Engel & Völkers Southern Africa signed their fifth Pretoria licence on the 7^th of March. This licence will allow them to soon open in Silver Lake, Pretoria East.

These new Silver Lake shops will be opening in July, and they will be situated on Hans Strydom Drive, right at the coming Chamberlains and Checkers Centre.

Engel & Völkers Southern Africa will expand in areas such as Wapadrand, Six Fountains, Lynnwood Ridge, Savannah Country Estate, Silverstream, Silver Lake, Die Wilgers, Equestria, and Lombardies.

Silver Lake is a developing area that will be exceptionally ideal for shops owned by Engel & Völkers. After Silver Lake, Engel & Völkers now have a total of 40 residential licences in SA.

Moreover, Engel & Völkers seek to have an additional 20 shops in just two years. This is something good, not just for Engel & Völkers, but also for real estate in general.

Another good aspect of this licence is the fact that there will be numerous job opportunities created and Engel & Völkers has post for new and well conventional property specialist to join their winning team.

Be it a rental property or a vacation home, a second home can reward you many of the same financial and personal benefits as your first home. Below are 5 benefits of owning a second home:

1.    Lifestyle benefits

Everyone needs a place where they can get away and relax now and then, especially if your work is hectic and your first home is forever busy. Having a second home is ideal because you can always retreat from the hustle of daily life to your secluded but private second home.

2.    Financial benefits

Tax-deductible interest and price appreciation are the rewards that you will also get in your second home. Moreover, you can always rent it out if you are not around. This can help you offset the costs of ownership. If you are smart, you can use this idea as a significant source of income.

3.    Tax implications

It is always possible to deduct the mortgage interest on your second home, but not on an investment property. The second home is yours and it’s up to you to decide on which category your home belongs. SARS know that a second home should be occupied at least one day for every 10 days it is rented out, or used at least 14 days in a year. If you are not sure about this, consult your tax advisor.

4.    Get Pre-approved

Most people think that buying a second home is complicated. It is not. You should just familiarise yourself with the different underwriting and down-payment requirements. Just affirm that you also find a financing professional to help you start the process.

5.    Provide a true family legacy.

Part of retiring is inclusive of what you want to leave behind for your loved ones and children. And a second home will definitely be part of a shared family bonding experience. It can be a home where you will be visited by your grandchildren. And instead of cash, you can always leave behind your second home as an inheritance.

After reading this article you will be beating yourself up about why didn’t you see this information a long time ago, after you have spent a lot of money in big projects that reap little benefits.

It is everyone’s dream to buy a house, refurbish it – and when you are tired of it – sell it for a good profit and move on to something bigger and better. But before doing all of that, you need to add value to your property and this might sound as self-explanatory; it is not. There are a lot of implications and tips that have to be looked at such as:

1.    Building an extension

Extensions are good but you must make sure that they are in the design and proportions of the original house. You should know that you won’t just add value to your property by just extending it; you need to meticulously plan it out before implementing it. By doing so, your plan might represent the lowest cost and the best value alternative.

2.    Adding a new kitchen or bathroom

These are the key rooms in the house. Getting a new kitchen or bathroom might cost you a fortune, but it can cost a quarter of what you will be paying for if you are willing to install it yourself. Updating these two rooms in your house will not just add value of your property, but it will also give your house a new and attractive look.

3.    Adding a garage

Besides swimming pools, garages have become a selling feature for most house hunters. On the other hand, parking has always been a problem, in towns, hospitals, malls and homes. Adding a garage will add value and also serve as a secured haven for your car and other things such as gardening tools.

Not many people are aware of the Queenswood suburb. Unless you reside there you may not even know that such a suburb exists. Queenswood is a perfect living destination for people who prefer peace and tranquillity.
Situated north of Pretoria, Queenswood is right next to Colbyn and close to suburbs such as Kilner Park, Moregloed and Villeria.
Property in Queenswood comes in either a house form or in apartment form. Buying and/or renting property is affordable with prices being very reasonable.
Residents of Queenswood enjoy easy access to the centre of Pretoria and places such as Hatfield, the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens and the N1 north. Queenswood residents have a variety of malls to choose from; starting off in the north you find Kollonade Mall and heading north easterly there’s Brooklyn, Hatfield and Menlyn to choose from.
Travelling around the city is made fairly easy because Queenswood is in close proximity to major routes leading out of the suburb and into the city.
Queenswood has beautiful houses that have nice spacious yards. For a peaceful place to raise a family and live without any sort of inner-city life hassles, then looking at property in Queenswood will be a decision that will prove very beneficial for you in the not too distant future.

Finding property to let in Pretoria is one thing, it’s something else to find property that is desired by everyone else.
Town houses today dominate the property to let market with many young professionals opting to reside in quiet, secluded and heavily guarded apartment complexes.
Pretoria is warm, calm and easy-going, compared to neighbouring city Johannesburg. For the amount of a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom flat in Johannesburg, you can get a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom townhouse apartment in Pretoria.
Here is a list of a few suburbs in Pretoria with the ideal property to let:

• Centurion

The suburb that operates as a city on its own, Centurion can be regarded as a lifestyle choice for its residents. The advantage of living in centurion is that you have easy access to both Johannesburg and Pretoria, whilst living in your own developed mini-city which also offers quiet, country-like residential areas.

• Olympus

A suburb located within Faerie Glen, Olympus is a popular residential area located very close to Menlyn shopping mall. Olympus is literally 5 minutes away from Lynwood and Garsfontein where the Pretoria business scene is dominant.

• Montana

Montana is a relatively new suburb, located north-east of Pretoria. This quiet suburb is filled with modern property. Quick access to major roads leading into the city, are a standard feature, plus many small businesses are located in the Montana area.
For affordable, spacious and well maintained property to let, come to Pretoria!

We all surround ourselves with things we find beautiful, as humans we obtain the things that we find attractive. As such no one buys property for sale which he/she isn’t attracted to.
When looking at property for sale in Pretoria, you need to thoroughly evaluate the neighbourhood and surrounding areas for the following cons:

• Bad neighbours

Bad neighbours are people that depreciate the value of homes in your suburb. Bad neighbours are inconsiderate to everyone else. Bad neighbours often have visitors that take up parking on the street; you could live next to a sex offender, or someone who plays loud music, a pub that opens until the early hours of the morning and/or other neighbours who don’t take care of their yards.

• Landfills and/or power plants

Living next to a landfill, or power plant brings down the value of your home. No one wants to live in such an environment because of the health risks these places come with.

• Delinquent bill payers

People who remain behind on their mortgages affect the development of the suburb thus delaying service delivery. Recycling companies and other privatised services-companies won’t want to do business in your community.

• Foreclosed houses

Having no neighbours can bring doubt into your mind… foreclosed houses are a problem as they have a direct impact on economic growth.
Be wise, and take your time when looking at property for sale in Pretoria. The neighbourhood can be the difference between a bad and/or good property buying decision.

One Saturday afternoon, about a month or two ago, I was driving around Pretoria east with my dad when we saw a sign that read “Lynwood”.
Then my dad starts telling me about how the name Lynwood came about… turns out, there was a huge piece of land between Menyln and Woodlands, it was then decided that a new suburb be built in the area. The name “Lynwood” is actually a merger of the “lyn” in Menlyn and “wood” in Woodlands.
Today, Lynwoood is a quiet suburb situated east of Pretoria. The property in Pretoria east has high value, thanks to the upmarket standard found in neighbouring suburbs such as Brooklyn, Waterkloof and Hatfield.
You find trendy coffee shops around Lynwood, the nightlife in the eastern part of Pretoria comprises of many different places of entertainment. There are a series of clubs, restaurants, bars and cool hang-out spots that are just minutes away.
Living in Lynwood means easy access to places such as UNISA, the CSIR and University of Pretoria. Lynwood is also a place where many successful corporate businesses are located, and for health freaks, walking and/or jogging to work is an option.
Speaking of health freaks, every October Lynwood hosts the Chamberlain Capital Classic Half Marathon, a scenic and challenging circular route run, around the Lynwood suburb all the way to the Techno Park.

The worst thing to happen to anyone trying to sell their home is to have a potential buyer pull out of the deal right before closing the sale.
All that time, planning and money spent on negotiating the deal would have been a waste. In the meantime, you may have had other plans that depended on the money from the sale of your current home.
When it comes to property for sale, people pull out of deals for the following reasons:

• Buyer’s remorse

This is a window period, upon which buyers can cancel their contracts for whatever reason. Cold feet are a major reason as to why people pull out of contracts before closing.

• Home inspections

Home inspectors see what an untrained eye is unable to see, all these problems make buyers panic. Every home has problems even newly developed one’s, the trick is to find a house that won’t cost a small fortune to repair. All the problems can be used to lower the price of the house, when negotiating.

• Mortgage loan rejections

Whilst waiting to close the deal on your new house do not take up any new loans, increasing your debt ratio will make you become financial ineligible. This will most likely result in your mortgage application being declined.
A successful close on property for sale in Pretoria, is the responsibility of both the sellers and the buyers, both parties need to be financially vigilant during the selling process.

Townhouses, flat buildings and estates are filled with young professionals who leave early in the morning and come back in the evenings. These people are more focussed on their careers than anything else at the moment, they prefer to have their own personal space in order to come and go as they please.
Being a young professional in Pretoria comes with its own demands. Many young working class individuals prefer property to let as it has the following benefits:

• Affordable

Renting property allows you to afford living in up marketing residential areas, whereas buying a house in that suburb may be way beyond your means.

• Contractual agreement

Property to let doesn’t bind you any long term commitment. Your contract is on a short-term basis, meaning that after the lease expires you are free to move to a different city, even a different country.

• Less Risk

You needn’t stress about the property market, you won’t have to find new tenants. Maintenance is also covered by your landlord; all you have to do is make sure you keep the apartment in a good condition.

• Better security

You live in an enclosed community, with 24 hour security detail watching over you.
It may take some time to find your feet and decide on what you want in future… in the meantime find appropriate property to let in Pretoria and enjoy your youth.

The night life in Pretoria is hectically busy, every suburb has its own unique signature, you will find something for everyone, be it sports enthusiast, club goers, music fanatics and or students alike.
Property for rent in Pretoria varies from commercial property to residential property, to accommodate the different people you find around South Africa’s capital city.
Below are a few nightlife hotspots in Pretoria surrounding property for rent:

• The CBD

The Pretoria CBD is very lively in the night time, many people walk around freely and there is always something going on. Attractions include the South African State Theatre, a selection of restaurants, cool bars and hangout spots.

• Hatfield

A student village of note! Hatfield square is always full and a number of bands normally perform at the square on any given Saturday. The botanical gardens also host some of the biggest music events and let’s not forget all the businesses and residential buildings within the Hatfield vicinity.

• Sunnyside

Filled with apartment buildings, Sunnyside is the most people property to rent area in Pretoria. The Holiday Inn and Loftus Versfeld are located close to Sunnyside. Dubbed little Lagos and compared to New York City, Sunnyside is one town that never sleeps, making it a perfect living for insomniacs.
There are a few other areas such as Brooklyn, Karen Park and Centurion that also offer property for rent in very vibrant parts of the City of Tshwane.