There is a point to those appearance rules

Life in a gated estate comes with many benefits, including additional security and more freedom of movement for all members of the family, but it usually also comes with some restrictions that homeowners may not have expected - and may find annoying until they realise their purpose.

So says Gerhard Kotzé, MD of the RealNet estate agency group, who notes: "The personal preferences of owners with regard to the exterior appearance of their homes may be limited by having to conform with strict architectural and design guidelines originally put in place by the developer.

"In addition, the rules of the Homeowners' Association (HOA) may provide that the outside walls of homes in the estate may only be painted in certain colours, for example, or stipulate uniform standards for such items as exterior light fittings, security gates and bars, house numbers and letter boxes."

In many cases, he says, the rules also prohibit the addition of carports, tool sheds, lapas, gazebos and even jungle gyms which can be seen from the road.

"Such rules differ from estate to estate and owners may chafe at them but their purpose is actually to protect home values - and thus the investments of all owners - in the development by creating a harmonious, homogenous environment."

Kotzé explains that in an estate, the value of your home is much more likely to be affected by the state of the surrounding properties and the look of the "neighbourhood" than it might be in the suburban context.

"As real estate professionals, we know that prospective buyers will look at the estate as a whole before they see your home, and that if the surrounding grounds and communal facilities are not in good order, they will mentally mark it down, no matter how well you've maintained and presented it.

"What is more, if the estate appears really run down and badly managed, they may have difficulty in obtaining a home loan to buy your property. Banks are increasingly wary about lending in estates where it looks like the HOA has financial problems or a high number of owners don't really care about the condition of their properties." 

Consequently, he says, HOA directors, or the managing agents they appoint, must be prepared to stand their ground when enforcing the appearance rules, even if these are regarded by some residents as unnecessary or too strict.

"And to enable them to do so, the HOA must ensure that the appearance rules are clearly set out in its constitution from the beginning, and that this is properly registered with the Community Housing Schemes Ombud."