Johannesburg — WITH the economy forecast to contract 0,5% this year, combined with falling employment and lower disposable household income, the residential property market is expected to remain depressed until late this year.
House prices in the middle segment of the market were forecast to drop 3%-4% in nominal terms this year, despite falling interest rates, according to Absa 's latest quarterly housing review released yesterday.
Absa sectoral analyst Jacques du Toit said a further real decline in house prices was expected this year, based on projected consumer price inflation trends and declining nominal prices.
In the first quarter of this year house prices in the middle segment of the market - from 80mÂ' to 400m and up to R3,1m - for which mortgage finance was approved by Absa, declined for the first time on a year-on- year terms since late 1986.
In real terms, after adjustment for the effect of inflation, house prices in the middle segment dropped for the fifth successive quarter, slumping 3,6% in the first quarter from 2,6% in the fourth quarter of last year.
Prices in the luxury segment of the market have performed visibly better in recent quarters than those in the middle segment, where prices are declining over a wide front in nominal terms.
Thabang Mokopanele
http://allafrica.com
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Monday, 11 May 2009
Builders must get NHBRC exemption before construction starts
All potential owner builders that qualify for exemption from the NHBRC, must take note that they have to get exemption before construction starts.
If you start with construction of a newly built home without an enrolment certificate or a letter that exempts you from enrolling your home you are breaking the law and will then have to enrol your home as a late enrolment.
For more information, please visit The Facilitators FAQ's Page.
If you start with construction of a newly built home without an enrolment certificate or a letter that exempts you from enrolling your home you are breaking the law and will then have to enrol your home as a late enrolment.
For more information, please visit The Facilitators FAQ's Page.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
Steel Buildings Are Taking Off
IN just a few years the light steel frame building (LSFB) industry has grown into a useful technology. This is largely due to the efforts of the Southern African Light Steel Frame Building Association (SASFA), a division of the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC). “Such are the advantages of this construction technology it is increasingly becoming an accepted alternative for the local building industry,” says SASFA director John Barnard.
He says the ability of practitioners to learn quickly the gamut of skills required in LSF building, including understanding overall cost and energy savings available through this building method, have added to the success of this new industry.
“Of course, with a burgeoning new construction technique one has to ensure that standards are maintained. Training is fundamental to this process,” says Barnard.
He says that while there will be several training initiatives in areas such as erection and cladding, courses for designers and builders, SASFA will concentrate initially on building inspectors - i.e. municipal and NHBRC inspectors and financial institution evaluators - to ensure they have the skills to monitor that the LSFB industry is complying with the standards set down in SASFA’s building code.
In the meantime, SASFA is in the process of rolling out an industry accreditation scheme, which will assess the four main stages of the LSFB process i.e. the LSFB system utilised e.g. Scottsdale, FrameMaster, Hayes, Howick, Mitec and Dezzo; design and manufacturing processes; steel frame erection and building completion. “We see an inextricable link between the SASFA Accreditation Scheme and our training initiative. They work hand-in-hand to ensure consistently good standards in our industry”, says Barnard.
SASFA is planning several key training programmes, which will be presented in the major centres across the country, as well as Namibia. “We are trying to provide training in all the facets to ensure that the potential of this building method is reached in Southern Africa.”
There are currently 29 South African profiling companies manufacturing light steel frames.
They have a combined annual manufacturing capacity (single shift basis) of 43 million linear metres of light steel sections, or 39 000 tons of galvanised steel per year. Some 36% of the capacity is dedicated light steel truss manufacturing facilities.
“Conservatively, this means that light steel frames can be supplied for 1.5 million sq m of LSFB structures (wall frames and trusses) and trusses only for a further 1.8 million sq m per year of floor area of building
Barnard says that because the light steel frame building offers a wide range of benefits for fast track construction logistical cost advantages and thermal efficiency, offering cost savings of up to 20% or more compared to conventional building methods, the industry is growing rapidly.
Cape Business News - Cape Town,South Africa
He says the ability of practitioners to learn quickly the gamut of skills required in LSF building, including understanding overall cost and energy savings available through this building method, have added to the success of this new industry.
“Of course, with a burgeoning new construction technique one has to ensure that standards are maintained. Training is fundamental to this process,” says Barnard.
He says that while there will be several training initiatives in areas such as erection and cladding, courses for designers and builders, SASFA will concentrate initially on building inspectors - i.e. municipal and NHBRC inspectors and financial institution evaluators - to ensure they have the skills to monitor that the LSFB industry is complying with the standards set down in SASFA’s building code.
In the meantime, SASFA is in the process of rolling out an industry accreditation scheme, which will assess the four main stages of the LSFB process i.e. the LSFB system utilised e.g. Scottsdale, FrameMaster, Hayes, Howick, Mitec and Dezzo; design and manufacturing processes; steel frame erection and building completion. “We see an inextricable link between the SASFA Accreditation Scheme and our training initiative. They work hand-in-hand to ensure consistently good standards in our industry”, says Barnard.
SASFA is planning several key training programmes, which will be presented in the major centres across the country, as well as Namibia. “We are trying to provide training in all the facets to ensure that the potential of this building method is reached in Southern Africa.”
There are currently 29 South African profiling companies manufacturing light steel frames.
They have a combined annual manufacturing capacity (single shift basis) of 43 million linear metres of light steel sections, or 39 000 tons of galvanised steel per year. Some 36% of the capacity is dedicated light steel truss manufacturing facilities.
“Conservatively, this means that light steel frames can be supplied for 1.5 million sq m of LSFB structures (wall frames and trusses) and trusses only for a further 1.8 million sq m per year of floor area of building
Barnard says that because the light steel frame building offers a wide range of benefits for fast track construction logistical cost advantages and thermal efficiency, offering cost savings of up to 20% or more compared to conventional building methods, the industry is growing rapidly.
Cape Business News - Cape Town,South Africa
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