandable that interest rates
Read moreINSTALLING SOLAR POWER - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
With the international trend towards renewable energy, folk are looking to solar power as an alternative to plugging into the main grid — especially in South Africa. If you are thinking of doing the same, then here’s what you’ll need to know… What is solar power? Solar effectively means from the sun, so solar power systems harness the light and heat energy that comes
Read moreINSTALLING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IS ABOUT MORE THAN LOAD-SHEDDING
Installing alternative energy solutions is about more than managing the fall-out from load-shedding: by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, we’re also doing our bit for the planet. In this article, we explore various options from which homeowners can choose and at the same time, potentially improve both your quality of life and the value of your property. What to consider when invest
Read moreWHERE TO STUDY REAL ESTATE COURSES IN SA
There is a lot more to being a real estate agent than sales. Property is a complex and diverse field. When you embark on a career in this field, there are many courses on offer which can make it tricky to choose the course of study that will give you a firm foundation on which to build your professional presence in the industry. A reminder: With the promulgation of the Property Practitioners
Read morePaying Off Your Home Loan Faster: a Guide for Homeowners
Are you interested in exploring the potential for paying off your home loan early? We’ve prepared a set of strategies to help you pay off your home loan faster... Why should you pay off your home loan faster? Owning a property is a significant milestone, but the long-term commitment of a loan can be daunting. You can potentially eliminate years’ worth of debt by paying even a lit
Read moreWORKING OUT THE INTEREST ON MY HOME LOAN
In South Africa, interest rates can fluctuate from time to time. It is important to know what this means for your monthly expenses, especially for the big-ticket items like home loans, vehicle finance agreements and credit cards. What is interest? Before we look at how to calculate the interest you pay on a loan, let’s understand what “interest” means. In general terms,
Read moreARE HOME SECURITY CAMERAS A GOOD INVESTMENT?
You might be wondering if equipping your property with state-of-the-art security is worth it. Owing to advances in technology that have brought down costs, homeowners might find that they can actually afford to keep their properties safe with some of the best home security cameras on the market. These include cameras that can send you alerts and stream live videos when motion is detected. This kin
Read moreADD VALUE TO YOUR PROPERTY & BEAT LOAD-SHEDDING
‘Load-shedding’ is a term that was first used in 2007 in South Africa to describe the break-in electricity that citizens experience in order to lessen the load on the power grid. The CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) has published data that shows load-shedding has increased by 40% in 2022. We have also seen more frequent load-shedding stages for longer periods. A
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