Kerry W Wood

23/06/2026

Selling a home can be stressful, but doing it from another country takes it to a whole new level! 🌍✈️

A massive thank you to our incredible client for this wonderful 5-star review. Charmaine De Blanche prides herself on going above and beyond to ensure a seamless, stress-free property sale—no matter the distance. From managing the details to keeping communication clear, she proves that you don't need to be in the same room to get the best results. 🏡✨

Looking for a dedicated agent who gets the job done right? Charmaine is ready to make your next real estate move a total success.

Reach out today!
📞 082 901 7644
✉️ [email protected]
🌐 onlyrealty.co.za

18/06/2026

**The clients who ask the most questions are my favourite clients. Here's why.**

In 31 years as a conveyancing attorney, the clients who come back — and who send their friends and family my way — are always the ones who *understood* their transfer every step of the way.

So let me answer the questions I hear most often 👇

**"How long will my transfer take?"**
Usually 6–12 weeks from the signed Offer to Purchase. Bond approval, municipal clearances and linked transactions all affect this.

**"Who pays the conveyancing fees?"**
The buyer pays the transfer attorney's fees. The seller covers bond cancellation costs if there's an existing bond.

**"Can I choose my own conveyancer?"**
Yes! In most transactions, the buyer chooses the transfer attorney. Your bank appoints the bond registration attorney separately.

**"What can I do to speed things up?"**
Get your F**A documents ready early. Respond to your attorney quickly. Sort your compliance certificates before you list. Every day of delay on your side is a day's delay on the whole transaction.

No question is too basic. If something about your transfer doesn't make sense, ask. A good conveyancer should be explaining the process to you — not hoping you don't notice the parts they haven't told you about.

That's the standard I've held to for 31 years. ❤️

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *What's a property question you've always wanted answered? Ask me below — I'll reply to every one.*

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17/06/2026

**Buying a property? This one thing will delay your transfer more than anything else.**

And it has nothing to do with your conveyancer or the Deeds Office.

It's your F**A documents.

I see it every single week. The Offer to Purchase is signed, everyone's excited — and then the transfer stalls because the buyer or seller hasn't sent through their compliance documents.

Here's what you need to have ready *before* you sign:

✅ A clear, valid copy of your ID or passport
✅ Proof of address less than 3 months old (utility bill, bank statement or municipality account)
✅ If you're a company or trust — your registration and resolution documents too

Sounds simple. But blurry phone photos of IDs, expired address proofs, or a name that doesn't match your title deed will send everything back to square one.

My tip: the moment you start seriously looking at a property, get your F**A pack ready and saved. Buyers who arrive prepared move *weeks* faster than those who scramble later.

Have a transfer coming up and want to know exactly what you'll need? Drop me a message — happy to help before you sign a thing. 😊

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *Have you ever had a property transfer delayed? What held things up?*

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16/06/2026

**Thinking of selling your home? Here's the list nobody gives you until it's too late.**

You accept an offer. You start mentally packing. Then your conveyancer sends you a checklist — and suddenly the "simple" property sale feels like a full-time job.

Here's what sellers need to know *before* they list:

📋 **Compliance certificates are your responsibility — not the buyer's.**
As the seller, you must provide valid certificates confirming your electrical installation, gas installation and (in certain municipalities) plumbing meet current standards. If they don't pass inspection, you pay for repairs and re-testing.

⚡ **The certificate from when you bought the house may no longer be valid.**
Electrical compliance certificates are valid for two years, or for the duration of your ownership — unless electrical work was done. Added solar? Renovated? You may need a fresh inspection.

🏦 **Rates clearance takes longer than people expect.**
Before transfer can happen, the municipality must confirm all rates and service charges are fully paid — typically several months in advance. This is not a delay your conveyancer causes. It is a municipal process with its own timeline.

🗂️ **Your F**A documents are needed too.**
Sellers often forget they also need to submit compliance documents. Have your ID and proof of address ready from day one.

The good news? All of this is completely manageable when you know about it early.

If you're planning to sell in the next 3–6 months, reach out now. I'll give you a clear checklist for your specific property — no obligation, just clarity. 😊

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *Sellers — did anything on this list surprise you? Or is there something else that caught you off guard when you sold?*

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11/06/2026

Losing someone is hard enough. Navigating their property shouldn't make it harder.**

This is one of the most sensitive situations I work with — and one of the most misunderstood.

When someone passes away and there is property in their estate, that property cannot simply be handed over to family members. It cannot be sold without proper legal authority. And no one can act on behalf of the estate without formal appointment.

Here is what actually needs to happen, as clearly as I can put it:

**1. Report the estate to the Master of the High Court** — within 14 days of the date of death.

**2. An executor is appointed** — named in the will, or appointed by the Master if there is no will. The executor receives Letters of Executorship, which give them legal standing to act.

**3. The estate is administered** — assets are identified, debts are settled, and what remains is distributed to heirs according to the will (or the Intestate Succession Act if there is no valid will).

**4. Property is transferred** — once the Master approves the Liquidation and Distribution Account, the property can be transferred to the heir or sold. This is where a conveyancing attorney steps in.

What families often don't realise 💙:
— No verbal promise from the deceased gives anyone legal right to the property
— Selling before an executor is appointed is not legally possible
— The process typically takes several months to over a year for more complex estates

If you are dealing with a deceased estate in Gauteng and there is property involved, please reach out. I handle these matters with the care and patience that families deserve at this time.

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *Has your family ever had to navigate a deceased estate? It can be really overwhelming — feel free to share or ask questions below.*

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10/06/2026

"Getting married? The document most couples forget"

💍 **Planning a wedding? There's one legal appointment most couples completely forget to make.**

And unlike the venue and the flowers — this one genuinely cannot be rescheduled after the big day.

I'm talking about your **antenuptial contract (ANC).**

Here's what most South Africans don't know:

If you get married without signing an ANC before a notary public first, you are automatically married **in community of property** by default. That means one joint estate — your assets AND your debts, combined. If your spouse's business fails, creditors can come after your shared estate. Including the home you've worked so hard for.

**Your three options:**

🔵 **In community of property (no ANC)** — Everything shared equally. All assets. All debts. All risk.

🟢 **Out of community — without accrual** — Completely separate estates. Clean and simple, but the spouse who stayed home to raise children has no legal claim to what the other built.

🟡 **Out of community — with accrual** (most popular for good reason) — Separate estates during the marriage. But when the marriage ends, the spouse whose estate grew less shares in the other's growth. Protects both partners fairly.

The ANC must be signed before a notary public and registered at the Deeds Office **before your wedding day.** Not the week after. Not when life settles down. Before.

I am a registered Notary Public and I help couples across Gauteng get this right — quickly and clearly, even on short timelines.

If your wedding is coming up, please don't leave this one too late. 💛

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *Did you sign an ANC before your wedding? Or do you wish you had? Let's talk about it.*

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09/06/2026

"The OTP you signed is already legally binding"

✍️ **Signed an Offer to Purchase this weekend? Here's what you need to know RIGHT NOW.**

Unlike many other contracts, an OTP in South Africa is legally binding the moment both parties sign. There is no cooling-off period in most private property transactions. There is no "I changed my mind" without legal consequences.

I've seen buyers sign at a show house on Saturday and try to walk away by Monday. By Monday, they were already in breach of contract.

Here's what lives inside that document — and what most people don't read carefully enough:

📌 **The voetstoots clause** — the property is sold "as is." Hidden defects the seller *didn't know about* are generally your risk as the buyer.

📌 **The suspensive condition** — usually bond approval within a set number of days. Miss that window and the agreement may lapse. Make sure the timeframe in the OTP is realistic for your situation.

📌 **The occupational date** — when you get the keys. This is NOT your ownership date. You may be paying occupational rental between move-in and registration.

📌 **The breach clause** — what happens if one party doesn't perform. Can you cancel? Can you claim damages? The detail here matters a great deal.

My strong advice: have your OTP reviewed by a conveyancing attorney *before* you sign. It takes an hour and it can save months of legal pain — and potentially hundreds of thousands of rands.

I offer OTP reviews. Message me before you sign — not after. 🙏

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *Have you ever read an OTP all the way through? Honestly — most people haven't. No judgment here!*

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05/06/2026

I once got a call at 2am.
A client. Panicking. Convinced her transfer had fallen through because she hadn't heard from anyone in three days.
It hadn't fallen through.
The Deeds Office was just slow that week.
But she didn't know that. Because nobody had told her.
I gave her my personal number that night.
Not because it's policy.
Because nobody should lie awake at 3am worrying about something I could fix with a two-minute call.
That's the kind of conveyancer I decided to be. 🏡
📞 +27 68 532 3504
🔗 www.kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

Specialist conveyancing attorney | Sandton with 31 years' experience. Residential/commercial property transfers, bond registrations, deceased estate transfers in Gauteng. Transparent fees

04/06/2026

"What I'd tell my younger self about buying property"

📖 **31 years in conveyancing. Here's what I wish every property buyer knew before they signed.**

After three decades of transfers, bonds, deceased estates and ANCs across Gauteng — these are the things I'd go back and tell every first-time buyer:

**1. Read the Offer to Purchase before you sign it. All of it.**
It is legally binding the moment both parties sign. The voetstoots clause, your bond condition, your occupation date — these are your rights. Have them reviewed first.

**2. The cheapest conveyancer is rarely the best value.**
Fees in South Africa are guided by a tariff — the difference between attorneys is communication, expertise and relationships. A six-week unnecessary delay on a multi-million rand property costs real money. Choose wisely.

**3. Ask if you're in a linked transaction.**
If the seller is buying elsewhere, you're in a chain. One delay affects everyone. Know what you're in.

**4. An antenuptial contract cannot be backdated. Ever.**
If you're getting married — or recently married — your marital regime directly affects your property rights. An ANC must be signed before a notary and registered *before* your wedding. Not after. I've helped couples try to fix this years later. It is costly and complicated. Do it right the first time.

**5. Your conveyancer should make a complex process feel simple.**
Not because they've hidden anything — but because they've explained it clearly. If you feel confused and ignored, that's worth questioning.

Property is one of the most significant things a South African family can own. It deserves to be handled with that weight. 🏡

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *First-time buyers — what's the one thing you wish someone had told you? Share below.*

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03/06/2026

"You are not the legal owner until this one thing happens"

⚠️ **Moving in does NOT make you the legal owner of your new home. This does.**

This surprises a lot of people — so let me be clear.

You are not the legal owner of a property when you:
❌ Move your furniture in
❌ Pay the purchase price in full
❌ Receive the keys
❌ Sign the transfer documents

You become the legal owner on **one date only: the date your transfer is registered at the Deeds Office.**

Until that moment, the seller is still the registered owner on the title deed. And that has real consequences.

If the seller passes away before registration, the property forms part of their estate. If a creditor has a judgment against the seller, it could affect the property. The registered owner has legal standing — not the person who moved in.

What this means for you practically:

👉 Occupation and ownership are two separate events. If you're in the home before registration, you're likely paying occupational rental — for however long the transfer takes.

👉 Every step of the transfer process (F**A, transfer duty, rates clearance, Deeds Office lodgement) is building toward that one moment of registration. It's not admin for its own sake.

👉 After registration, you'll receive your title deed. This is your most important legal document. Keep it somewhere safe.

The process exists to protect you. That's what good conveyancing is about.

Questions about where your transfer stands? I'm always happy to give you a straight answer. 🙂

— Kerry Wood
📞 068 532 3504 | kerrywoodconveyancers.co.za

💬 *Did you know this before reading it? Let me know in the comments!*