Tips To Increase The Value Of Your Land In South Africa

The value of land in South Africa is determined by its location, among other factors, as we will show you. The location of the land is very important because the best way to determine the value of land is by observing its potential to generate income. That is why land in or near urban centres is valued highly. Land in the city will surely generate income. Every day and night, investors want a space to set up their establishments in the urban centers.

The location of the land is, however, not the only factor that determines the value of the land. The land is very precious if well-maintained. Any land can have a high value regardless of its location. The properties of the land, that is, its strengths, should be focused on to increase the value of the land. Below are some tips on increasing the value of your land in South Africa.

1. Build a perimeter around your land

Building a perimeter around your land increases your value because it increases the confidence of a buyer in the following ways:

• Buyers will know the land borders when they tour the land in person. Knowing this, they are sure there will be little to no disputes with the neighbours over the border running into someone else’s property.
• Invasion of animals is reduced when there is a perimeter around them. In small lands, a perimeter proves to a land buyer that security is already sorted.
• Having a perimeter around your land will reduce the doubts of a buyer on whether you are a fraud or not. Cons masquerade as real estate agents and sell unproclaimed public lands. One characteristic of unproclaimed land is the lack of a perimeter.

2. Repair the property on your land

Before you start marketing your land for sale and it has existing property, for instance, a house, you should start by improving the quality of the house. Property on land can be improved to increase its value through the following ways:

• Repairing the buildings on your properties will improve a buyer’s impression when buying the land. One should paint the house anew and fix all the faults, including broken window panes, doors, and ceiling boards.
• Complete the wiring of a house if you have not done this yet. Electricity is very important, and land which has already been powered will cost more than the ones without electricity. Buyers know that installing electricity is very costly and takes a long process.
• Ensure all the plumbing has been done sufficiently and water can run from the outlets. Water is an important resource in a house. Land that has running water costs more than others. Water installation is costly because one needs to buy the plumbing materials and hire a plumber to make the connections.

3. Put the land into consistent use

Every land has a feature that increases its worth. Find out what is the best feature of your land and maximize this to increase its value in the following ways:

• If your land is fertile, ensure it is always cultivated when you sell it. Its fertility value will be clear to buyers once they see plants doing well in person. It will not have the same effect when you tell the buyer without proof.
• If your land is an urban centre, it must have a building or buildings. If these buildings are for renting out, keep them out even with plans to sell. A buyer’s interest peaks when they are certain that a property has already proven to be productive in income generation.
• When the land is dry, you can still increase its value. Showing the buyer ways in which the land can be made to be productive regardless of its state will raise the value of the land. In this instance, you can run an irrigation project if you intend to sell the land.

4. Lead a way to the entrance of your land from the main road

This may not be easy to achieve, but it’s possible and necessary for South Africans wanting to increase their large land value. You cannot do it yourself, but with the community’s help, direct a clear path from the main or closest road. The accessibility of the land matters a lot to the buyer. Whether in remote areas or urban centres, a buyer would pay more for land that can be accessed without too much trouble.

5. Maintain the growth of weeds

Make sure that you keep maintaining your land even with no running project. A bushy land will affect its value but not too much, depending on the location of the land. In the city, the land’s value may not be affected if it is situated in a place that is sure to be productive. However, this might be a deal breaker in small towns and rural areas, especially when other lands are being sold close to the bushy land. A buyer will falter at the sight of a bushy land. Clearing the bush is a problem, especially if the land is big. When a buyer feels this way, the negotiations on the price of the land will begin on a bad note.

6. Plant trees

As you reside on the land, plant trees and maintain them so that they grow properly. Land with healthy trees has a higher value than others. Trees are very valuable and take a very long time to grow. The value will increase depending on the type of tree and its size. If you intend to sell, you should not wait to plant trees on your land. Because they take a long to grow, starting early will be better so that when selling, they will be big, and you will have higher bargaining power.

7. Ensure you have all the documents that prove ownership of land

Lastly and most importantly is the proof of ownership. You should not announce selling land before you get the deed. Land being sold without proof of ownership will have a low value. Potential buyers have little trust in this type of land. One cannot be certain if they are being conned or if it is the real deal. Before deciding to start determining the land’s value, ensure that you have the deed and all the other legal documents that prove that the land is yours beyond all other doubts.

Factors That Determine The Value Of A Land

We have looked at the tips on increasing the value of your land in South Africa. There are lands of high value that will remain that way even without doing anything. Below are the factors that determine whether the land value is high.

1. Proximity of land to a major means of transport

The proximity of the land to a main road or airport affects its value. Lands close to highways and airports cost more because they are situated in a place that attracts a lot of traffic. For business people, traffic is the main reason they will pay any cost to have land close to a major road or an airport mostly airports. Having land close to an airport will mean that you can attract foreign customers and will attract local customers due to convenience.

2. Proximity of land to an urban centre

Most lands in urban centres are sold to set up businesses. These lands are priced the highest compared to lands in rural areas. The land value in the city is always high due to the high demand for the land. Landing in the city will surely prove fruitful shortly, and the buyer knows this well. Due to the high demand, the competition is narrowed down to top business people who pay extremely high prices to get these lands.

3. Land fertility

In rural settings, the value of land is determined by how fertile it is. On the tips of increasing the value of land, we have mentioned that maintaining the fertility of the soil increases the value of the land. Buyers that go for lands in rural areas are looking for land for large-scale plantations. You cannot set up businesses in remote rural areas. The best way to do business would be to plant crops for sale. When buyers like this look for land, they are very keen on soil fertility.

4. Land maintenance

A well-maintained land will be valued highly compared to one that is not. This, however, does not apply to all lands. Land that is not properly maintained but in a strategic position that improves its productivity will have a high value. These are lands close to major means of transport like roads and lands in the central business district or close to the central business district.

5. Value of property on the land

The existing property on the land determines the value of the land depending on its value. Some lands have mansions, and others have mineral deposits. The value of the property on the land is added to the value of the land. The resulting sum is the value of the land. Lands with mineral deposits have the highest demand regardless of whether in the city or the remotest rural areas.

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