Guide
SA Home Buyer's Guide 2026
Every step from first budget to keys: bond approval, the OTP, transfer costs and registration.
Home Buyers · Free PDF
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Property Investment Insights for South Africans
Real analysis. SA-specific data. Written for landlords, buy-to-let investors and portfolio builders.
Featured Guides
All guides & checklists →Step-by-step process guides — readable online, downloadable as PDFs.
Guide
FLISP Subsidy Guide & Checklist 2026
Current NHFC criteria, subsidy amounts of R38,911–R169,265 and the full document checklists.
First-Time Buyers · Free PDF
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Guide
SA Property Investment Checklist 2026
47 due-diligence checkpoints across 7 categories — financial, legal and post-purchase.
Investors · Free PDF
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Latest Articles
Rental Property
7 Days or 14 Days? How Long a Landlord Has to Refund a Rental Deposit in South Africa
Section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act sets two different deadlines, each starting from a different trigger date. Which one applies to you, plus a worked example.
27 Jul 2026 · 8 min read
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Building & Construction
How to Get Building Quotes in South Africa — What to Specify, Compare and Watch Out For
How to specify correctly, read a quote line by line, verify material quantities and identify red flags before any deposit changes hands.
July 2026 · 10 min read
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Investment Strategy
Estate Agent Commission in South Africa — Rates, VAT, Mandates and What's Negotiable
Standard commission rates, how VAT adds up, sole vs open mandates, what's negotiable and when commission becomes legally payable.
July 2026 · 10 min read
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Finishing & Renovation
Plastering & Painting Cost Guide South Africa — 2026 Prices & Labour Rates
What plastering and painting costs per m² in 2026, how to calculate materials independently and how to read a quote before signing.
July 2026 · 9 min read
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Finishing & Renovation
Tiling & Paving Cost Guide South Africa — 2026 Prices, Materials and Labour Rates
Floor tiles, wall tiles and paving — what it costs per m² in 2026, tile quantity calculations and the four mistakes that cost SA homeowners the most.
July 2026 · 9 min read
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Water & Utilities
Water Security for SA Homes: JoJo Tanks, Rainwater Harvesting and Restriction Planning
JoJo tank sizing, rainwater harvesting yield by province, grey water reuse and pipe sizing — everything you need to keep your home water-secure in 2026.
July 2026 · 9 min read
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Building & Construction
Boundary Wall Cost Guide South Africa — 2026 Prices, Materials and Labour
Brick, precast or palisade — what a boundary wall costs per metre in 2026, how many bricks you need and what to check before signing a contractor quote.
July 2026 · 9 min read
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Energy Solutions
Solar, Inverter or Generator? The Complete SA Load Shedding Guide
Solar panels, inverter battery or generator — which is right for your SA home? Sizes, costs and free calculators to choose the best load shedding solution.
July 2026 · 9 min read
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First-Time Buyers
FLISP Requirements & Application Form 2026: The Full Official Guide
Official NHFC eligibility criteria, the fhf.nhfc.co.za application portal step-by-step, accepted financing options — including stokvels — and where to get the form.
10 Jul 2026 · 10 min read
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First-Time Buyers
How Long Does FLISP Take to Pay Out? The Full 2026 Timeline
NHFC processing takes about 7 working days — but the full journey from bond approval to payout runs 4–8 weeks. Stage-by-stage timeline, delays and what to do if it stalls.
9 Jul 2026 · 9 min read
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Building & Construction
How to Budget for Building a House in South Africa — 2026 Cost Guide
R8,500–R22,000 per m² by province. Full breakdown: bricks, concrete, roof sheets, plaster, hidden costs and contingency planning for SA builds.
July 2026 · 10 min read
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First-Time Buyers
FLISP 2026: How Much First Home Finance Subsidy Can You Actually Get?
First Home Finance pays R38,911–R169,265 toward your first home. Income brackets, who qualifies (including the dependant rule), how to apply through your bank and what the subsidy can and cannot cover.
June 2026 · 8 min read
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Rental Yield
How to Calculate Rental Yield in South Africa (2026 Formula)
Gross and net yield formula explained with a full worked example using real SA numbers. Includes city benchmarks, an expense breakdown and our free Rental Yield Calculator.
June 2026 · 10 min read
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Property Transactions
Compliance Certificates Required When Selling a Property in South Africa
Which CoCs are legally required, which depend on your province and what do they cost? ECC, gas, beetle, plumbing and pool certificate requirements with 2026 cost ranges.
June 2026 · 10 min read
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Investment Strategy
Is Buy-to-Let Still Worth It in South Africa in 2026?
We analyse rental yields, interest rates, vacancy rates and market conditions to give you the real answer for 2026.
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Investment Strategy
2027 Best Rental Yield by City — South Africa
Data-driven 2027 net yield projections. Centurion 13.0%, Fourways 11.9%, Observatory 11.8%. Full city-by-city analysis with macro drivers and buy-to-let strategy.
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Rental Property
What Rental Yield Should You Expect in Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg?
City-by-city breakdown of gross and net rental yields with the best suburbs for buy-to-let investors in 2026.
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Investment Strategy
Sectional Title vs Freehold: Which Is Better for SA Property Investors?
We compare costs, yields, capital growth and practical considerations to help you choose the right structure.
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Tax Strategy
Section 13sex: The Tax Incentive Most SA Property Investors Have Never Heard Of
Own 5+ new residential units? SARS lets you deduct 5% of building cost from taxable income for 20 years.
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Investment Strategy
The Real Costs of Owning a Rental Property in SA (Most Landlords Ignore These)
Every cost category you need to budget for — and the ones that catch new buy-to-let investors by surprise.
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Buying Guide
Transfer Costs Explained: What You Actually Pay When Buying Property in SA
Transfer duty, attorney fees, bond registration — a complete breakdown of every rand you pay at transfer.
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Landlord Guide
Should You Self-Manage Your Rental or Use an Agent? The SA Landlord's Guide
What managing agents actually cost, what they do and when it makes financial sense to go it alone.
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Market Data
How to Calculate If a Rental Property Makes Financial Sense in South Africa
A step-by-step framework for running the numbers on any SA investment property before you make an offer.
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Tax Strategy
Capital Gains Tax on Property in South Africa: Everything Investors Need to Know
Inclusion rates, annual exclusions, primary residence relief and how to minimise your CGT liability legally.
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Finance Guide
How SA Banks Assess Investor Bond Applications (And How to Improve Your Chances)
Debt-to-income ratios, rental income treatment and what separates approved investor bonds from declined ones.
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Market Data
The Best Areas to Buy Rental Property in Durban in 2026
Suburb-by-suburb analysis of rental yields, tenant demand and investment potential in the Durban metro.
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Landlord Guide
The South African Landlord's Guide to the Rental Housing Act
Your legal obligations as a landlord, tenant rights, lease agreements and what you can and cannot do.
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