Kavel, and why we still sell in the house
Kavel is Dirk Malan and Nomsa Radebe. Dirk has been on the rostrum since 1998, first for a clearing house in Pretoria West and on his own since 2011. Nomsa lots and catalogues, and writes every condition report that goes out. Between us we do about thirty sales a year, most of them within two hours of Johannesburg. We sell where the goods stand rather than trucking a house to a warehouse. It costs the estate less, nothing gets chipped in transit, and a kitchen dresser makes more sense to a buyer standing in a kitchen than under a fluorescent tube. Commission is 15% from the seller and 10% buyer's premium, and there is nothing else on the invoice — no lotting fee, no photography fee, no removal charge. Reserves are agreed in writing before the catalogue goes out, and we will say plainly when a reserve is set too high to make. A condition report tells you what is broken, what has been repaired and what we could not check. It is not a guarantee, and it never says "good condition" without saying why.
