Brenda Austin at Asherproperties

Brenda Austin at Asherproperties Real Estate Agent involve with selling and renting properties in the Southern Suburbs & South Penins

For many homeowners, the appeal of going partially or fully off-grid is about more than property value. It is about havi...
22/09/2026

For many homeowners, the appeal of going partially or fully off-grid is about more than property value. It is about having greater control over essential services and creating a home better equipped to handle interruptions.

But going off-grid is a significant investment, and it isn't necessarily the right solution for every property.

Start With Your Energy Needs
Solar panels, an inverter and battery storage can reduce reliance on the electricity grid and provide backup power when needed. The right system depends on your household's actual electricity consumption, which appliances you want to run and how much backup capacity you require.

Consider Your Water Supply
Water resilience can also be part of a more self-sufficient home. Depending on the property and local regulations, options may include rainwater harvesting, storage tanks or a borehole. Each solution has different installation and operating considerations.

Think About the Long Term
Going off-grid isn't simply about installing equipment. Quality, professional installation, maintenance and appropriate system sizing all matter. Before making a substantial investment, consider the costs involved, the expected lifespan of the equipment and whether the solution genuinely suits your property's location and your household's needs.

What About Resale Value?
Energy and water resilience can be attractive features to prospective buyers, but there is no guarantee that an off-grid investment will be recovered in the eventual selling price. The value will depend on the property, location, quality of the installation and what buyers in that particular market are looking for.

Expert Advice: If you're considering an off-grid solution, look at it as an investment in how you want to live. Any potential benefit to resale value should be considered an added advantage rather than the sole reason for making the investment.

E & OE

I walk slowly, but I never walk backward - Abraham Lincoln
21/09/2026

I walk slowly, but I never walk backward - Abraham Lincoln

If you have pets, it is worth knowing which common garden plants can be harmful if eaten. Here are five plants found in ...
18/09/2026

If you have pets, it is worth knowing which common garden plants can be harmful if eaten. Here are five plants found in many South African gardens that pet owners should be aware of.

๐—–๐˜†๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜€
Cycads can be highly toxic to pets if eaten, particularly the seeds. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and potentially serious liver damage. Keep fallen seeds away from pets and avoid planting cycads where animals can easily access them.

๐—ข๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ
Oleander is often used as a flowering shrub or hedge because it is hardy and requires relatively little maintenance. However, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. It can affect the digestive system and heart.

๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ (๐—ง๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐˜†)
While it attracts butterflies and adds plenty of colour, eating the plant can cause problems for pets, including vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness and, in more serious cases, liver problems. Regularly remove fallen leaves and berries if your pets have access to the garden.

๐—”๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—บ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€
Particularly recognisable for their white, funnel-shaped flowers, arum lilies contain compounds that can cause intense irritation of the mouth and throat when chewed, potentially resulting in drooling, swelling and difficulty swallowing.

๐—–๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฎ
Clivia is indigenous to southern Africa and is commonly grown in shady areas. Its leaves and roots can be harmful if eaten and may cause vomiting, diarrhoea and other digestive problems.

If you suspect your pet has eaten a potentially toxic plant, contact your veterinarian promptly and, where possible, identify the plant involved.

A pet-friendly garden starts with knowing what is growing in it

When you sell a property for more than you paid for it, you may make a capital gain. Capital Gains Tax is calculated on ...
16/09/2026

When you sell a property for more than you paid for it, you may make a capital gain. Capital Gains Tax is calculated on the gain, not on the full selling price, and is administered by SARS.

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฐ๐—น๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
For the 2027 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027), the primary residence exclusion increased to R3 million, up from R2 million in the previous tax year. For individuals, 40% of the taxable capital gain is included in taxable income. The annual CGT exclusion for individuals has increased from R40,000 to R50,000 for the 2027 tax year.

Importantly, the applicable tax year is generally determined by when the property sale agreement is concluded, rather than when the property is registered. Therefore, a sale agreement signed before 1 March 2026 would generally fall under the previous R2 million primary residence exclusion and R40,000 annual exclusion.

๐—›๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐—œ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ?
Your capital gain is broadly calculated by deducting the property's qualifying base cost from the sale proceeds. Base cost can include the original purchase price and certain qualifying expenses, such as transfer costs and capital improvements.

๐—ž๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€
Keep your original purchase documents, transfer costs, invoices for qualifying improvements and other relevant records. Good documentation can help ensure that legitimate costs are taken into account when calculating your gain.

๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น
CGT can be affected by how the property was used, the ownership structure and other circumstances. Your accountant or tax practitioner can calculate your potential liability and advise you on your specific situation.

Thinking of selling your home? I can help you plan the sale and connect you with the right professionals to understand the financial and tax implications of your transaction.

E & OE

๐Ÿก ๐“๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐’๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐จ๐ซ ๐‘๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง ๐Š๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐ก๐จ๐Ÿ, ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ž๐ค & ๐“๐จ๐ค๐š๐ข? ๐ŸกIโ€™m your ๐ฅ๐จ๐œ๐š๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ž๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ โ€“ dedicated ...
16/09/2026

๐Ÿก ๐“๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐’๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐จ๐ซ ๐‘๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง ๐Š๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐ก๐จ๐Ÿ, ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ก๐จ๐ž๐ค & ๐“๐จ๐ค๐š๐ข? ๐Ÿก

Iโ€™m your ๐ฅ๐จ๐œ๐š๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ž๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ โ€“ dedicated to getting you the best results with ๐ฅ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐š๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ž๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐œ๐ค๐ž๐ญ!

โœ… Excellent Service
โœ… Exceptional Dedication
โœ… Proven Results

Whether youโ€™re ready to ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ž, ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ, or are on the hunt for your ๐๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐œ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐›๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐ญ, Iโ€™ll guide you every step of the way.

๐Ÿ“ž Call Brenda today: ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ–๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ•๐Ÿ•๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ–
๐Ÿ“ง Email: [email protected]

๐Ÿ’ฌ Message me here on Facebook: @๐›๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐๐š๐€๐ฌ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ

๐Ÿ‘‰ Letโ€™s turn your property goals into reality. Contact me now for a free, no-obligation chat!

The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. - Eden Phillpotts
14/09/2026

The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. - Eden Phillpotts

The kitchen is often one of the busiest rooms in the home, so a little organisation can make everyday cooking and cleani...
11/09/2026

The kitchen is often one of the busiest rooms in the home, so a little organisation can make everyday cooking and cleaning feel much easier.

You don't need a complete kitchen makeover. A few thoughtful changes to how you use your space can make a surprising difference.

๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ž๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ญ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€
Think about how you move through your kitchen and group items according to how you use them. Keep knives and chopping boards close to your main preparation area. Store spices, oils and cooking utensils within easy reach of the stove, and keep everyday dishes and glasses somewhere convenient for serving and unloading the dishwasher. The goal is simple: keep the things you use together, where you naturally need them.

๐—–๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜€
A clear work surface makes preparing meals much easier. Keep frequently used appliances such as your kettle or toaster accessible, but consider storing seldom-used appliances in a cupboard. You'll gain valuable preparation space while giving the kitchen a cleaner, calmer appearance.

๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ธ๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฉ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ
Don't overlook the backs of cupboard doors, walls and the space inside tall cupboards. Simple racks, hooks and organisers can provide useful storage for spices, chopping boards, foil and other smaller items without taking up valuable countertop space.

๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ ๐—›๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
Keep your most frequently used cooking utensils close to where you prepare or cook food. A simple container for spatulas, wooden spoons and whisks can be both practical and attractive, saving you from constantly opening drawers while you're cooking.

๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€ ๐—ช๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—จ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—บ
The most efficient kitchen is one that follows your routine. Keep pots and pans near the stove, everyday crockery somewhere convenient for serving, and cleaning supplies close to the sink or dishwasher. Take a few minutes to observe how you actually use your kitchen โ€” then organise it around that.

A well-organised kitchen doesn't just look better. It makes everyday life a little easier, one meal at a time.

For many buyers, the first viewing of a property happens online. Before they arrange a physical viewing, they are likely...
09/09/2026

For many buyers, the first viewing of a property happens online. Before they arrange a physical viewing, they are likely to assess the photographs, floor plan and other visual information available in the listing.

That makes the quality of your property's online presentation an important part of your marketing strategy.

๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐˜† ๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—œ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
Professional photography can showcase the space, natural light, proportions and features of your home in the best possible way. Dark, cluttered or poorly composed photographs can make a property difficult to assess and may discourage potential buyers from enquiring. Good photography, on the other hand, gives buyers a clear and appealing first impression.

๐—ฉ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ง๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—š๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
A virtual tour allows prospective buyers to explore the layout and flow of a property remotely. This can be particularly useful for buyers who are relocating or considering a property before travelling to view it. It also gives buyers more information before they decide whether an in-person viewing is worthwhile.

๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—™๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ
A strong digital presentation allows your property to be considered by buyers beyond your immediate area. This can be particularly valuable in markets where buyers are relocating from other provinces or purchasing from overseas. Professional photographs and virtual tours allow them to familiarise themselves with the property before viewing it.

Good photography starts with good preparation. Declutter rooms, clean windows and surfaces, open curtains and blinds, and make sure the property is presented as you would want a buyer to experience it in person. The photographs should accurately represent the property while showing it at its best.

Thinking of selling? I can help you position and present your property effectively, from preparing your home for photography to creating a marketing strategy that puts it in front of the right buyers.

E & OE

Happiness often sneaks in through a door your didn't know you left open. - John Barrymore
07/09/2026

Happiness often sneaks in through a door your didn't know you left open. - John Barrymore

A welcoming guestroom is about more than providing a place to sleep. It is about creating a comfortable space where visi...
04/09/2026

A welcoming guestroom is about more than providing a place to sleep. It is about creating a comfortable space where visitors feel relaxed, cared for and truly at home.

With a few thoughtful touches, an ordinary spare room can become a warm and inviting retreat.

๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜
The bed is the heart of any guestroom. Choose quality linen and add an extra blanket or throw so guests can adjust their comfort.

๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—•๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€
Guests appreciate having room to unpack and settle in. Clear some cupboard space, provide empty hangers and add a luggage rack so suitcases can be kept off the floor. A bedside table and reading lamp are simple additions that make a big difference.

๐—”๐—ฑ๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—˜๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€
Small details can make guests feel especially welcome. A carafe of fresh water, a glass, Wi-Fi details and a small basket with useful toiletries show thoughtfulness and consideration.

๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to temperature. Provide options such as an extra blanket in winter or a fan during warmer months so guests can make themselves comfortable.

๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ต ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ง๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€
A good magazine or fresh flowers can add warmth and personality to the room. Keep the dรฉcor calm, clean and uncluttered to create a relaxing atmosphere.

A well-prepared guestroom is a simple way to make visitors feel valued and ensure their stay is memorable for all the right reasons.

Address

37 Topaz Walk
Noordhoek
7979

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 13:00 - 17:00

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