Directly across the bay from Table Mountain, enjoying unrivalled views of the iconic landmark, lies Bloubergstrand – a suburb that is fast making a name for itself as one of Cape Town’s most universally-appealing neighbourhoods.
Beloved by swimmers, surfers, kite surfers and sun-lovers for its broad beaches, marine reserve waters and predictable trade winds, Blouberg’s attractions are far from limited to water-sports enthusiast alone. Young professionals, families, retirees, foreigners and upcountry buyers are all flocking to this relatively young area, drawn by its enviable lifestyle, affordable property, and remarkably diverse array of amenities and attractions.
“Blouberg has definitely appeared on the property radar in a big way over the last few years,” says Mike Abrahamse, the Rawson Property Group’s franchisee for the area. “It’s close to both the Cape Town and Durbanville CBDs, has easy access to restaurants, shopping centres, wine routes and golf courses, offers places of worship for almost all religions, and boasts some of the best schooling institutions in the Western Cape. This, combined with the incredible lifestyle and excellent value for money properties on offer, makes Blouberg a pretty difficult suburb to beat.”
With apartments starting at a mere R650 000, Blouberg’s prices can be difficult to beat as well, although premium penthouses and beachside mansions run as high as R15 million or more.
“We have a great range of properties at various price points in Blouberg,” says Abrahamse, “whether you’re looking for secure estate living, apartments or freestanding family houses. The beachfront is predominantly sectional-title, but there’s a healthy balance of freehold properties as well.”
Being a relatively young suburb, most properties are modern in style and construction – a plus for buyers hoping to avoid the hassle of maintaining an older home. This can be particularly convenient for buy-to-let purchasers looking for low-maintenance investments.
“There is a huge demand for rentals of all types in the area, and buy-to-let is a great investment,” says Abrahamse. “Two bedroomed apartments tend to leverage the best returns from both rental income and capital appreciation, but three bedroomed family homes are also proving to be excellent investments as demand in that sector now exceeds supply.”
Demand for sales stock is also high, despite the less-than-buoyant general economic climate, and Abrahamse reports ongoing stock shortages in several segments of the market, including beachfront properties and security estates. This, together with Blouberg’s rising popularity, will likely see prices continue to climb for the foreseeable future, but Abrahamse warns sellers not to give into the temptation to pre-emptively overprice their homes.
Demand for sales stock is also high, despite the less-than-buoyant general economic climate, and Abrahamse reports ongoing stock shortages in several segments of the market, including beachfront properties and security estates. This, together with Blouberg’s rising popularity, will likely see prices continue to climb for the foreseeable future, but Abrahamse warns sellers not to give into the temptation to pre-emptively overprice their homes.
“We do see sellers ‘testing the market’ at inflated prices,” he says, “which can actually be detrimental to their eventual sale. Buyers are well aware of property values, and overpriced homes don’t attract offers, which results in the listing becoming stale. This almost always leads to a far less favourable sale than if the price was right to begin with.”
This doesn’t mean sellers won’t be making a fair profit on their homes, however, as capital appreciation in Blouberg has been consistently strong.
“Blouberg really is an all-rounder,” says Abrahamse. “It has something for everyone, and that diverse appeal helps soften the ups and downs of a normal property cycle. You really can’t go wrong investing here as a wealth-creation strategy, or moving here to experience the incredible community and lifestyle for yourself.”
For more information on property in Bloubergstrand, contact Mike Abrahamse at Rawson Blaauwberg on 082 555 5390 or mike.bw@rawson.co.za.
