PROPERTY NEWS - Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments a person can make – and it's a long-term one too considering that homeowners can only expect to realise returns on their residential property investment after five years or so in some areas.  

Value growth on a residential property and the kind of returns that can be achieved depends on a number of factors like market conditions that prevailed when buying versus selling, the area the property is located in and the size and type of the property, homeowners can increase their return on investment through keeping a well-maintained home. Be careful of over-capitalising on improvements, which is when more money is spent on renovations and improvements than can be added to the selling price. 

While home maintenance should be kept up year round based on what needs to be attended to during the different seasons, December is a great time for most homeowners to undertake maintenance and improvement projects around the house. "No matter whether they are going away on holiday or not, December is usually a time when people start slowing down at work and therefore have more free time on their hands to attend to these kinds of projects. 

Put on some paint

A fresh coat of paint, whether inside or out, can give your home an entirely new and fresh look. Changing up the colour can give a room a complete facelift, but Justus-Ferns suggests sticking to neutral colours, especially for the exterior, in order to avoid limiting the appeal to potential buyers. 

Glam up the garden

Whether it's planting new flowers, shrubs or trees, putting in some edging or a water feature or just generally giving the garden a good tidy up and treatment, a flourishing green garden always holds appeal – for the homeowner while they live in the home and for prospective buyers when they sell it. A manicured garden is always a win for a potential buyer. 

De-clutter and spring clean

Spring may have sprung already, but most people don't have the time to give their home a really good clean during the year. Enlist your family to help move heavy items or take ownership of certain spaces to clean and clear out clutter. This is a great opportunity for a deep clean - carpets and mattresses and couches can all be steam cleaned, while drawers and cupboards and shelves are de-cluttered. Any unwanted items can be donated to charity.  

Tidy the tool shed, garage and/or Wendy house

These areas of the home tend to be a collection place for unwanted, unused or forgotten appliances and possessions. December is a great time to clean out the garage, tool shed or Wendy house, throw away or donate any unwanted items and organise storage space for the items you do want to keep. Any rundown or broken tool sheds or Wendy houses should either be repaired or removed. 

Get to the gate repairs and maintenance

Whether it's your motorised gate at the entrance of your property, or the security gates on your doors, they will need maintaining. It may be some oil that is required on the hinges or rails, some more serious fixing or maintenance or just a fresh coat of paint. This task should also include checking that the intercom is working properly. 

Shape up your security 

Aside from the fact that December is one of the most critical times of the year to pay attention to your home's security, it's also an ideal time to undertake a security audit of your property. Security is one of the top factors that influence home buying decisions in South Africa.  

Perfect your paving

Driveway and patio or garden paving need an annual check. Broken or missing bricks or pavers should be replaced and weeds and moss growing on or in between the paving should be removed. A good, thorough wash down will also have the paving looking in top condition.  

Sort out the swimming pool, pond and/or bird bath

Ponds need regular cleaning and maintenance, bird baths are almost always never cleaned out and more intensive swimming pool clean ups and maintenance, like changing the sand in the filter, are great projects to tackle over the December holidays. 

Do up the domestic quarters

The domestic quarters are an area of the home that seldom gets attention when it comes to maintenance and repair projects. Take the opportunity while your domestic worker is away from home for the holidays this December to undertake any necessary repairs and perhaps freshen up the area with paint, new flooring or some new finishes like curtain rails or blinds. 

Create curb appeal 

First impressions do count! Curb appeal is an important aspect to pay attention to when one wants to attract buyers to a property. As a starting point, homeowners should attend to the grass or garden beds on their pavement areas, as well as check that the street numbering is clearly visible. This is also good from a security point of view. While December holidays may be all about relaxing and spending time with family, friends and loved ones, these home maintenance tasks will help to secure your financial future by protecting and improving the value of your asset. 

Issued by Renprop 

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