going GREEN

to weigh up the costs and benefits of a solar inverter system as opposed to a non-solar alternative.

many, the idea is not to be fully off the grid, but rather to have water and energy “back-up” solutions for times of need and to reduce the burden on local infrastructure. This green focus applies across the board to homeowners and buyers that is connected back into the home to act as a reserve water supply and to become the primary source of water for irrigation and gardening purposes. From a power supply perspective, many are still relying on inverters. Generators are noisy and costly to run – especially with the increase in fuel prices –so most are opting for small inverter solutions that keep the essentials in their homes running during load shedding.

For any homeowner or buyer, the benefits of having green features are self-evident – water and electricity crises become less worrisome and homes remain fully functional despite the failings of our electricity supply and/ or municipalities. More and more, we are seeing buyers noting such features, and while it is difficult to quantify the value-added benefits of these, having back-up power and water supply solutions certainly makes homes more appealing and more sellable.

From the perspective of general market sentiment, we are encouraged by the fact that many investors have returned to property as in both freehold and sectional title properties.

A good starting point is for homes to have at least one JoJo tank with a pump

From a new build perspective, solar inverter systems are probably first prize, as they offer a hybrid solution tapping into both solar energy and municipal supply to keep batteries charged. They also satisfy our eco-friendly goals, by placing less pressure on the grid. It is certainly more cost-effective to install green features at the start of a building project, than to add them after-the-fact to an existing home. Consequently, it is advisable for those planning a new build or undergoing a significant home renovation, an asset class because it is relatively stable compared to the volatile stock market. Investors are diversifying and property is becoming an essential part of their portfolios.

This bodes well for the development space in KZN, as there are some exciting new projects in the wings which should be well received by the market. The key for developers, as always, is to price their projects correctly and to focus on contemporary architecture with easy open-plan living, keeping things simple and modern with a focus on lifestyle. Green features will, of course, sweeten the deal.

In closing, we anticipate that going green will be the theme for 2023, especially as we encounter ongoing service- related challenges throughout South Africa. We also believe that property will continue to be a sought-after commodity and that it will continue to show resilience, as it has done over the past three years. KZN will prop itself up and lifestyle will yet again emerge as its number one trump card, so with this in mind, we have chosen to adopt a cautiously optimistic outlook for 2023. *

Ithink my neighbour is in a witness protection programme. My partner rolls her eyes at this, but I’ve been watching him, and I’m convinced he’s a police informant with a new identity, far away where none of the old mob can find him.

“No he’s not,” said my partner. “He’s just a normal man, minding his own business. He’s probably quite lonely.”

He’s a strange fish, is John. He keeps his curtains closed all day. When he ventures out for a walk, he wears sunglasses and a floppy hat pulled low.

“So do you,” pointed out my partner.

Maybe, but I don’t check left and right before walking up the road, to make sure no one’s watching me. Why does he think people are watching him?

“Maybe because you’re