Do not do business with Fine and Country!

Buying a home should be a joyful milestone. Unfortunately, our experience with Charleen Kroukamp from Fine & Country Durbanville Real Estate was an ongoing nightmare of deception, misrepresentation, and neglect.

We were sold a dream and handed a disaster. From the day we moved in, we faced major structural and functional issues that had clearly been hidden or denied. After 1 year and 6 months of chasing and legal escalation, we finally received the approved building plans—documents we were told had already been “submitted” to the municipality before the sale. That was completely false.

From the first week, we had over 15 roof leaks, severe damp, water pressure issues, leaking gutters, and faulty electrics—all of which were denied in the general disclosure form, which we later learned was inaccurate and misleading. The house had clearly been abandoned before the sale, a major detail that was never disclosed to us. The seller and agent claimed ignorance, but it’s not believable that anyone occupying the house would be unaware of the serious issues we discovered immediately.

We re**** on Charleen’s responses during the sale process, particularly when our bank requested specific information about the property’s condition. We acted in good faith—only to discover much of what she told us wasn’t true.

A clear example: we were told the thatch roof had been recently serviced and was in good condition. The first rain exposed multiple leaks. Temporary patchwork was arranged by Charleen but failed repeatedly. We later learned the roof hadn’t been serviced in years and now requires full replacement.

Another shocking discovery: we were told the gate motor was fully functional. After moving in, we found the housing was completely empty—no mechanical components inside. It was never operational. This was a blatant example of false representation.

In addition, we had no compliance certificates (COCs) for the first two weeks after taking ownership—despite being told all certificates were in order. And while we were assured the building plans were already submitted, no such submission had been made. We had to take on all the admin, delays, and legal escalation ourselves—without any support from Charleen or Fine & Country.

We also asked directly about the area before buying and were told there were no issues. Yet shortly after moving in, we became aware of ongoing problems in the neighborhood that any experienced, local agent would have known and should have disclosed.

Communication throughout this process was poor. Charleen was unresponsive, dismissive, and failed to follow up unless chased multiple times. When we escalated to Fine & Country Durbanville’s Managing Director, Andre du Plessis, we received one vague reply. After sending a detailed breakdown of our concerns, we heard nothing further—not even a courtesy acknowledgment.

If you’re a seller, and your only concern is getting your property sold quickly—regardless of condition or honesty—Fine & Country Durbanville might suit your needs. But if you’re a buyer, especially one expecting transparency and post-sale support, we strongly urge you to look elsewhere.

Buyer Advice:

Get everything in writing

Hire independent inspectors—never rely solely on the agent

Treat disclosure documents with caution

Save all communications

Use your own attorney—don’t fall for the seller’s discounted legal team

We expected to move into our home with peace of mind. Instead, we’ve spent the last 18 months dealing with lies, repairs, and stress—with zero accountability from the agent or agency.

The saddest part is, Agencies like this will always get away with it unless you splash cash for a law suit!