Looking After Your Home Is One Thing. Keeping Track of It Is Another.

We spend years looking after our homes.

We fix things when they break. Paint. Renovate. Upgrade the kitchen. Add solar. Replace flooring. Redo bathrooms. Improve the garden. Build on. Modernise.

And, over time, we can spend a significant amount doing it.

But here's the part most of us don't think about while we're doing it:

Are you keeping track of all of it?

Not just what was done, but what it cost, when it was done, who did it and where the invoices and receipts are.

Because one day, perhaps many years from now, you may sell your home.

And suddenly, the history of what you've spent improving it could matter.

What does Capital Gains Tax have to do with your home?

Capital Gains Tax, or CGT, can apply when an asset such as a property is sold and a capital gain is made.

In simple terms, the capital gain is determined by comparing the proceeds from selling the asset with its base cost. SARS provides more detail on how base cost is determined in its base-cost guidance.

For a property, that base cost isn't necessarily just the price you originally paid.

Certain qualifying costs associated with acquiring, improving and eventually disposing of the property may also form part of its base cost.

That matters because qualifying expenditure included in the base cost can affect the capital gain calculated when the property is eventually sold.

For South African homeowners, there is also a primary residence exclusion. From 2 March 2026, the first R3 million of a capital gain or loss on the disposal of a qualifying primary residence is excluded for CGT purposes.

That doesn't mean every homeowner will pay Capital Gains Tax when they sell.

It does mean that keeping good property records can be important — particularly when a home has been owned and improved over many years.

Do home improvements count towards Capital Gains Tax?

Some can.

SARS distinguishes between costs associated with improving or enhancing an asset and ordinary current costs such as repairs, insurance, interest, rates and taxes.

A qualifying improvement or enhancement may form part of the property's base cost, provided that improvement is still reflected in the property when it is sold.

Think about the difference between simply keeping a home in its existing condition and making a lasting improvement to it.

Depending on the circumstances, significant work such as an extension, a swimming pool or other permanent improvements may potentially be relevant.

But not everything you spend money on around your home automatically qualifies.

The specific tax treatment depends on the nature of the expense and your circumstances, so a tax practitioner should determine what can ultimately be included.

And that's precisely why keeping the information matters.

You don't necessarily need to decide today what will qualify years from now. You need to make sure the records still exist when that decision needs to be made.

The real problem is remembering it all

Think about a home you've owned for ten years.

Could you find the invoice for the kitchen renovation?

What did the solar installation cost?

Who installed the new flooring?

How much did you spend adding the pool?

Do you still have the invoice from the contractor who built the extension?

What about the architect, engineer or other professionals involved?

And could you find all of that information relatively easily?

For many homeowners, the answer is probably no.

Not because we're careless.

It's because we don't naturally manage a home with a tax calculation ten or fifteen years into the future in mind.

A contractor sends an invoice by email.

Another sends one over WhatsApp.

A paper receipt gets filed somewhere.

Photos stay on a phone.

A warranty goes into a kitchen drawer.

The paint colour is written on the side of an old tin in the garage.

And life carries on.

Five, ten or fifteen years later, reconstructing the history of the property can become a project of its own.

What should you keep when improving your home?

You don't need to turn your home into an accounting exercise.

A simple habit can make a significant difference: when something meaningful is done to your property, keep a record of it.

Ideally, that record could include:

• what was repaired, replaced, installed or improved
• the date the work was completed
• the cost
• invoices and receipts
• quotes or contracts where relevant
• the contractor or professional who did the work
• supporting photographs
• warranties, certificates and related documents
• notes that might help you understand the work years later

Some of those records may eventually be useful for tax purposes. Others may not.

But they can also be valuable for insurance, warranties, future maintenance, renovations, property valuations and eventually selling or handing over the home.

Why spreadsheets, folders and email aren't always enough

There is nothing wrong with keeping a spreadsheet or a folder of receipts.

The difficulty is keeping it going for years.

A spreadsheet records the cost, but perhaps not the invoice.

The invoice is in your email, but the photos are on your phone.

The contractor's details are in WhatsApp.

The warranty is in a drawer.

And the actual maintenance history exists mostly in your memory.

A home isn't a single transaction.

It is an asset that you manage, maintain and change continuously, often over decades.

It makes sense for its information to have a history too.

A different way to manage your home's history

Instead of trying to reconstruct everything when you eventually need it, you can build that history as you go.

When the kitchen is renovated, record it.

When solar is installed, keep the details and documents.

When something is repaired, record what was done and who did it.

When you make a significant improvement, keep the invoice with the property record rather than relying on finding it in an inbox years later.

Over time, you begin to create something much more useful than a folder of receipts.

You create a record of your home.

Your home already has a history. Keep it.

Axario Home was created to make managing that information simpler.

Property details, maintenance and improvements, projects, receipts and documents, trusted professionals and other important household information can be kept connected in one place.

So when you need to know what happened, what it cost, who did it or where the paperwork is, you're not starting from scratch.

Whether that information is needed for maintenance next month, an insurance claim in two years or a property sale much further down the line, it has somewhere to live.

Because looking after your home is one thing.

Remembering everything you've done to it is another.

Axario Home Your digital memory for the modern home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Capital Gains Tax on a property in South Africa? Capital Gains Tax forms part of income tax and may arise when a property is disposed of for more than its applicable base cost. Various exclusions and rules can affect the final taxable capital gain.

Can renovation costs reduce Capital Gains Tax in South Africa? Certain qualifying improvement or enhancement costs may be included in a property's base cost. SARS requires the improvement or enhancement to still be reflected in the asset when it is disposed of. Ordinary current costs do not automatically qualify.

Do repairs and maintenance count towards a property's base cost? Ordinary current costs such as repairs, insurance, interest, rates and taxes are generally not included in base cost. The distinction between a repair and an improvement can depend on the facts and circumstances.

What records should homeowners keep after renovations? It is sensible to retain invoices, receipts, contracts, relevant professional fees, photographs and other supporting records relating to significant property improvements. These can also be useful for insurance, warranties, future maintenance and the eventual sale of the property.

What is the primary residence CGT exclusion in South Africa? For the 2027 year of assessment, following changes effective from 2 March 2026, SARS provides a R3 million exclusion on the capital gain or loss from the disposal of a qualifying primary residence. Specific rules determine whether and to what extent the exclusion applies.

This article provides general information and is not tax or financial advice. Capital Gains Tax and the treatment of property expenditure depend on individual circumstances. Consult SARS guidance or a qualified tax practitioner for advice relating to your property.