With South African consumers set to continue buying and selling homes in 2012, we bring you some of the Cape’s most sought after-homes.
This spacious four-bedroom home in Kwaaiwater, Hermanus has been in one family for more than 30 years and is selling for R13 million. It occupies to 1000 square metres on Mossel River Drive, the sought-after front row in the suburb.
Estate agents reckon 2012 will be a good one for buyers particularly those with cash while savvy consumers will no doubt up the game in terms of what they buy and how much they pay.
Click here to read more about what to expect from the property market in 2012.
In Hermanus in the Western Cape, the suburb of Kwaaiwater is said to be the most sought-after address in the seaside town.
The suburb consists of around 100 homes, many of which have not changed hands in decades as families pass them on from generation to generation.
Pam Golding Properties (PGP) reports that this rarity factor sustains property values in the area making them resilient to market fluctuations.
Kwaaiwater is popular not only for its views but convenient location.
PGP managing director for the Boland and Overberg regions says Kwaaiwater homes tend to be high-value properties with an owner mix of about 50 percent permanent residents and 50 percent holiday owners.
Expect to pay around R1.5 million to R3.5 million for entry level homes on the mountain side while properties located on the sea side are priced from R5.5 million to R24 million.
In Mossel Bay, PGP reports that homebuyers are high income earners seeking a spacious, upmarket refuge where they can kick back on weekends and entertain friends and family in style.
Keith Murray, area principal for PGP says these buyers are prepared to pay anything from R6 million and up to R18 million for the right home that suits their needs.
In Mossel Bay, this six bedroom home with tinted, triple volume glass windows, home theatre room, bar, intimate wine cellar and gym, a swimming pool, undercover patio and braai area has a price tag of R11.5 million.
He says the trend towards big city dwellers migrating to secure coastal areas such as Mossel Bay is evident as seen in the growing number of breadwinners, such as professionals, entrepreneurs and executives who commute between Johannesburg and Mossel Bay.
These buyers prefer a coastal town residence for quality of life for their children while they travel to the major centres for business purposes.
Mossel Bay buyers seek homes mainly in excess of 800 square metres, either in secure estates such as Pinnacle Point, Mossel Bay Golf Estate and Gondwana Game Reserve or show a preference for beach style living.
These upmarket homes feature lavish entertainment areas, a bar, wine cellar, snooker table and some even have a pizza oven.
The town of Greyton, located about 90 minutes’ drive from Cape Town is said to be one of the region’s best kept secrets.
PGP area manager for the northern Overberg, Le Roux van der Merwe, says Greyton offers a relaxed country lifestyle in a warm yet cosmopolitan community environment, with low crime levels and a thriving artistic community.
Greyton is peppered with art galleries, interior decor shops and craft centres, and hosts a popular fresh produce market on Saturday mornings, displaying the best of local farming efforts and cuisine.
These many attractions combine to make the village a popular spot for weekend getaways, and it consequently has a sizeable hospitality sector with numerous B&B’s and restaurants.
Van der Merwe says one can expect to pay around R1.2 million for a cottage on a sizable plot up to R4 million or more for a larger three or four-bedroom home, some set on plots as large as 4000 square metres.
Smallholdings surrounding the town are priced from R1.5 million for vacant land to close to R11 million for those with large luxury homesteads.
Typical crops grown in the area include mission olives and small-scale vineyards, most notably Sauvignon Blanc.
According Wayne Rubidge, PGP area manager in the Karoo, the Western Cape has not been high on the list of priority game reserve investment locations.
This he says is largely due to the lower carrying capacity of the vegetation for large herbivores as the Western Cape is primarily a botanical region.
As a result, landowners and investors have realised that the Western Cape is more a wildlife and nature destination than a dedicated game farming region.
The emergence of wildlife and nature farms or estates in this province is mainly attributable to conservation organisations who actively promote the incredible bio-diversity of the Western Cape.
Renowned as a global botanical hotspot, the region has huge potential for wildlife and nature investment, and while this includes game it is not necessarily on the scale as that in the Eastern Cape and Northern Provinces.
Rubidge says another popular concept in the Western Cape is the development of appropriate properties for eco-tourism.
“With growing awareness of the need to preserve the world’s natural resources, we are seeing increased interest in investment in declared protected areas or proclaimed nature reserves,” says Rubidge.
With the support of Conservation Agencies such as Cape Nature many properties in the Western Cape are now registered Nature Reserves.
The long term benefits of investing into conservation cannot be questioned whether this is property or species, he says.
Properties of this nature are priced from anything around R9 million to R12 million depending on what is on offer. – Denise Mhlanga
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