<p data-end="150" data-start="0">The Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities has outlined the stages involved in acquiring a house in Zimbabwe.</p>
<p data-end="387" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="152">In a statement, the Ministry explained that the process of acquiring a house involves several steps, which may differ depending on whether the property is being purchased from an individual, local authority, company, or the government. The statement reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>STAGES OF ACQUIRING A HOUSE IN ZIMBABWE</p>
<p>The process of acquiring a house in Zimbabwe involves several steps, which may vary depending on whether you are purchasing from an individual, local authority, a company, or the government. Below is a general guideline:</p>
<p>1. Identify the Property: Establish if the seller has title deeds for the property in their name. Also ascertain if the property has architectural drawings, engineering drawings and also check if the plans were approved by the local authority. Conduct due diligence to ensure the property meets your requirements in terms of location, price, and conditions of payment.</p>
<p>2. Verify Ownership and Legal Status: Obtain a copy of the title deed. Conduct a title deeds search at the Deeds Registry Office to confirm ownership and check for any encumbrances (mortgages, disputes, or caveats). For properties without title deed, confirm with respective local authority for council land, respective government Ministry for Stateland.</p>
<p>3. Negotiate and Agree on Terms: Discuss the price, payment terms, and any conditions of the sale with the seller. Engage a lawyer or estate agent to facilitate negotiations.</p>
<p>4. Draft and Sign an Agreement of Sale: A lawyer or estate agent should prepare a formal Agreement of Sale outlining the price, payment method, and conditions. Both parties sign the agreement, and payment modalities are agreed.</p>
<p>5. Obtain Tax Clearance Certificate: The seller must obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) to confirm that all tax obligations related to the property sale have been met.</p>
<p>6. Transfer of Title: The seller’s conveyancer prepares transfer documents, which are lodged at the Deeds Registry Of- fice. The buyer will be required to pay stamp duty at the point of registration at the Deeds Registry office, calculated based on the property value once processed, the new title deed is issued in the buyer’s name.</p>
<p>7. Handover and Finalization: After all payments are completed and the title is transferred, the seller officially hands over posses- sion of the property to the buyer. Utility accounts (water, electricity, rates) should be updated to re- flect the new owner.</p>
</blockquote>


Pindula News

In Zimbabwe, there are steps to follow when buying a house. First, make sure the seller has the right paperwork for the house. Check if there are any issues with the property. Then, verify the ownership by getting a copy of the title deed. Negotiate the price and payment terms with the seller. Sign an agreement of sale with the help of a lawyer. The seller needs to get a tax clearance certificate. The title of the property will be transferred to the buyer once all payments are made. Finally, the seller hands over the house to the buyer, and utility accounts need to be updated.

Stages Of Acquiring A House In Zimbabwe

<p>Before you agree to buy what might be your dream house, consider the following important information.</p>
<h2>Use registered agents</h2>
<p>It’s illegal for individuals to sell a house for someone else, for profit. Using a registered agent offers you protection that bogus agencies cannot offer you. Also, you can go to the <a href="https://eac.co.zw/">Estate Agents Council</a> if you feel that you have been handled negligently or fraudulently.</p>
<p>In addition, Registered Agents handle property sales on a regular basis and can help you to avoid many of the pitfalls that can occur.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2>See the Property</h2>
<p>Never purchase a property that you haven’t seen yourself. If you are unable to go to the property send a friend or trusted associate to go on your behalf.</p>
<h2>
What you see, may not be what you get</h2>
<p>If water is a concern for you, get the borehole tested. People are quick to label their borehole as “good”, but what does that really mean?</p>
<p>Borehole capacity can change very quickly, depending on environmental and local changes. We can see that a borehole is working, is equipped, is un-equipped, and so forth, but getting it tested is the only way to know what you are getting.</p>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>What do you have to pay?</h2>
<p>The greatest cost will be the purchase price of the property. In Zimbabwe, generally, the Buyer also pays for the transfer of the Title Deed. This cost is normally between 4-5% of the purchase price.</p>
<h2>
Can I negotiate the price of a house?</h2>
<p>Yes, but ultimately the purchase price will depend on the agreement between the Seller and Buyer, which is handled by the agent, who is also called a “Negotiator”. Other things to be negotiated are the occupation date, rental payments, or payment terms.</p>
<p>All of these details need to be laid out clearly in the Agreement of Sale.</p>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Get confirmation</h2>
<p>Be sure that your agent has done a Deed search on the property, this will tell you the size of the property, the legal description, the legal owner, and will often provide a diagram of the property. The Deed search will also alert you to any outstanding legal claims to the property.</p>
<p>Remember, just because there is a wall or a fence, it doesn’t always mean that is the property line.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2>Bring in an expert</h2>
<p>Very few agents are experts in construction, boreholes, or soil quality, etc. If these things are important to you bring in an expert to give you his independent opinion, before you sign the contract. Resolve any issues before you sign the Agreement of Sale.</p>
<p> </p>
<h2>Occupation</h2>
<p>You, obviously, cannot occupy your new property while the previous owner or tenant is still living there. When viewing the property it is good to understand if the house is currently occupied. If there is a tenant, you need to know the length of his lease.</p>
<p>From the date of occupation, you will normally be responsible for all of the rates, bills, etc. The risk and benefit of the property pass to you at the date of occupation.</p>
<p><strong>Author:</strong> Jonathan Thompson</p>
<p>_______</p>
<p>For more information on any of the above, you can talk to Thompson Properties via:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Website</strong>: <a href="https://thompsonproperties.co.zw/">www.thompsonproperties.co.zw</a></li>
<li><strong>Facebook</strong>: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thompsonproperties">fb.com/thompsonproperties </a></li>
<li><strong>Tel</strong>: +263 (029) 2250777</li>
<li><strong>WhatsApp</strong>: <a href="https://wa.me/263712617448">+263712617448</a></li>
</ul>


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