Owning a home comes with responsibilities beyond the bond repayment. As a first time homeowner, you'll be liable for rates and taxes from the day the property registers in your name, responsible for all repairs and maintenance, and covered (or not) by insurance depending on the type of damage. Knowing these five essentials upfront: rates and taxes, maintenance, settlement cracks, latent defects, and building insurance, means fewer surprises and more time enjoying your new home. Cosmopolitan Projects, one of South Africa's largest developers of affordable housing, breaks down exactly what buying your first house involves.
Once your property is registered in your name, the municipality bills you for rates and taxes, and you're liable for that account whether or not you've actually moved in yet.
To avoid falling behind:
Unpaid rates and taxes accumulate quietly. Miss this step as a first time home buyer and you could be met with a large, backdated municipal account.
All maintenance and repairs become the homeowner's responsibility from the day of registration. That includes:
These are normal wear-and-tear items on any property. Staying on top of them protects the value of your asset, and matters for insurance too, since policies generally don't cover damage caused by neglect (more on that below).
If you've bought a newly built home or bought off-plan, small cracks appearing in the first two years are usually just settlement cracks, not structural problems.
New buildings settle as temperature changes, rainfall, and the building's own weight cause the foundation to shift slightly. Your home is built with expansion joints specifically to flex with this movement. Cracks generally reduce in frequency once the foundation has fully settled.
Fixing and maintaining settlement cracks falls under the homeowner's own maintenance responsibilities, not the developer's warranty.
See Wall Cracks and Expansion Joints in Your New Home for more information.
A latent defect is a fault that a reasonably thorough pre-sale inspection couldn't have picked up. As a consumer, you have defined rights to have these addressed:
| Defect type | Window to claim | Notes |
| Roof leaks (workmanship/materials) | 12 months | Storm damage excluded; warranty voids if tiles are moved for other repairs after occupation |
| Major structural defects (non-compliance with building standards) | 5 years | Applies to structural issues, not cosmetic ones |
| Plumbing and electrical faults | 12 months | Must be reported within the first year of occupation |
Knowing these timeframes matters. Miss the window and you may lose the right to have the developer rectify the fault at no cost to you.
Homeowners insurance protects the physical structure (the brick-and-mortar building and its fixtures) against sudden, unforeseen events like fire, flood, severe weather, and theft.
What it won't cover: gradual deterioration from a lack of maintenance. If a leak causes damage because a tap was never repaired, that's wear and tear, not an insurable event. This is exactly why the maintenance responsibilities above matter; they protect both your asset's value and your insurance claims.
Your bank will also require this cover for as long as your bond is active, to protect their interest in the property.
Buying your first house is one of the biggest financial commitments you'll make. Going in with a clear picture of your ongoing obligations (rates, maintenance, what's covered by warranty versus insurance) is what turns homeownership from a source of stress into a source of pride. Cosmopolitan Projects offers affordable housing for first time buyers designed to make that transition as smooth as possible, from purchase through to moving in.
You become liable for rates and taxes as soon as the property is registered in your name, regardless of whether you've moved in yet. You'll need to open an account with the municipality and pay a deposit.
No. Settlement cracks are a normal part of a new building settling over its first two years, caused by temperature changes, rain, and the weight of the structure. Your home's expansion joints are designed to accommodate this movement.
It depends on the defect: roof leaks caused by workmanship must be reported within 12 months, plumbing and electrical faults within 12 months, and major structural defects caused by non-compliance with building standards within 5 years.
No. Building insurance covers sudden, unforeseen damage such as fire, flood, storm damage, and theft. It does not cover gradual deterioration caused by a lack of maintenance; that responsibility sits with the homeowner.
As the homeowner, you're responsible for all maintenance and repairs from the date the property is registered in your name, including things like leaking taps, blocked drains, door locks, and roof upkeep.