CAPE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD NOW BE PREPARING FOR THOSE WINTER RAINS
05 March 2010, 08:26:37 AM
The Cape has had its first autumn rains - and more are on the way.
Now is the time to get on a ladder and clean out your gutters and down pipes,
reseal your copings and flashings and generally batten down for the long damp
days ahead, says Lanice Steward, MD of the Cape Town estate agency Anne Porter
Knight Frank.
“Once the rains really set in,” says Steward, “the water-proofing
companies often become difficult to get hold of. Now is the time to get a good
deal out of them.”
In her business, she says, it is embarrassing to recall the number of times
a house has been severely damaged by leaks, jeopardising its appeal and making
it difficult to sell or rent.
“Along with faulty geysers, dirty swimming pools, unweeded gardens and
unmown lawns, I would list damp damage as one of the five or six main reasons
for a house losing its charm and appeal. Once it is on the market, even a single
damp patch on a ceiling will lead to suspicions that the house itself is unreliable
and other leaks can be expected. It really does, therefore, pay to keep your
home solidly watertight, especially as delays in doing this all too often result
in hundreds of rands worth of damage and sometimes even in severe structural
problems.”
www.anneporter.co.za