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People are valuing lifestyle with a property more than they used to. A few years ago, pools and tennis courts didn't add a lot of value, but people are now prepared to spend money on these things and enjoy them. Pools can be heated cheaply with solar heating. Once they might have added 50 per cent of their cost to the value of a property, now they are adding a lot closer to 100 per cent.
However, homeowners need to be sensitive to the problem of over-capitalisation."
You can't put a R50,000 pool in a R200,000 house in Kimberley, for example, and expect to get your money back.
A mod-grass tennis court can be used for a number of recreational pursuits such as soccer, putting practice and basketball. Tennis courts are a lot more multi-purpose than they used to be and therefore of greater value.
Gardens and landscaping are traditional price boosters, as are gazebos and outdoor entertainment areas."It all goes back to the lifestyle aspect.
When doing large renovations and hoping for maximum return in the future, it is imperative to match the materials used on the new section with the original house. If you are using brick, it must be matched exactly to the original bricks. If you can't match it perfectly, render the whole lot. Make sure you match the roofing material. If there are tiles on the original section, don't use another type of roofing on the extension."
However, when selling a house, it should look clean and wellmaintained, not "tricked-up". "Spend two or three thousand rands on maintenance before you even call in the estate agent, he says. Make sure everything works and that it is clean and fresh.
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