PROPERTY NEWS - Due to the precarious economy and Covid-19 lockdown, property owners have had much more time and reason to reassess their current home. There may be a number of reasons why you now consider selling. 

You may have found that your home is too big or too small, or realised that you can no longer afford the structural changes or glaring flaw repairs you have been planning to do. 

Maybe you cannot envisage a future where you have neither the energy nor resources to continue with necessary home maintenance, which would lead to devaluation of your property. 

Your financial situation may have deteriorated, leaving you unable to keep up with bond repayments - despite interest rate cuts. Even a pending divorce may change your prospects for your current home.

Budget, budget, budget
Before you enter the property market with a view to buy or sell, it is important that you do some online research on alternative accommodation. The first and most important step is to consider what you can afford. It's even possible that pandemic-related interest rate cuts may have given you the means to enter the property market, or look at a different type of property than you would have considered in the past. 

The inability to impulse-spend because of lockdown may also translate into you being able to direct more of your income towards a higher bond repayment.These are strange times indeed, and there may be some advantages. 

For example, a property type that may have seemed beyond your means in January, may now be an affordable option. Thorough budgeting will indicate how far you can stretch your rand after all your basic needs and expenses have been covered.

If you decide to explore the homes-for-sale market, here are some tips that may assist your online search:

Define your property search. Draw up a list of tick-boxes that define your needs:

• What is your budget?

• Size and type of property (e.g. house/apartment, number of bed-/bathrooms, garaging, study, outside buildings, garden, square metreage)

• Areas or suburbs you are keen on

• Neighbourhood facilities (e.g. proximity to schools, medical care, highways and transport)

• Type of house - turnkey, fixer-upper, or character home

• Kerbside appeal

• Security and fencing

• Animal friendly

The list can be extensive - write down everything you've ever dreamed of having in a home, be that as "outrageous" as having TV connections in every room or having a separate man cave / meditation room.

The difference between getting what you want and what you can afford, is how much you are prepared to compromise on the items on your tick-list. It's a good idea, therefore, distinguish between the things you absolutely need and those that would be a bonus.

Such a list also makes it easier for estate agents to undertake a search on your behalf. If you are clear about your absolute needs, they won't trouble you with properties that fall outside of those parameters.

Virtual viewings
You may not be able to physically view a property, but virtual viewings have been trending for some years now. The more professional videos have been created using 3D cameras that provide high-definition 360-degree walk-throughs, which do give you some sense of the space of the room/s. Be wary of amateur videos, often taken with a smartphone, as the sense of space is often misleading.

Less common in SA is the use of a GoPro in a walkabout featuring a garden or the street the property is in. GoPros are also used while travelling in a car to provide a sense of the neighbourhood, such as distance to shops, schools, medical facilities, and how the suburb is maintained.

Static photos still remain key to having an overall impression of a room, or an external shot of the property, particularly any unique or attractive features. You can request an agent or seller to provide images of specific areas if those are not available on the site you are viewing.

Floor plans
A savvy seller may have a floor plan available, or you might be able to request one. Even if not, the official council-registered building plan, a hand-drawn flat-plan of the layout of the home, will give a sense of flow or indicate how the rooms interconnect. 

This may help you understand the space much better, particularly if the seller is prepared to give room measurements against which you can compare your existing property.

Noise
A factor that cannot be accounted for accurately online, is the surrounding noise of a property. If a house is near a busy airport, for example, it may not be easy to "just get used to" the noise and frequency of the flights. If you have concerns about noise, ask the seller / agent to e-mail you recordings made during specific time frames (bearing in mind of course that during lockdown you will not get a sense of the usual surrounding noise impacts).

Video conferencing
Another great tool, video conferencing allows you to meet online with the agent / seller to address queries. Live viewings of the property can also be part of this process.

Have your interest noted
If you find a home that you are keen to view when lockdown is over, make this clear to the estate agent or seller as quickly as possible to get your foot in the door, as web searches for homes for sale are likely to increase while people are locked down at home with lots of time on their hands.

'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'