What SA property searches reveal about changing lifestyles – realestate.com.au

The way we live is changing dramatically.

PropTrack has released data on the terms entered in searches on realestate.com.au for homes in South Africa, and it signals a fundamental shift in the way we want to live and how we search for property.

According to the data, the term that saw the biggest increase over the past 12 months was ‘renter’ – up 106 percent.

Searches for “brand new” are up 97 percent, while “accessible parking” is up 78 percent and “yard” is up 76 percent.

Reflecting a shift towards multi-generational living and a progressive approach to housing that supports owners into old age, the next search terms that saw the biggest increases were ‘wide doorways’ (allowing for mobility aids such as wheelchairs) at 74 per cent, ‘elevator’ at 72 per cent, ‘double living’ at 71 per cent, ‘step-free access’ at 70 per cent, ‘ground floor’ at 59 per cent and “two floors” at 54 per cent.

Harris Real Estate sales agent Tom Hector said buyer attitudes have changed profoundly in recent years.

“People love flat land more than ever – anything flat that people can add to is a place where there are a lot of buyers,” he said.

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“Due to health problems and so many people with weak knees, stairs become a problem and people struggle with sloping blocks.”

He said more than ever, people are looking at their properties as their forever home, rather than as a home for the next five, 10 or 15 years.

There is more demand for elevators than ever. Image: iStock

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“The biggest killer on people’s minds at the moment is stamp duty – the buying and selling costs are getting so expensive.

“People realize that it is so difficult to buy a house right now that they choose to renovate or make decisions for the future. Because it is all relative: if your house is worth a lot, the next house will also be worth a lot.

“Finding good shares is becoming increasingly problematic.

“I have found that the market for floor plans in 2025, when it has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas and a double garage on a flat lot, has never seen so many buyers in the fifteen years I have wanted to buy property.

“Everyone goes for the practical side because the older style homes have floor plans all over the place, but the more modern homes are more popular.”

Multi-generational living is on the rise.

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Independent auctioneer Brett Roenfeldt said multi-generational and multi-family living has been on the rise, initially driven by multiculturalism but more recently out of necessity.

“There are families now where their children are all grown up, but perhaps the children are not living in rental accommodation or they want to provide some sort of space for them if and when they come back,” he said.

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“And of course we have an aging population and I think more and more people are looking for flexibility from a floor plan perspective to accommodate large families, elderly parents and things like that.

“There are some very strong ethnic cohorts that want to buy houses for their extended families to house them all in one house, and there are a lot of these communities that are buying properties together – they are pooling their money – and they are buying properties that will eventually be redeveloped later, and a lot of that is happening.”

What SA buyers are looking for is changing.

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He said that in some cases, homeowners may be entitled to some support for people who stay at home instead of going into care.

“If someone qualifies, there’s a possibility that people can get care packages and all those kinds of things that you have access to, instead of them going into a nursing home or a retirement home,” he said.