Ten years ago, everyone was talking about how trendy the Johannesburg suburb of Linden was becoming as it began to be “re-discovered” and rejuvenated by an influx of investors, developers and young families.
And now, says Jandri Coetzee, the local Rawson Property Group franchisee, the area has indeed been transformed, from a staid and slightly stuffy suburb into one of the city’s most culturally diverse, invigorating and increasingly upmarket places to live.
“Once an area largely inhabited by Afrikaans-speaking families, Linden is now home to people of many different backgrounds, nationalities, religious faiths and age-groups. And it offers a similarly wide range of properties, from very grand stand-alone homes to clusters, sectional title townhouses, apartments and fixer-upper homes for young renovators.
“It has also become so popular now that prospective buyers here often bid against each other for the same property, and this has of course caused prices to rise quite steeply in the past few years. According to property data company Lightstone the average price for freehold properties in Linden has risen from R1,8 million in 2012 to R2,4 million currently, and the average price for sectional title properties has increased from R800 000 to R1 million in the same period.”
One of Linden’s main attractions for buyers, he says, is proximity to good schools such as De la Salle Holy Cross, King David and Linden Hoër - a further reflection of the diversity of the community - as well as the Louw Geldenhuys and Holy Cross primary schools.
Another is the suburb’s excellent position in relation to the business hubs of Sandton, Randburg and the Johannesburg CBD, as well as the giant Cresta shopping centre and a range of entertainment, sports and other amenities. “A big draw card for outdoor enthusiasts, for example, is Delta Park, a huge parkland just to the east of Linden which has three dams, several walking trails and several bird watching hides.
“In addition, Linden has its own well-managed police station, and an active Community Association that has implemented strong measures to prevent crime and safeguard the area.”
Coetzee says the transformation of Linden over the past few years has largely been brought about by two main groups of buyers, the first being young couples who were intent on buying and renovating the large, if somewhat run-down, family homes that then characterised the area.
“These buyers typically had young families, which has helped to rejuvenate the schools in the area, and were also keen on stands that were large enough to accommodate cottages to let, or granny flats, home offices, and art and music studios."
“And the stands in Linden were large, with the average size being just over 1700sqm – although quite a big percentage have now been subdivided to accommodate luxurious new homes. Many of the older homes have now also been fully-modernised and upgraded into multimillion-rand mansions.”
The second main group of buyers over the past 10 years, he says, has consisted of investors and private developers interested in properties which they could convert into either a cluster or a sectional title complex.
“Such developments, which generally contain just a few homes, have become increasingly popular and opened up the area now to a third group of buyers – young professionals and executives who love the location but don’t want the hassle of having to secure and maintain a large suburban house. And in their wake we have seen the start of a café culture in Linden, which now boasts a string of well-patronised restaurants and coffee shops all down Third Avenue.”
Coetzee says there are some 1500 freehold homes in Linden and about 700 sectional title townhouses and flats.
Prices for sectional title units currently for sale range from around R750 000 for a two bedroom, one bathroom flat to R1,3 5million for a two bedroom townhouse and R1,95 million for a two bedroom duplex in a brand-new development.
House prices currently start at around R1,6 million for an un-renovated three-bedroom “traditional” and range all the way up to about R5,5 million for a five bedroom, double-storey home on a 2400sqm stand.
Current Rawson listings in the area include a luxury four bedroom, three bathroom home that is priced at R3,8 million.
For more information visit www.rawson.co.za
