Blog

14 December 2026 · 7 min read

Planning to buy property in Johannesburg? Whether it is a home or a property investment, here are the steps and checks that protect your money.

10 December 2026 · 7 min read

Property intelligence turns scattered records into decisions. Here is what a property research tool should do for developers, investors, agents and professionals.

7 December 2026 · 3 min read

A short, practical checklist pulling together a year of due-diligence guides into one starting point for your next property search.

3 December 2026 · 6 min read

A property report brings the public record about one property into a single document. Here is what a property report in South Africa shows and how to use it.

1 December 2026 · 7 min read

Property due diligence means checking a property before you commit. Use this property due diligence checklist and see what a due diligence report should cover.

24 November 2026 · 6 min read

A property risk report brings together flood, ground and planning risks for one address. Here is what environmental risk a property can carry and how to check it.

19 November 2026 · 6 min read

Dolomite risk can mean sinkholes, costly foundations and limits on building. Here is how to use a dolomite area map and what to check before buying on dolomite.

16 November 2026 · 3 min read

Splitting one erf into two or more separately-registered portions is a real process with real steps — here's the shape of it, and what to check before you assume it's possible.

10 November 2026 · 6 min read

A floodline check shows whether a river or stream puts a property at risk. Here is how to read a floodline map for Johannesburg and what it means for building.

3 November 2026 · 6 min read

House prices in Roodepoort and house prices in Midrand reflect two fast-changing markets. Here is what drives them and how a suburb report shows the real picture.

26 October 2026 · 3 min read

Buying off-plan means buying a promise, not a finished product. Here's the due diligence that applies specifically to new developments.

22 October 2026 · 6 min read

House prices in Sandton and house prices in Randburg vary street by street. Here is what drives suburb property prices and how to check real sold prices.

15 October 2026 · 6 min read

A property valuation report is a formal opinion of value. Here is what it contains, when you need a property valuation and how it differs from other reports.

8 October 2026 · 6 min read

How much is my house worth? Here is how to build your own property value estimate from sold prices, and why a property value calculator only gets you so far.

5 October 2026 · 3 min read

A municipal valuation that looks wrong isn't final — there's a formal objection process. Here's how it works and when it's actually worth pursuing.

29 September 2026 · 6 min read

A comparable sales report shows what similar properties sold for. Here is how comparable sales are chosen, adjusted and used to price a property properly.

22 September 2026 · 6 min read

Property sales history shows what a house sold for and when. Here is how to check house sale history and property sold prices, and how to read recent property sales.

14 September 2026 · 3 min read

Yield calculations are easy to fudge, deliberately or not. Here's a version that won't flatter a bad deal into looking like a good one.

10 September 2026 · 7 min read

A title deed search in South Africa shows more than who owns a property. Here is how it works, what title conditions mean, and why a servitude search matters.

3 September 2026 · 6 min read

Erf size decides what a property is worth and what can be built on it. Here is how to do a property size lookup, read the erf details and avoid common errors.

29 August 2026 · 3 min read

Every Johannesburg erf sits inside a ward, a region, and a specific set of civic services. Here's why that context is worth a look, not just trivia.

25 August 2026 · 6 min read

How to check a property boundary in Johannesburg using a property boundary map, what a cadastral map shows, and when you need a land surveyor instead.

18 August 2026 · 6 min read

An SG diagram shows the exact legal boundaries of an erf. Here is how an SG diagram search works, how to download a Surveyor General diagram and how to read it.

11 August 2026 · 3 min read

A converted garage, an added room, a second dwelling — built without approved plans, and now entirely your problem the day transfer registers.

5 August 2026 · 6 min read

A development feasibility study tells you whether a site makes money before you buy it. Here is how a property feasibility study and site assessment are done.

30 July 2026 · 6 min read

Densification in Johannesburg is reshaping where development land is found. Here is how the policy works and how to spot land for development in Johannesburg.

24 July 2026 · 3 min read

No structure means no walkthrough — and it means every one of the usual due-diligence checks does more work, not less. Here's what to prioritise.

14 July 2026 · 6 min read

Subdivision cost goes well beyond the application fee. Here is each cost of subdividing a property, who you pay, and how to decide whether the numbers work.

6 July 2026 · 3 min read

The purchase price is rarely the whole cost of buying. Here's what else typically shows up on a Johannesburg property transaction, in plain terms.

2 July 2026 · 6 min read

Can I subdivide my property? The answer depends on minimum erf size, access, services and the title deed. Here is how to subdivide property and how to test it first.

25 June 2026 · 6 min read

A consent use application lets you do something the zoning allows only with permission. Here is when you need one, the steps, and how it differs from rezoning.

18 June 2026 · 3 min read

Comparable sales data is only as useful as the comparisons you actually draw from it. Here's how to use it without fooling yourself.

10 June 2026 · 6 min read

The rezoning cost is more than the application fee. Here is every cost involved in rezoning a property, which ones are largest, and how to budget for them.

3 June 2026 · 6 min read

Rezoning changes what a property may legally be used for. Here is how to rezone property in Johannesburg, the steps in a rezoning application, and how to judge your chances.

31 May 2026 · 3 min read

The words South African property records actually use, and what each one precisely means — worth knowing before you're trying to describe a specific piece of land to someone.

20 May 2026 · 6 min read

Planning a second dwelling on your property? Here are the granny flat rules to check in Johannesburg before you build a cottage or second house on the erf.

13 May 2026 · 3 min read

Johannesburg is covered by 13 different town planning schemes. Here's what that means for a specific erf, and why the scheme document matters more than the zoning label alone.

4 May 2026 · 6 min read

What can I build on my property, and how many units can I build? A step-by-step way to work out the development potential of a Johannesburg erf.

25 April 2026 · 3 min read

An unpaid rates and services account doesn't belong to the seller once transfer is due — it belongs to the property. Here's why that matters, and when to check it.

21 April 2026 · 6 min read

Building lines decide how close to a boundary you may build. Here is where building lines come from, how to find yours, and what relaxation involves.

14 April 2026 · 6 min read

Floor area ratio, coverage and height restrictions decide how big a building can be. Here is how each one works, with worked examples and common mistakes.

7 April 2026 · 3 min read

Dolomite gets the headlines, but floodline and wetland proximity is a separate, equally real risk category — and one that affects far more of the city.

2 April 2026 · 6 min read

The land use scheme for Johannesburg decides what every erf may be used for. Here is how it works, what permitted land use means and how to do a land use rights search.

26 March 2026 · 6 min read

Business 1 zoning is the broadest commercial zoning in Johannesburg. Here is the permitted land use it normally covers, the limits, and the checks to make first.

20 March 2026 · 3 min read

Eight years of aerial photography, side by side, tells you things a single viewing never will. Here's what to actually look for.

9 March 2026 · 6 min read

Residential 2 zoning and Residential 3 zoning both allow more than one dwelling, but they are not the same. Here is how they differ and what to check on an erf.

2 March 2026 · 3 min read

Two very different ownership structures, often described to buyers in the same breezy sentence. Here's what the difference actually means in practice.

23 February 2026 · 6 min read

Residential 1 zoning is the commonest zoning in Johannesburg. Here is what it allows, how coverage and height work, and what owners most often get wrong.

12 February 2026 · 6 min read

A plain guide to the zoning map for Johannesburg: what the colours and zones mean, how City of Johannesburg zoning is organised, and how to use the map properly.

9 February 2026 · 4 min read

Everything worth checking on a Johannesburg stand before you make an offer, in the order it actually matters — from free public-record checks to the documents worth paying for.

2 February 2026 · 3 min read

Two numbers, both called 'value', that measure entirely different things — and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes buyers and sellers make.

29 January 2026 · 5 min read

Not sure what your property is zoned? Here is how to do a property zoning check in Johannesburg, what the zoning label means, and what to check next.

26 January 2026 · 3 min read

Parts of Johannesburg sit on dolomite rock, which carries a real (if often misunderstood) sinkhole risk. Here's what that means for a buyer, in plain terms.

19 January 2026 · 3 min read

Two of the least-understood documents in a property transaction — the survey diagram and the servitudes on title — and why they matter more than most buyers realise.

15 January 2026 · 5 min read

A property search by address should give you more than a pin on a map. Here is how to find property details by address in Johannesburg, and which details matter.

12 January 2026 · 3 min read

Zoning determines what you're actually allowed to build or run on a stand. Here's how to check it for any Johannesburg erf before you make an offer.

5 January 2026 · 5 min read

An erf number search is the first step in almost every property check. Here is how to find an erf number by address, where the number appears, and what to do with it.