A Secure Zone Adds An Extra 25-30% To The Value Of The Property

Last week our secure closed community paid for some upgrades being a camera covering the bottom gate which remains closed 24/7 besides 1 day per year. Because we as a community agreed to close this off at our own expense the law states the gate access must be open for 1 day every year.

We used to have a guard here permanently allowing residents to have a top and bottom gate to drive through, but with so many residents not paying the monthly security contributions it was no longer viable. This though secure was always a weak point and now we have cameras feeds in place directly to a few of us plus our private security firm it gives more peace of mind.

A day night light was also installed incase we have load shedding so this bottom gate will always be lit up so we can monitor this at night time. I understand for many of you around the world this is not something that you would even worry about, but here in Johannesburg this is really a big thing and at the same time increases the property values.

It is the weekend again and every weekend we hear gun shots ringing through the valley. Tonight it is still early and I have already heard a couple which is rare as they normally are expected in the early hours of the morning. Having a full moon does not help as the houses on the golf course will be under attack and why living on what one would consider prime real estate they find out why no one wants to live there.

Every household benefits from the security whether they pay a monthly contribution or not because the secure zone which consists of 3 internal roads has only one access point. This boosts the value of these properties by around 25-30% and becomes a desired neighborhood to live in. I have noticed a few other streets in the area have done something similar to what we have and those residents have now scored extra value on their properties by doing so and is a smart move.

I was thinking of buying a property and setting one of these communities up and then selling the property but that may have sounded good on paper and not in reality as the risk is not everyone pays. The extra profit made from the property could be wasted on paying the security out of your own pocket. It is strange how ones mind works when looking to make profit from creating an opportunity.

In the evenings we even have outsiders who live in the area park their cars by the guard room and take walks around the block. This is kind of crazy to think people do not feel safe enough to walk or jog around the streets and come to our area to live a "normal" life. I often see families out pushing a pram or walking their dogs because there is no other place that offers the security we have.

In the past we had less than 50% paying the monthly security fee and now we are close to 90% after a few community meet ups. The extras which are not much because this is not done for profit are being spent on upgrades when we have sufficient funds.

The next upgrade will most likely be securing certain properties bordering the outside as they form part of our perimeter. If these houses are broken into it would reflect on the crime stats for the area which would not help the other properties with regard to values so we need to make sure everyone is safe and secure.

Posted Using INLEO