“Paarl is Paarl,” she said. “It holds a unique place in the Cape property market. Yes, our franchise has been very successful - but so have certain others. The plain truth is that Paarl property always was and, as far as I can see, always will remain a very safe investment. Prices here have, in fact, stabilized completely since June 2011 and I believe we will see a 5% to 8% rise by the end of this year – with very significant rises in 2013.”
The most sales activity, said Joubert, has, as in other parts of South Africa been in the lower middle bracket (i.e. homes priced from R1, 1 million to R1, 8 million). Here, she said, Rawson Properties can seldom find enough stock and currently properties that do come onto market always tend to sell within ten weeks.
Also popular and attracting sales, she said, are the homes in the lower price range (i.e. R450, 000 to R1 million). Here the demand is also strong but the obtaining of bonds can be difficult.
In the more expensive areas, especially Coutrai and Boschenmeer (where prices are from R2, 5 million upwards), sales have been slow – but, again, prices remain fairly steady.
Asked to give details of homes now on the market which in her view offer great potential, Joubert mentioned:
- A 463 m2property in a prime area. This house has been reconfigured and rezoned for commercial use and now has five large offices and an air-conditioned board room. Priced at R995, 000 plus VAT it could, said Joubert, command rentals that would equate to anything from an 8% and 8.5% return.
- A truly gracious Cape Dutch home in the sought after KWV head office area. This has the traditional central ornate hol-en-bol gable as well as straight line gables at either end. It also has a long and very attractive voorstoep with a pergola that is covered by a grape vine, wooden shutters and a magnificent country style kitchen with an eye-level stove. The floors are all made from solid wood and many of the doors are the stable type and are made of black wood. The home has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a double garage and undercover parking for four more vehicles. It also has a small flatlet, which can be rented out at R2 200 per month. The 1,753 m2plot is large by central Paarl standards, said Joubert, and definitely adds to the attraction of the property.
“Priced at R3,750,000, the property offers exceptional value,” said Joubert.
