According to a recent report from FNB property economist, John Loos, the year-on-year growth rate for the Sectional Title Market Strength Index peaked at 10.2% in the first quarter of 2014, whereas the Full Title Market Strength Index peaked at a lower 5.2% growth rate.
There are pros and cons to each type of property ownership which can be weighed against each other to see which would suit the buyer better.
It has to be remembered that buying and selling a property incurs transaction costs of up to 10% of the market value each time a transaction is completed, so the less one moves, the more cost effective it is, as 'sunk' costs in selling properties too quickly cannot often be recouped.
The first thing to consider when looking for a property to buy is that this should be a longer term purchase, no shorter than ten years, and what might be needed from the property in that time, he said.
While the buyer might be a young professional, newly married with no children, the consideration that this might be a possibility in the future should be taken into account and the buyer should then consider the best two or three bedroom unit he can possibly afford in an area that is centrally located and close to amenities as well as schools.
Other things to consider and compare are whether living in a sectional title scheme would suit the buyer or whether he cannot live with certain constraints such as conduct rules or smaller outdoor areas. Sectional title property offers the benefits of often having security included as well as sharing the cost of maintenance, whereas a freehold property is just that, the owner is responsible for the walling of his property, and security within it.
Other 'extras' that often sway buyers to buying sectional title are lifestyle options that often cost much more in a freehold property, such as a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a tennis court, possibly a clubhouse and a fully equipped laundromat.
The costs of having all of these available are shared among the owners of the sectional title scheme in the form of levies and often make them much more affordable. Then too, is the maintenance of all of the above, as well as communal gardens, parking areas, full fencing, automated gates and the like.
"While there will always be demand for freehold property, sectional title has more pros than cons, and the only thing holding this segment back at present in some areas is lack of land to develop - which is the case in Cape Town, but certainly not in Gauteng," concludes Bauer.
