immoafrica blog

“The Americans refer to this as a Glass House, the Brits call it a Glass home, but in South Africa it’s a Glass Castle – a colloquialism that does no justice to this titanic tribute to transparent architecture. What you’re about to see will re-define the word modern contemporary”…Top Billing Tv(more...)

Does your home feel like a freezer in winter? Not everyone can afford to rush out and buy a heater or install a fireplace, and there are those that want to reduce their carbon footprint. Whatever your reasons, there are ways to keep a home warm without a heater. Here are a few tips on [...](more...)

Jump into the world of home finance jargon with our Mortgage Glossary. This week we take a look at letters G and F…(more...)

You have decided that you’re ready to plunge into the world of real estate investment. Recent media articles have done a good job of making you doubt your decision. After all, ‘the property market could not recover for another few years’, ‘the economic crisis might continue for years to come’, ‘real estate investing is out [...](more...)

I think this is my most asked question these days what with the reported “bargains” abounding. Are they real? I attended the FNB Auction held on Saturday morning at their “spaceship” building in Fairlands. At the advertised 9am start , there were only 12 people in the room and I wondered if there was going to [...](more...)

There’s no denying that growing your own food is trendy. The world over people are connecting with food in a very primal way – by growing it. This isn’t new, our forefathers did it for generations but, in a world that is so disconnected from our natural surroundings, we are rediscovering practical and edible ways to reconnect [...](more...)

Streets Of Our Lives, a photographic exhibition by Gregor Röhrig to be held at the Alliance Francaise Art Gallery, will be open to the public  until 26 May, 2012. Curated by Gregor Röhrig and Bianca Pieper, and comprising a focused selection of approximately 20 works, the exhibition highlights day to day scenes of street life [...](more...)

Exciting times and a refreshing step forward at immoafrica HQ. We are pleased to be able to add to and extend our service offering through our partnership with Smart Currency Exchange. To help you get the most from your overseas property purchase, immoafrica has partnered with Smart Currency Exchange. Smart Currency Exchange is a currency [...](more...)

It’s time once again to jump into the jargon of the world of home finance. This week we feature letters E & F…(more...)

“You’ll bare your bones you’ll grow you’ll pray you’ll only know When the light appears, boy, when the light appears”– extract from When The Light Appears by Allen Ginsberg ‘This is coming of age? Facing that we’re not like the dreams we have of ourselves? Unsure of our choices in life? Unable to ever be [...](more...)

Welcome to TinTown…we draw on the natural beauty that surrounds us for inspiration. A long time ago, in a garage not so far away, Tintown was born when two ex-advertising creatives decided they’ve had enough of the madness and took their fate into their own hands. Since then we have gone from one tiny trestle [...](more...)

Let’s make one thing clear: buying or selling real estate induces stress. For most people out there, the real estate deal they’re about to make will be the single largest financial one they have ever done. It ought to be no surprise to find out that home sellers can become very emotional. As long as [...](more...)

The brief was for a fairly large house, with separate accommodation for their adult son and two daughters. As the property is in an private estate we designed the house to be open to the street, with a glass link across a koi-pond as the entrance.(more...)

To help you stay savvy in the world of home finance, we take a look at the letter D, in our Mortgage Glossary. Deed A legal document that transfers ownership of property from one to another, it includes details of the property transferred. The deed is held on public record at the deeds office. Deed [...](more...)

Within the high-paced marathon that Johannesburg essentially is, lies a hub of untapped creative talent, which booms from the pulses of its Y-Generation. Brad Cheshire is one such pulse and he chooses the art of photography to ensure that his creative blood keeps pumping.(more...)

When undertaking a home plumbing project, or building a home, you’re always left with offcuts of PVC pipes in varying diameters. Adventures in Creating uses PVC pipe offcuts to create a wine rack that is so simple yet looks stunning.(more...)

The SA Property Transfer Guide’s Property Clock, a graphic representation of the real-estate market, takes into account data such as interest rates, supply and demand cycles, finance availability, construction and rentals. Adjusted monthly, this quick overview of South Africa’s property market helps you make informed decisions.   MAY 2012: Knowledge Factory’s, SA Property Transfer Guide [...](more...)

There are so many ways to reuse, recycle and re-purpose and have fun at the same time. I have selected a couple of great recycling projects that use a variety of household items that normally get thrown out. Over on Copy & Paste they show how easy it is to use stainless steel spoons as unique basket [...](more...)

As an architectural practice that is well renowned throughout the African continent, NICO VAN DER MEULEN ARCHITECTS supplies creative solutions that are customised to suit each client’s personal requirements. Through working closely with all its clients to ensure optimal satisfaction, the practice has accomplised astounding success in the design of upmarket residential homes. The company’s [...](more...)

In order to answer the question as to whether recent house price growth rates are sustainable, one should probably ask the question as to how sustainable this recent strong growth in disposable income is? We think it is not sustainable at recent levels. After a sharp recovery off a low base in income from investments, [...](more...)