{"id":2761,"date":"2026-01-28T13:09:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:09:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/?p=2761"},"modified":"2026-01-28T13:09:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:09:47","slug":"selling-your-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/2026\/01\/28\/selling-your-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Selling your house?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\ud83c\udfe1 So, You\u2019re Selling Your House? Here\u2019s What Happens (And What You Wish You Knew)
Congratulations! You\u2019ve decided to sell your house. Whether you’re upgrading, downsizing, or just moving to escape that one neighbour who insists on mowing the lawn at 6am, you\u2019re about to embark on a journey that involves excitement, a bit of admin, and\u2014yes\u2014a lot of paperwork.
But fear not! We’re here to walk you through the entire home-selling process, from the moment you say, \u201cI think this place is worth a fortune,\u201d to the glorious day it\u2019s officially registered in the buyer\u2019s name.
Spoiler: It helps to have a friendly, efficient, no-nonsense conveyancer on your side. (Hello from Wikus Strydom Attorneys \ud83d\udc4b)
Let\u2019s begin\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. \ud83d\udccf The Valuation: Putting a Price on Your Castle
    Before you pop the champagne, you need to find out what your house is worth. This isn\u2019t the time to be sentimental. (“But we painted that wall together!”) A local estate agent or property valuer will look at your home, compare it to others in the area, and give you a market-related valuation.
    \ud83d\udc49 Pro tip: Overpricing means your house will sit on the market like a guest no one invited to the braai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. \ud83c\udfd8 Appointing an Estate Agent (Or Going Solo)
    Most sellers choose to work with an estate agent, and for good reason\u2014they market the property, handle viewings, and chase down buyers who mysteriously disappear after promising to “just chat to the bank.”
    But if you’re brave (and enjoy admin), you can go the private sale route. Just know that you\u2019ll be doing the heavy lifting\u2014and probably Googling things at 2am.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. \ud83d\udcc4 Offer to Purchase (OTP): The Legal Love Letter
    Once a buyer decides your home is the one, they\u2019ll submit an Offer to Purchase. This is where things start getting official. Read it. Read it again. Then let your conveyancer read it (you do have a conveyancer, right? \ud83d\udc40).
    The OTP will include:
    Purchase price
    Suspensive conditions (like bond approval)
    Occupation date
    Who pays what (yes, the buyers should pay for their own champagne)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. \ud83d\udd8b Acceptance & Bond Approval
    If you\u2019re happy with the offer, you sign on the dotted line. Now the ball is in the buyer\u2019s court\u2014they need to get bond approval, usually within a set number of days. This is often where sellers develop a nervous eye twitch, so stay calm. Or try yoga.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. \ud83e\uddfe Appointing a Conveyancer: Your Paperwork Warrior
    Once the OTP is signed and conditions are met, it\u2019s time to bring in the big guns: the conveyancer. (That\u2019s us, by the way. Hi again \ud83d\udc4b)
    We handle:
    The transfer of ownership
    Liaising with the Deeds Office
    Drafting and lodging all those delightful legal documents
    Keeping you sane
    You have the right to choose the conveyancer, even if the agent tells you otherwise. Choose someone who picks up the phone when you call, explains things in plain English, and doesn\u2019t charge extra for breathing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. \ud83d\udcb0 Rates Clearance & Compliance Certificates
    No one wants to inherit your old plumbing problems or a secret electricity war zone. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll need:
    A Rates Clearance Certificate from the municipality (showing your rates are paid up)
    Certificates of compliance for electrical, water, beetles (yes, beetles), gas, and electric fencing (if applicable)
    Your conveyancer will help arrange this. And if you don’t know where your last water bill is? Don’t panic. We\u2019ve seen worse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. \ud83d\udce6 Occupational Rent & Moving Out
    If the buyer moves in before registration, they\u2019ll usually pay you occupational rent. That\u2019s basically rent until the property legally transfers.
    Use this time to pack, cry a little, and wonder how you managed to accumulate so many Tupperware lids with no matching containers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. \ud83d\udcdd Lodging at the Deeds Office
    Your conveyancer (yes, still us \ud83d\ude0e) will lodge all necessary documents at the Deeds Office. This process takes about 7\u201310 working days, give or take a public holiday or two.
    Then, on a beautiful, unsuspecting weekday\u2014it\u2019s official.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. \ud83c\udfc1 Registration Day: Pop the Bubbly!
    The property is now officially registered in the buyer\u2019s name, and you get paid out. Your house has a new owner. You did it!
    Go celebrate. Take a nap. Avoid online property listings for at least a month\u2014you\u2019ve earned it.
    Final Thoughts: The Secret Sauce? The Conveyancer
    Selling a house can be stressful\u2014but with the right team, it doesn\u2019t have to be. At Wikus Strydom Attorneys, we believe in making the legal stuff simple, the timelines clear, and the client experience personal. No runarounds, no ghosting, just solid legal support.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \ud83c\udfe1 So, You\u2019re Selling Your House? Here\u2019s What Happens (And What You Wish You Knew)Congratulations! You\u2019ve decided to sell your house. Whether you’re upgrading, downsizing, or just moving to escape that one neighbour who insists on mowing the lawn at 6am, you\u2019re about to embark on a journey that involves excitement, a bit of admin,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2762,"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761\/revisions\/2762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wslaw.co.za\/newsite\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}