Guides
Plain-language guides to buying, selling and renting in South Africa, with the sums worked out on today’s rates.
- Buying your first home in South Africa A step-by-step guide for first-time buyers in South Africa: pre-approval, the cash you need on top of the price, the offer to purchase and transfer. Read the guide →
- How much bond can I afford? How South African banks size a home loan: the 30% of gross income guideline, today’s prime rate, and worked examples for three incomes. Read the guide →
- Transfer duty in 2026: what you pay and when South African transfer duty explained: the current SARS table, who pays it and when, when no duty is due, and three worked examples. Read the guide →
- How to price your property to sell How to set an asking price that sells in South Africa: recent sales, not asking prices, how buyers search in price bands, and choosing an agent. Read the guide →
- What to check before signing a lease A South African tenant’s checklist before signing a lease: the deposit, inspections, utilities, escalation, notice periods and your rights. Read the guide →
- Renting safely: how to spot a rental scam How rental scams work in South Africa and how to avoid them: never pay before viewing and signing, verify the agent with the PPRA, check bank details. Read the guide →
- Solar and backup power: what adds value What a buyer should look for in a home’s solar and backup power: inverter, battery, panels, paperwork and the certificate of compliance. Read the guide →
- Buying a home that copes with load-shedding How to judge whether a South African home copes with load-shedding and water outages: solar, inverter, battery, borehole, JoJo tank, gas and the CoC. Read the guide →
