PROPERTY NEWS - Security is a foremost concern for many if not most homeowners in South Africa today. Fences and walls surrounding properties have become a common feature today.

 

What do they mean for a property's value and saleability?

 

Fencing and walling for security purposes began in earnest in the 1980s, and gathered steam ever since. Worries about crimes affecting home spaces are real. For many buyers, a security fence or wall (not merely a boundary demarcator) is a non-negotiable.

Without one, many potential buyers will not consider a property, or alternatively will make offers reduced to factor in the cost of erecting one.

 

This is rather like a mark-down that a buyer might demand for a structural problem that needs to be corrected. It is not unknown for buyers to delay moving into a newly-purchased property until their wall or fence has been completed.

It is also important for new buyers to check how their property is connected to that of their neighbours.

Not a significant selling point

It is unclear exactly how these security features affect properties’ values. Arguably, while the lack of a wall or fence can detract from the value, the expectation that it is a necessary feature may not be a particularly significant selling point – and so a wall or fence as such will probably not greatly enhance the value.

However, careful thought in the choice of a security feature – a wall or a fence – and in the aesthetics around it can do a great deal to enhance the appeal of a property.

Should one choose a wall or a fence? Walls afford privacy, and offer interesting options for garden layout. A private world, with plenty of shade and with flowerbeds running along the base of the wall can be enormously attractive.