The revival in Witsand residential property, which she predicted would take place this year, has become a reality, says Hanli Pretorius, the Rawson Property Group’s co-franchisee (with her husband Leon) in this small south Cape coastal town.
“All the estate agents in the area,” said Hanli Pretorius, “reported good sales in 2013. I, in fact had 23 sales and now have four more in the pipeline.”
Buyers’ interest, said Pretorius, is definitely focused on the one to four bedroom suites and rooms in the three star Breede River Lodge. These are sold fully furnished and they can be real income earners as it is possible to put them into a rental pool and let them as holiday accommodation. Over the holiday period the lodge’s suites can let be let from R260 per night for a budget room and up to R2,700 for a three bedroom suite. A rental management service run by Leon Pretorius operates almost round the clock from the hotel and its presence there means that it can deal with many walk-in enquiries.
The units currently available for sale at the Breede River Lodge are priced from R600,000 for a single bedroom to R1,850,000 for a three bedroom suite with its own living room and other facilities. However prices for lodge suites can go well above R2.5 million.
“There are great advantages to owning a lodge unit,” said Pretorius. “You have the help of a cleaning and laundry service and you are very close to the restaurant which serves excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Then, too, you have the use of the entertainment facilities which include a swimming pool and the lodge’s small boat harbour. Fishing, kite surfing and whale watching are probably the main extra mural activities indulged in by visitors to the Breede River mouth and catches of grunter have been especially good. Boats and fishing tackle can be hired from the lodge.”
For those who value complete independence, many homes, some dating back well over 60 or 70 years, are also on sale and achieve good holiday rentals. Pretorius has such homes available from R1,1 million to R4 million – or more.
Witsand is 320 km (a two and three-quarter hours’ drive) from Cape Town and enjoys exceptionally dry, warm winters.
The whale watching in San Sebastian Bay equals that of Hermanus – 85 or 90 whales have often been counted in a single day.
Hanli Pretorius predicts that residential prices at Witsand will start rising this year.
“This very peaceful coastal village,” she said, “has always appealed to those with families and those who love water sports and the outdoors. Its great attraction for many people is that residents here on the whole do not go in for the endless socializing and activity of the bigger, busier holiday venues.”
