View site home is a bargain at its price of R9,1 million, says franchisee.
Over the last two years Schalk van der Merwe, the franchisee for Rawson Properties Somerset West, has taken it upon himself to cultivate the high-end market as much as possible. As a result, he reported recently, he now controls some 20% of the mandates in certain areas, one of the most satisfactory of which is the affluent Spanish Farm district near Somerset West.
The Spanish farm area, says van der Merwe, is genuinely acknowledged to be the most elite area in the Helderberg - and, he adds, turnover here has been far better than most property watchers would expect.
Looking at the Spanish Farm sales of the last few years, van der Merwe said that in 2005 13 sales were achieved (with a total value of R36,2 million) and in 2009, in a year which most people regard as the worst in recent property history, there were nine sales with a value of R48,6 million.
These figures, which van der Merwe extracted from the SA Property Guide, indicate, he says, that although prices in the area have not risen spectacularly they have continued to rise.
'This is a factor of which all interested in the area should definitely take note, because it is a safe bet that if price increases could be achieved in such a tough time they will be a great deal more satisfactory when the current recession ends, which I estimate will take another 18 to 24 months'
Van der Merwe has recently been given the sole mandate for a home on the roller coaster, high level Rembrandt Road which links the Helderberg Nature Reserve with the Helderberg College precinct. This is thought by many estate agents, says van der Merwe, to be one of the most attractive suburban roads in South Africa.
Views from the home for which he now has the mandate take in a panorama that includes the Hottentots Holland Mountains to the south, False Bay and the southern spine of Table Mountain to the south and west.
'It would be very difficult indeed to find a home with more impressive views than this one,' says van der Mewe.
The double storey Tuscan style home was built to German standards (the client was, in fact, German) and has many finishes and fittings that would normally only be found in upmarket, European homes. Many of the cupboards and fittings have been handcrafted and several of the interior walls have been painted by Italian artisans.
The home has five bedrooms, all en suite, three receptions rooms, a bar, a wine cellar, a scullery and a double garage in which the doors open and close in response to electronic controls.
The steep slope of the property has not, says Van der Merwe, deterred the owners from developing a garden, which is irrigated by a computer-controlled system - but perhaps the most attractive feature on the entire property, he says, is a large, rim-flow pool sited in front of the living and dining areas.
The home has no less than 550m2 of floor area, which is three times the size of the average South African middle class home, and is on a plot of 2,425 m2.
Under '˜normal trading conditions, says van der Merwe, a home of this quality would sell for a far higher price than the current list price, which is R9,1 million. This, he says, is exceptionally good value, even in a market where upper bracket homes are taking anything from six to 12 months to find a buyer.
For further information contact Schalk van der Merwe on 082 880 7071 or email schalk.sr@rawson.co.za.
