'Don’t wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait.' (Will Rogers) Spring is in the air and, as the annual uptick in property sales kicks in, let’s address two questions commonly asked by both sellers and buyers who are unsure about exactly what happens after they sign their sale agreement: How does the transfer process work? How long does it take before the seller gets paid and the buyer becomes the new registered owner? Let’s begin with this simplified 'in a nutshell'

'You aren’t buying a house, you’re buying a lifestyle.' (Anon) As more and more residential properties are subdivided and developed, an...

'Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides.' (William Shakespeare, in King Lear) A recent High Court judgment confirms, yet again,...

In today's complex world, legal matters can arise unexpectedly. Whether you're facing a family dispute, need help with a business...

'Look before you leap.' (Wise old proverb) Imagine sealing the deal on your dream property, only to wake up at 3am beset by sudden...

'I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.' (Douglas Adams in The Salmon of Doubt) Contracts often contain...

'A body corporate’s lot is not an easy one.' (With apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan) One of a body corporate’s core functions is to...

'Trust me, I’m a lawyer.' (Popular T-shirt slogan) South African property buyers and sellers will have been cheered by news that we are...

'All that glisters is not gold ' (William Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice) Buying or selling a home could be one of the most important...

'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' (Benjamin Franklin’s warning to fire-threatened Philadelphians in 1736) Cases of...

'Home wasn't built in a day.' (Jane Ace, radio comedian) You find the perfect plot on which to build your dream home in a security...

'Good in parts' (Like the curate’s egg) Transfer duty threshold increased by 10% You pay no transfer duty if the property you are buying...

'A man’s home is his castle.' (Sir Edward Coke, English common law ruling, 1604) Of course, what we all want to hear at the end of our...

Learn the steps and legalities involved for foreigner buyers in SA's property market.

'Don’t wait to buy land, buy land and wait.' (Will Rogers) Summer’s a great time to look for property. Many sellers who’ve been holding...

' This sale agreement is no more! It has ceased to be! This is an EX-sale!' (With apologies to Monty Python) A 'bond clause' – standard...

'…there is no obligation on the [seller] to obtain an occupancy certificate and to furnish it to the [buyers]' (Extract from judgment...

'Good fences make good neighbours.' (Robert Frost) When you buy into a community scheme (such as a security estate, complex or apartment...

'[The buyer] must in the circumstances take responsibility for her failure to protect herself against a known risk' (extract from...

'A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on' (Samuel Goldwyn) Perhaps you are a seller marketing your property through an...