Xolile Bhengu

Xolile Bhengu

The daunting task of paging through newspaper classifieds and going on weekend searches for property have been gone for more than a decade.

House hunting has been made easier with property website searches, but which one is the best and most efficient?

At the moment www.privateproperty.co.za and www.property24.com are two of the most popular property sites.

Private Property lists only private buyers, sellers and rentals. It claims to have an average of 1500 new listings a month and an average of a three week life span for a listed property.

Private property is different in that it does not charge a commission fee for a sale but a one year marketing fee, covering "For Sale" boards and sms, email and print advertising.

The fee for houses worth between R500000 and R1million, is about R1700 and the site also offers advice for their clientele.

The site is user friendly as you can easily navigate with a provincial map that lists the suburbs and a sold property is clearly identified.

Property24 lists random properties for both private sellers and estate agents' listings.

Other good sites for a property searches are www.cyberprop.com, www.propertygenie.co.za and www.g.co.za.

All the sites offer feedback via email or cellphone and a repayment calculator for the the price range one chooses.

Although the Internet is quick and easy, it is a good idea to check the property yourself and not rely on a picture posted on a site to avoid nasty surprises.