The advantages of renting in a new town

Thanks to the abundance of commercial and industrial opportunities in Johannesburg and Pretoria, many families find themselves moving from other parts of South Africa to Gauteng. Moving to a new city is daunting - there are no two ways about it. Between packing up your life, saying goodbye to friends and preparing your children for a new life, the last thing you need is any extra stress. While you might want to buy property in your new city in the long term, being a renter for the first year can take some of the inevitable stress off your shoulders. Here are just a few of the advantages of being a tenant for your first year in Gauteng:

The opportunity to explore various neighbourhoods

Researching suburbs and neighbourhoods online is one thing, but living in an area can prove very different to what you expected. Being a tenant allows you to get to know an area before you commit to making it your long-term home. While an area may look perfect when you research it online, you may decide when you get there that there's too much traffic or that the nearby amenities don't actually suit you as well as you thought they would. Johannesburg and Pretoria offer a wide array of things to do when you and your family aren't at work and school, and you should have a chance to explore your new city before making a commitment to a specific area. Renting offers the flexibility that you need to find an area that feels like home.

Going back home? It's easier if you've been a tenant

Sometimes life takes us in directions we don't expect. If you and your family decide, at the end of a year, to head back home, you've got a lot more freedom to do so than you would if you had invested in property. Rather than having to sell a property before getting a chance to enjoy a return on your investment, you can simply decline to renew your lease. Being a renter gives you the opportunity to try a new life while leaving your family's options open. 

Looking online is less stressful if you're looking for a rental

If, for example, you're a family from Durban moving to Johannesburg or Pretoria due to a career opportunity, you're likely to still be in Durban while you're looking for your new home in Gauteng. It is likely to be daunting having to trust pictures and online descriptions of a property. It's a lot easier to look for a home from a distance if you are planning to make only a short-term commitment to that home. Buying property in a city you don't yet live in will invariably involve having to stay with friends or relatives in the area while you house-hunt, or incurring the expense of staying in a hotel.

Huge variety of rental properties available in Gauteng

Another huge advantage of renting in Gauteng is the wide range of properties available. From apartments and retirement units to freestanding houses, homes in estates and townhouses, there is something to suit every individual and every family's needs. Whether you're looking for a chic city apartment or a spacious family home, you'll find it among the properties available for rent in Gauteng.

In a nutshell, renting property offers flexibility and a stress-free transition to life in a new city. While you could always decide to buy a property once you have gotten to know your new area, renting is a great option for at least the first year. For more information about renting property in Gauteng, chat to the CSi Property Group. We would love to help you find your first home in Gauteng.