#5 – Paterson Hill in Singapore
Unlike the commercial streets of Avenue Montaigne in Paris or Fifth Avenue in New York, Paterson Hill in Singapore is a quiet residential area that is out of the way, yet close to the Orchard Road Shopping Belt. You’ll find an expensive Hermes-designedapartment building on this street, which has an average sqm price of $42 500. If you lived here, you’d be neighbours with Eduardo Saverin (co-founder of Facebook).

#4 – Boulevard du Général de Gaulle, Cap Ferrat, France
Named the “world’s most expensive non-urban location”, Cap Ferrat boasts a collection of phenomenal, sprawling villas on the beachfront of the Mediterranean Côte d’ Azur. You can expect to pay an average of $79 000 per sqm, but then you’d be neighbours with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft), and – posthumously – Charlie Chaplin.

#3 – Avenue Princess Grace, Monaco
Most famous for its Grand Prix fever in May, Monaco is also home to global millionaires during other times of the year. Princess Grace Avenue is flanked by the waterfront as well as a newly constructed 550-foot luxury apartment building. The average price per sqm for property is $86 000, which is completely affordable for its residents like Lewis Hamilton, Helena Christensen, Andrea Bocelli, and Roger Moore.

#2 – Kensington Palace Gardens, London
If you’d like to rub shoulders with neighbours like William and Kate Windsor, then you’d be interested in Kensington Palace Gardens. It’s also home to some global embassies like Russia, Japan, and France, so there’s no wonder the property is valued at an average of $107 000 per sqm.

#1 – Pollock’s Path, The Peak, Hong Kong
Historically, this area has been a safe retreat for the wealthiest residents in Hong Kong. It’s the world’s most expensive street, which boasts incredible views, and an apartment that sold for $103 million. The average price per sqm is $120 000, which is affordable to actor and director Stephen Chow as well as executives for HSBC.

Visual courtesy of: stproperty.sg and deson.com

Most houses for sale in Johannesburg come with a separate study to accommodate homeowners who like to keep their business separate from their home life. And while it’s common knowledge that a messy desk is the mark of a genius, it’s not something that all of your family members may appreciate, especially if you all share that space. Here are some things you can do to keep your home workspace more organised:

1. A corner desk with a hutch
A corner desk fits into the corner of a room and gives you a lot more working space on the surface, as well as a “hutch” in the corner, which provides you with upwards space. It’s space efficiency at its best.

2. Storage bins
From shoe boxes to specially designed, leather-wrapped storage boxes, everyone with papers to file and stationery to put away needs storage boxes of some kind. Visit your local home store or stationer to find storage boxes that will suit your style and space.

3. Cupboard space
A cupboard or armoire will be very useful in your office. You can add some style to the room while simultaneously putting away office equipment that would otherwise make your space look untidy. Filing cabinets provide the same function, especially if you need to store a lot of paper-based information.

4. A multi-point docking station
We use so many gadgets and devices these days that it’s difficult to unplug. Recharge and docking cables can make an office space look cluttered and messy. There are modern docking stations available that hide the cabling while still providing décor in your office and keeping your phone plugged in.

5. Wall-mounted shelving
If you don’t have much floor space in your small home office, install wall-mounted shelving to give you extra space without taking up any floor area.

Visual courtesy of: home-decorating-room-by-room.com

Since they are hunting for food, if their ‘scouter’ ant finds food in your home, it will relay the message that food has been found and, before you know it, your home has been invaded. The most common way of getting rid of ants is with pesticides but many people are against spraying pesticides in their kitchens.

To avoid this, locate the source of the ants to their nest. You may need to use a ‘sweet’ trap to do this. Caulk the crack or hole to seal it from further entry.

An alternative is to spray the ants with soapy water. The soap will kill the ants and get rid of the pheromones which they leave behind to communicate with other ants.

More practically, seal food tightly in containers and keep it stored in fridges and cupboards. If there’s no food to come after, there will be no ants.
Along the same lines, keep your kitchen as clean as possible by doing your dishes as soon as you can and wipe down your counters. Regularly sweeping your kitchen floor will also go a long way in keeping the ants away. Pay attention to the areas where you lay down pet food, too.

Visual Courtesy of: espest.com

It Can Make You Feel Tired and Lethargic
Ask anyone who is surrounded by clutter how they feel and you’ll probably hear that they feel constantly tired and don’t have the energy to tackle the clutter. Stagnant energy builds around clutter and causes lethargy. Clearing it will free up energy.

It Keeps You in the Past
If all your space is filled to the brim with clutter, there is no space for new things. You also feel stuck in the past as this clutter reminds you of times gone by and not all memories are good memories. If you clear out your clutter, you will find yourself moving forward and opening yourself up to new memories.

It Affects Your Weight
Curiously, people who are surrounded by clutter are often also overweight; extra clutter and extra weight can both be considered self-protection. You will feel an enormous amount of freedom from creating space and slimming down on the things you keep.

It Can Make You Feel Ashamed
If you are completely surrounded by mess and clutter to the point that you don’t invite anyone over, you will end up living in isolation which is unhealthy. A clear-out will make you feel house-proud and promote engagement with other people in your home environment.

Visual Courstey of: ocmentor.com

Select Your Location Carefully
This is probably the biggest factor in securing your home. So, before you buy or rent, don’t just check out houses for sale in Gauteng but, instead, look at all provinces to draw a fair comparison. Look at local and recent crime statistics and chat to your local police officers to find out how safe the location is overall.

Be Savvy
Use existing protective features before splashing out on new ones. Chances are the house you are in already has locks and it may even have sensors, beams, an alarm system, electric gates and garage doors or electric fencing. Also get any broken security features fixed before buying expensive new replacements.

Get Involved with the Neighbourhood Watch
Your local police station should have details of any neighbourhood watch programme in your area. Once you’ve made a few friends and show that you care about other people’s property, they will most certainly show your property the same respect, and this will not cost you anything but time.

Get a Dog
Nothing says ‘security’ like a dog that barks and growls at uninvited guests, not to mention one that bites! But if you don’t want the responsibility an animal brings, just having a ‘beware of the dog’ sign could do the same trick.

Visual Courtesy of: elvaston-pc.org.uk

Hip Roof
This style is similar to a pyramid in that it has four triangular sides which meet in an apex and a common and simple roof design.

Gable Roof
This is the oldest, simplest and most common type of roof found in South Africa. It is best described as resembling an open book (comprising two sloped sides) which is turned upside down onto the house walls. It gets its name from the detail of the roof which is visible from the side of the house.

Flat or Shed Roof
The flat or shed roof type is popular for being half a gable roof – it has only one section or roof plane – and does not have a real ‘ridge’. This style of roof is common with small buildings or structures such as house additions and sheds. They are commonly constructed of corrugated iron as local authorities will provide approval for roofs with angles of 3° degrees or fewer.

Flat Concrete Roof
As its name suggests, this roof is almost completely flat and comprises slabs of concrete. The slabs are 170 mm thick and made of reinforced concrete and often treated with a waterproofing system.

Visual Courtesy of :archinspire.org and weheartit.com

Bank repossessed houses are a result of borrowers who default on their home loan repayments which then leads to their home loan being cancelled. In a nut shell the home owner then looses their house resulting in legal action being instituted by the banks attorneys. A judgment is then obtained against the borrowers from the High Court. The property is taken away from the home owners and the Sheriff of the court then sells the property at an auction. The bank needs to make a profit in order to cover the initial difference; the property is then bought into possession. This is where potential home buyers come in and purchase the house on sale.

Why are bank repossessed properties popular?

• The biggest advantage has to be that there are no transfer duties which might we add are quite high.
• A home loan is easily approved. Currently our market is quite tight but a number of home loans are being approved by banks.
• There’s a notion that repossessed properties are worth the price tag, they are seen as good value for money.

• Some properties are in bad shape which makes these houses ideal for renovations.

visuals are courtesy of : realestatewebmasters.com and mallorcavillasforsale.com 

Each house is unique, special and is a reflection of the owners who live there. The houses showcase different design aspects from modern to eclectic, to the old fashioned home. The area also features a number of properties worth buying for example, garden cottages to rent. Driving down any street one can see the difference from modernised houses to some which were built with the old fashion style in mind. Parkhurst prides itself in offering the very best in safety standards.

Children play freely in the streets something which all communities wish to have. In Parkhurst children play in the park safely. A number of people wish to walk freely during the evenings but due to the high levels of crime, some choose not to. In Parkhurst things are very different; neighbours take advantage of the safety measures in places. There are a number of neighbour

During Halloween season children can go trick or treating collecting all types of candy from all their neighbours. The busiest section is 4^th Avenue, a number of local businesses and hotspots dominate the area. There are a number of amazing gathering spots some of which are busy on some nights including weekends. The area is also buzzing with celebrities featuring a number of incredible shops some of which offer amazing shopping sprees.hood gatherings parents together with their children and dogs take long walks or sit under the stars.

visuals are courtesy of : flickr.com and wanderfly.com

For a relatively small land area, Sandton Central has some enormous offerings for locals and visitors, business people, shoppers, creative people, and those focused on living the high life. Sandton is the heartbeat of South Africa’s economic pulse, the second reason why Johannesburg is the “Place of Gold”, and represents all that is success and achievement in the country. For those looking at property for sale Sandton is a coveted neighbourhood – a central node in Jo’burg’s network of value and fortune.

An influence in the success factor of Sandton as an economic area is the Sandton Central Management District. Sandton Central is the area around Sandton Drive, Katherine Street, Wierda East and West, West Street, and incorporating Rivonia Road and Grayston Drive – where there are clear, branded markers of green and burgundy that make up the Sandton Central brand. The brand as well as the area is managed like a business that services property owners and businesses in Sandton Central – looking after their interests in terms of advertising, security, cleaning, maintenance, and landscaping. The Sandton Central Management District acts as a local force to be reckoned with, as well as a tourism brand that attracts out-of-towners towards amazing shopping and leisure facilities, as well as state-of-the-art business facilities, and a playground for the young at heart.

There are large corporate companies in Sandton Central – including banking and investment houses, media and communications brands, tourism headquarters, as well as insurance divisions that occupy buildings in this very busy district. Retailers have collaboration working in their favour as Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square attract an exceptional amount of foot traffic, simply for the sheer variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences available in one spot. Other shopping and meeting experiences include Benmore Gardens, Village Walk, Atholl Square, as well as smaller establishments that pull businesspeople through their doors during lunch hour and for after-work drinks.

When homeowners reach the point of deciding to renovate or sell, it’s because their home no longer meets their needs. Either they need more space because the family is growing, or they need less space because the kids have left home, or they wish to take on a tenant to ease the bond repayments, or they don’t want a pool any more, etc.

How to choose?
Do a detailed cost analysis of both options. How much will it cost to relocate, taking into consideration costs of an electrical certificate, transfer and lawyer fees, agent commission, and moving company? Chances are you’ll want to make small changes to the new property, so those need to be factored in too. And how much will it cost to renovate? Get pricing for all the changes you want to make, including plans and approval (if you want to build on), fittings, fixtures, paint, labor, and materials. Then add on 10% for any unforeseen costs.

when to renovate?

• You trust your building contractor to do the best job.
•  You need to be closer to work or want to find better schools for your kids
•  You can’t handle the disruption of renovations.
•  Renovating may overprice your home for your particular neighborhood ,you won’t be able to cash in on your renovation investment when you decide to sell.

If you have been through this decision-making process, let us know in the comments below what worked for you, or if you’re in a fix after making the wrong choice – what should you have done and why?

Visuals are courtesy of:realtor.com and dendovermep.co.uk