The residential property stock shortages which have been experienced in all the high demand metro areas of South Africa for a year or two now are just as noticeable in those outlying precincts which have come into favour since the start of the housing market upswing.
The big surprise this year, says de Lange, has been Duynefontein. Until a year or two ago this had an unfortunate ‘corporate housing’ image, which stemmed from the fact that most of the homes were built in the 1970s for the Koeberg Power Station staff. These homes, although large with three bedrooms and 150 m2 or more of floor area, were seen as typical ‘company’ housing and in recent years many have had to be fixed up so as to become appealing.
However, a great many others have already been upgraded, some given an extra bedroom, an attached apartment, a double garage and/or a swimming pool. As a result, says de Lange, today virtually nothing at Duynefontein sells at under R2 million – a remarkable upswing for an area where only four years ago the average price was R1,6 million.
In Van Riebeeckstrand, Melkbosstrand’s other ‘satellite suburb’, the higher prices (R4 million to R10 million on the beachfront) have resulted in sales here being very slow but this team has in recent months put through sales at R4,2 million and R6,5 million, both in Van Riebeeckstrand.
In Melkbosstrand itself, prices in ‘The Avenues’, the oldest part of the village, are now still in what for Melkbosstrand is the affordable bracket, i.e. R2,6 million to R3,5 million, but on the beachfront sellers can and do ask anything from R6,5 million to R10,5 million and, although these prices are generally seen as high, experience has shown that the patient sellers can usually conclude a deal at these price levels within 20% of the asking price. The properties, says de Lange, are on a par with the best of any of the South African coastal resorts.
Rawson Melkbosstrand continues to achieve over 35% of the total sales for the area – making it the frontrunner – and has now quite a reputation for 24/7 service, which is due at least in part to the office being open every Saturday and Sunday.
Melkbosstrand, says De Lange, has also, in the last few years, become a popular day visit destination for up-country and local visitors who have discovered the many charms of the village. The beachfront restaurants like Cafe Orca, Castella Amare and the historic Damhuis have become quite well known and offer a good cuisine.
Safety, close proximity to shops, amenities and the MyCiti bus route as well as good schools and leisure activities like swimming, kite and board surfing, kayaking, fishing and rubber ducking are definite attractions.
“However you look at it,” says de Lange, “Melkbosstrand continues to have a great deal going for it and this, in turn, means that any investment here is an extremely sound one.”
For further information contact Lynette de Lange on 021 553 3662.
