Well-known Port Elizabeth estate agent Kobie Potgieter will make her second appearance in the popular KykNET home renovation series Vat jou goed en trek this month.
The owner of Re/Max Independent Properties franchises in Lorraine and Walmer is one of the central figures in the show in which houses up for sale are renovated to reach the best possible price.
Spread around the country, the series consists of 13 episodes, with programmes screened on Fridays at 5.30pm.
Potgieter’s episode, which sees her assisting in the renovations of a house in Beau Monte Estate in Walmer Heights, will be aired for the first time on DSTV on March 24.
There will be repeats on the Saturday (1pm), Sunday (11am), Monday (11.30am), Tuesday (1am) and Wednesday (1.30am).
Potgieter, a former teacher who has been successfully selling property for 16 years, said she had been approached by the show’s presenter and producer Henck Conrey for the first series.
“Henck wanted me to do all the episodes, but, because of the magnitude of the show, I felt it was not feasible,” said Potgieter as she recalled how it all started.
“I said I felt it would be better if we got Re/Max National on board and when we contacted our colleagues around the country they were very excited to be part of it. That’s how it was all born.”
She said families who were looking to sell their houses could submit a video clip providing reasons why they felt they should appear on the programme.
“Henck and his team then view the videos and decide on the qualifying family for each region. It’s all about not being too shy and presenting yourselves well in the clip.
“The qualifying family wins an amount of R50 000 which must be spent on renovations, with the ultimate aim of improving the value of the sale.”
Potgieter said once the house had been identified, she would assess the residence and make preliminary suggestions.
“Then the television crew and the building team come down from Johannesburg and we go through the house together.”
She said this is where the show could get a little edgy because it was all done live, with nothing being rehearsed.
“We all go through the house and I make the suggestions, in consultation with the builder and the owners.
It’s very real because nothing gets practised and if there’s a disagreement we have to resolve the situation then and there. It can get quite fiery because everyone has their own opinion.
She said most of the work would often be done in the living areas and the kitchen, covering anything from breaking down walls to redoing flooring, painting and improving cupboard space.
“We can also do the outside. For example, a front door that needs sanding or painting, or a patio that needs smartening up.”
The family do not see the renovations being done and the television crew film the house before it all starts, while the work is being done and then the finished product.
Voted the most influential businesswoman in an entrepreneurial category in South Africa in 2014, Potgieter said designing renovations for a house was a life-long passion.
“I just love knocking down walls and I have been on a lot of radio shows giving advice on renovating houses,” she said.
“I feel I have a creative flair for that sort of thing and I always say to my clients that they should not do any renovations until they have spoken to me.
“Often you find people spending a lot of money on changes which don’t always add value to the house.”
Potgieter said an injection of funds to improve a property should enhance its value at least three-fold.
“If you spend R50 000 in improvements it should translate into at least three times the amount when it comes to selling.”
She said the higher the value of the land usually meant a better return.
“That’s why position is very important because the land value will determine your growth on your investment.”
Having identified Potgieter as the first agent to be part of the show, Conrey was delighted that his decision had paid off.
“Her reputation precedes her in the real estate industry. I knew that she would be an asset to the series – and I was correct,” he said.
“Her experience and knowledge as an agent and her ability to enhance the potential in a property is the reason we simply had to invite Kobie onto the show.”
