Most Recent Living Articles
PET-PROOF YOUR PLACE
Bringing a pet home for the first time is an exhilarating experience. But, responsible pet owners will need to ready themselves for the arrival of the furry new addition to their family in the same way they might prepare a home for a newborn. Puppies and kittens are adorable little mess monsters that just want to explore their new surroundings. Beyond the possible damage they might cause to your h
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FIX YOUR HOME OR SELL AS IS?
What do you do if you want to sell your home, but it is in need of repairs? If this is the situation, you have a tough decision to make about what makes more financial sense. Either you will have to delay selling the home and spend the money to get the property in tip-top shape, or you can place it on the market and take the knock on the asking price. It goes without saying that a home in
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MAKING THE MOST OF SMALL SPACES
Regardless of whether you are purchasing your first start-up home, downsizing or moving in with roommates, finding ways to maximise small spaces can be a big advantage. Here are a few tips you can use to make the most of smaller spaces: Declutter Ideally, when it comes to downsizing or maximising small spaces, it is best to reduce clutter as much as possible and only keep the items that a
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BATHROOM BUDGET RENOVATIONS
Giving a fresh new look to an outdated bathroom can modernise and add value to a home without costing too much. Renovations and contemporary remodelling of bathrooms are known to boost the marketability of a home and, also, bathrooms and kitchens are the two areas of a home where the cost of the renovation can be largely recouped on the sale of the property. According to statistics on averag
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BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Owning a home is a long-term commitment that can span a lifetime. While we all hope for the best, it is likely that at some stage during our lives, a home emergency of some kind will strike, so it is best to be prepared. While impossible to determine when it will happen, home repairs are a certainty homeowners will need to consider and prepare for. Putting aside money each month in a contingency f
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HOW TO CANCEL YOUR HOME LOAN
In certain cases, if you have paid off your home loan you may have the option to keep the bond account open, which will keep the loan facility available. The reason you would want to keep the facility open is to ensure that you have access to money if needed for household improvements or repairs. The advantage of keeping the account open is that you will not need to register another bond over t
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THE INS AND OUTS OF CAPITAL GAINS TAX
While most property transactions will not be subject to Capital Gains Tax (CGT), it is still important to understand the implications that it could have, especially if your home sells for more than the primary residence exclusion threshold. Forming part of an individual’s income tax, CGT is part of an ongoing reform programme which was introduced in South Africa in October 2001. The tax p
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PROPERTY VALUE AFFECTS RATES AND TAXES
Each month homeowners receive a bill for the rates and taxes applicable to their property, but what are these municipal rates used for and how is the amount worked out? Municipal property rates are financial liabilities that owners of immovable property are required to pay monthly for basic services that their local municipality provide. Some of these services include maintenance of roads, stre
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SCHOOLS IMPACT HOME VALUES
Purchasing a property is a large financial commitment, and as such, there are several vital aspects that need to be considered before taking the final step towards homeownership. While price, the type of home and cost, are a few of the factors that require attention - the most crucial aspect to consider is location. Most buyers in today’s market know that location is important, but not ev
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SHOULD EQUITY IN THE BOND BE USED FOR DEBT?
Often car loans and credit cards accrue interest at a much higher rate than a home loan, which is why many people decide to take equity out of their home loan to pay off their other debts. Focusing on paying off debt with the highest interest rate is a very good financial strategy to implement, but is using a home loan to do it the best idea? The answer to that question largely depends on the t
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TIPS FOR A STRESS-FREE MOVE
It doesn’t matter whether it is across the road or the country, moving from one home to another can be a stressful experience. The fact is that most people will move at least once in their lives, and while it can be a relatively easy process for some, for the others the experience could be enough to scar them for life. So what’s the difference between a smooth moving experience and
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TIPS FOR PACKING AND MOVING QUICKLY
When it comes to moving, ideally you would want some lead time to be able to prepare and get everything in order. However, due to certain circumstances, time is not always a luxury that some people have. Here are a few tips to help maximise the time you have to move: Create a packing station A lot of time can be wasted by constantly trying to find items around the home, such as the scisso
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