Situated in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, the town of Durbanville began in 1825 when a group of Tygerberg farmers requested permission to build their own church from district governor, Lord Charles Somerset.
This three bedroom, two bathroom home in Sonstraal Heights, Durbanville, has an established garden, swimming pool and double garage. It is priced at R1.995 million - click here to view.
The Dutch Reformed Church was inaugurated in 1826 which, over the years, resulted in a small village called Pampoenkraal springing up between the church and the outspan. Ten years on, the residents of the area appealed the governor, Sir Benjamin D'Urban, to change the name of the village, to which he agreed.
The area was renamed Village D'Urban until 1886 when it was renamed to Durbanville in order to avoid confusion with the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. In 1897 a village management board was established and Durbanville established its own municipality in 1901.
From as early as the 1870s, Durbanville had its own court house, jail and magistrate and subsequently became a magisterial district of Bellville. The building, which was declared a national monument in 1984, still exists in altered form within the Rust-en-Vrede complex, where the Durbanville Cultural Society runs an arts and culture centre.
The complex houses a gallery, clay museum, various art studios and the Rust-en-Vrede coffee shop.
This family home in Nerina, Durbanville, offers three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a seperate flatlet. It is on the market for R1.59 million - click here to view.
Even though Durbanville has experienced tremendous growth since its humble beginnings, and is reportedly one of the fastest growing towns in the country today, it still retains its character and rural atmosphere.
Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, says as Durbanville is situated within minutes from the main highways into the Cape Town CBD and the Cape Boland Towns, it is conveniently located for access to both business and leisure activities.
As one of the fastest growing towns in the country, it has a range of amenities including several shopping centres, restaurants, pubs, guest houses and B&Bs.
With its upmarket, tree-lined residential areas, Durbanville offers a wide selection of properties from lock-up-and-go sectional title units, to freestanding family homes and residential security estates.
Just over 47 percent of property in Durbanville is made up of sectional title units, according to data provided by Lightstone, with freehold homes making up around 37 percent of property and estates accounting for 16 percent.
This three bedroom, three bathroom home in Uitzicht, Durbanville, offers an idoor braai area, open plan living areas and a modern kitchen. It is priced at R1.395 million - click here to view.
Goslett says the data also shows that around 30 percent of residents in Durbanville have lived in their homes for 11 years or more with more than 37 percent of recent sellers aged 65 years and older. The Lightstone statistics also show that 35 percent of recent buyers in the area were aged between 50 and 64 years of age, while 29 percent were between 36 and 49 years of age.
The average price for full title property in Durbanville during 2012 is approximately R1.69 million, while sectional title properties have averaged a value of around R652 000.
Goslett says with the number of amenities that Durbanville offers, including a range of good schools, as well as its location close to major routes leading into the CBD, demand for property in the suburb remains strong.
“The value for money buyers see on properties here is one of the area’s biggest draw cards, aside from the range of properties the area offers, from sectional title units ideal for young couples or executives, to family homes on large stands as well as secure upmarket estates and retirement developments.”