Boland Sold by Paarl Post Newspaper

25 SEPTEMBER

LESS IS MORE: 50% SOLD DURING PRESALES

Val de Vie launches new Polo Village Val De Vie Estate’s new Stefan Antoni-designed Polo Village sold out 50% of the available apartments within two hours, during the pre-sales launch last week at the Val De Vie Estate Ballroom. The available one bedroom ‘Polo Pads’ were sold out within minutes of opening the sales process. Celebrity MC Nico Panagio hosted the event, with guest speakers Stefan Antoni and Ryk Neethling. The pre-launch took place in association with Ferrari, and the prancing horse’s new front-engined V12 monster, the FF, and the 458 Italian Spider, were on display and available for test drives, as was the Ferrari California 30 (the best-selling model in Ferrari’s illustrious history). The latter is also the vehicle which will go to one lucky buyer at the Polo Village. “The quick take-up of the ‘Polo Pads’ showed us that there is a strong demand for those who want a luxurious, large, fully serviced apartment at Val De Vie. There are very limited opportunities to find properties like this in the popular Cape Winelands and this is an opportunity not to be missed”, according to marketing director Ryk Neethling. “I think the affluent market now looks for a safe, spectacularly designed, fully serviced investment with concierge services, where you can basically come and enjoy an amazing time in the PaarlFranschhoek Valley, play a few games of polo, enjoy the many wine estates and delectable cuisine, and then simply hand over your keys and head back to the re-

The Polo Village in Val de Vie Estate is a hot seller, with 50% of the units sold out. al world. The whole ‘less is more’ trend is now sweeping the globe in the affluent market. People tend to scale down and travel lighter. This is what we had in mind when we commissioned Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects to design the Polo Village. Although

the design is understated, it affords just about the best that money can buy – from modern SMEG appliances to oak hardwood flooring.” Only Val De Vie homeowners and buyers who pre-registered and paid their deposits, were al-

lowed to attend the pre-launch. Subsequent to the pre-launch, the Polo Village sales will now be open to the market as a whole. Overall sales statistics for Val De Vie Estate show an increase of 201,82% in the total sales value of homes transferred in 2014, com-

pared to the same period a year ago. Sales of erven at the Estate showed an 18,21% increase in turnover, whilst prices per square metre of erven rose by a whopping 21,75% and the rate per square metre of homes sold, by almost 10% during the same period

Districtmail

SOLD HELDERBERG BOLAND

25 September, 2014

Leapfrog Gordon’s Bay excels once again The Annual National Convention of Leapfrog Property Group celebrated their 7th anniversary at the popular world class venue, The Elangeni Maharani Tsogo Sun Hotel in Durban from 2 to 4 September. A total of 141 delegates, including agents, franchisees and administrators from all over the country were treated at this world class venue for three days by top guest speakers, including the popular motivational speaker Gavin Sharples and Douglas Kruger, a professional speaker and five times winner of the South African Public Speaking Championships. Other key speakers were from STBB Attorneys, Private Property and Betterbond, who informed and updated the delegates on topics and legislation relating to the real estate industry. At the spectacular Gala Awards ceremony, the Gordon’s Bay office was awarded a total of eleven awards in various categories, including the award for the “Top Country Office of the Year”- for unit sales as well as sales value, for the 6th consecutive year. “The Gordon’s Bay franchise has excelled once again and continues to produce excellent results against much bigger branches. This is an excellent achievement for a franchise operating in a small coastal town and a testimony to the dedication and professionalism of the Gordon’s Bay office,” says Bruce Swain, the

The Gordons Bay Leapfrog team are, in the front from the left, Henning and Belinda van Aswegen, Kevin and Jeanette Wearing , Alisha Gous, Natasha Green, Sanet Cross and Catherine Winn. In the back are Giel Viljoen, Rupert Gous and Lee Clarke. managing director of Leapfrog Property Group. This office is passionate about Gordon’s Bay and promotes it

continuously as a popular destination, which is beneficial to its entire community. For the past four years, the Leapfrog Gordon’s

Bay office was the main sponsor of the annual 21 km Leapfrog Western Province Championships Road Race, and will also be

hosting the Leapfrog Mixed Trips Competition at the Gordon’s Bay Bowling Club early next year, for the second time. This is one of the many reasons why Leapfrog has become a household name and maintains a very high market share in Gordon’s Bay,” Swain said. What is noteworthy is that all of this office’s agents received achievement awards for outstanding results, including, Henning Van Aswegen, who won a Club Class Award, Sanet Cross and Jeanette Wearing won Business Class Awards, Rupert Gous won a First Class Award, whilst Lee Clarke and Kevin Wearing both won World Class Awards (the highest award presented to a Leapfrog agent nationally). The Partnership of Henning Van Aswegen and Kobus Bosman won two awards in the category as the Top National Country Partnership for both unit sales, as well as highest commission percentage earned. “We are very blessed and once again this has been a phenomenal year, irrespective of the tough economic climate. “Leapfrog Gordon’s Bay is regarded as a top estate agency and I attribute these achievements to all the agents in my office, as well as our admin staff, who have contributed to our ongoing success due to their hard work, passion and dedication”, says Kevin Wearing, principal of Leapfrog in Gordon’s Bay.

BOLAND SOLD

HELDERBERG

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

SOLD HELDERBERG BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

HELDERBERG

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

SOLD HELDERBERG BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

HELDERBERG

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

BOLAND SOLD

HELDERBERG

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

SOLD HELDERBERG BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

Districtmail

HELDERBERG

25 September, 2014

42 hectares of freedom for sale FIRST PHASE SOLD OUT IN SIX WEEKS! SECOND PHASE NOW SELLING

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Including VAT. No transfer duty.

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Freestanding townhouses from

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Somerset Mall

WATERFORD GREEN SALES CENTRE OPEN

BP G ara

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In the heart of sought-after Somerset West, a magnificent new residential estate is taking shape. MACHETE.CO.ZA 7051 / SL 39X7 DM.4

Featuring 6 hectares of pristine lakes and water features, 15 hectares of indigenous landscaping and mature forest, 4 kilometres of trails, and a clubhouse with swimming pool, lakeside beach and spectacular views, Somerset Lakes offers a quality of life second to none. Other features include state-of-the-art security, superfast fibre-optic connectivity, an new shopping centre just 900 metres away, and a Curro Castle School on the estate. Waterford Green is a beautifully planned contemporary country village consisting of just 48 double-storey, freestanding townhouses in a tranquil setting close to the water’s edge. Don’t miss this opportunity to secure a brand-new freestanding townhouse in Somerset West’s most spacious development from R1,3 million! Transfer is set for late 2015.

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Cheryl Brand 081 271 2584 t 021 202 2200 e sales@somersetlakes.co.za

www.somersetlakes.co.za

12 Districtmail Agent ‘sharing’ strategy not always great for sellers 25 September, 2014

It’s time for a frank discussion on the “sharing strategy” that many estate agents use in the Helderberg area. The question that needs to be answered is: Is it really good for the seller? Every property seller wants to sell for the maximum the market will pay – and they’re entitled to that. The only condition under which a buyer will pay their maximum for a property is when they are competing against someone else for it, and they have a fear of loss. Without this competition a buyer will try to see how much lower they can push the seller. When a seller gives an agent a sole

mandate to sell their property they expect the agent to get them the highest price the market will pay. For an agent to do this, they need to market the property really well so that all buyers looking for such a property will enquire on it, view it, and then hopefully make an offer. To achieve the best offers, the marketing needs to be really strong to create buyer competition. Unfortunately for estate agents, strong marketing costs money – money that most agencies would prefer not to pay. So, instead of doing what they should do for their seller, they spend very little on marketing and

very quickly “open up” the listing to other agents, hoping that these other agents will bring buyers through. This strategy does result in buyer viewings – where a competitor agency brings a buyer through a property under sole mandate with another company. But is this good for the seller? No, it’s not. This is because the buyer agent wants to secure the property for their buyer at the lowest price, and acts as a hindrance to the listing agent negotiating with the buyer. The listing agent will also not know what the buyers’ maximum offer would be, as he has to work through the buyer

SOLD HELDERBERG BOLAND

they won’t bring their buyagent. The better strategy ers through is nonsense – for a seller is when their as no agent “owns” a buymandate agent does invest er. Whoever has the listing in decent marketing and will get the enquiry, as the buyers enquire directly long as they market propwith the listing agent. The erly – and therein lies the listing agent will know Steve Caradockey. what interest there is, can Davies Sadly for those agents get the buyers to compete against each other, which will result who have a weak value offering, can’t in the best price for the seller. The market properties well, and can’t secure sole mandates, this means that facts prove this. With strong marketing there is no they are excluded from bringing buyneed to “share” a listing. Buyers fol- ers through other agents’ listings. low houses – and so they will enquire They moan and squeal, post anonyof the listing agent. The threat that mous blog articles, and say it’s bad so-called “buyer agents” make that for sellers.

BOLAND SOLD

HELDERBERG

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

Districtmail

25 September, 2014

SOLD HELDERBERG BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

Districtmail

HELDERBERG

25 September, 2014

SOLD is die mees koste-effektiewe hoĂŤ-impak keuse vir die bemarking van eiendom in die Boland

Biggest and Best Property Guide in the Boland

021 841 4285

021 887 2840

021 870 4600

Eikestadnuus 25 September, 2014

SOLD STELLENBOSCH BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

Eikestadnuus

STELLENBOSCH

25 September, 2014

Biggest and Best Property guide in the Boland SOLD bied die grootste en maklikste toegang tot die mark vir eiendomkopers en -verkopers in die Boland.

021 841 4285

021 887 2840

021 870 4600

Eikestadnuus 25 September, 2014

SOLD STELLENBOSCH BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

STELLENBOSCH

Eikestadnuus 25 September, 2014

SOLD STELLENBOSCH BOLAND

BOLAND SOLD

PAARL/WELLINGTON

Paarl Post

25 September, 2014

OFF-ROAD: CHEROKEE GOES EVERYWHERE WITH EASE

Jeep introduces its tough new Cherokee FRANS LE ROUX Being a lover of all things SUV, I jumped at the opportunity to sample the latest Jeep Cherokee. After all, this is Jeep’s 5th generation Cherokee available in South Africa. If you are slightly confused by Jeep’s large model line-up, let me simplify it a bit. If the car has the word “Cherokee” on the back, then all you should know is that it is slightly more compact than the Grand Cherokee. What that word also means is that the car will be very capable off the beaten track. I picked up my not-so-inconspicuous metallic orange Jeep at Sandown Motors Century City and spent and entire dirt-filled weekend with it. Let’s discuss the looks first. Well, the front is certainly unique. Those angular lights and sharp-edged signature Jeep grille, are all featured to make sure this new Cherokee stands out from the crowd. My test vehicle was the top-of-therange Trailhawk 4x4 edition which had nearly all the bells and whistles. At the rear, however, things are more subdued. Jeep have opted for a familiar light-cluster and bootlid design which designers borrowed from the Grand Cherokee. Twin exhausts certainly do not hide the Jeep’s athletic prowess. With this Trailhawk version you do get beautiful 17-inch black rims which certainly look the part. Although they aren’t overly large, designers focused more on functionality than unnecessary street-cred. Using a higher profile tyre, the Jeep can easily cover trickier terrain. As I have stated before, Jeep’s products are on the up. They have worked hard to ensure that a certain

The Jeep Cherokee here on a tricky 4X4 course – owners should not be afraid to take their car off the beaten track. PHOTO: FRANS LE ROUX level of quality is reached especially with their interiors. For the first time in years, this Cherokee’s interior is a nice place to be. Some of the materials and general lay-out is also borrowed from its more esteemed Grand Cherokee sibling. The most eye-catching feature is a large 21cm touch screen neatly situated in the centre of the console. From here you can control your music, cellphone, satellite navigation and even climate control. I am happy to report that this system works very well. I have to commend Jeep on their audio quality. Usually an aspect that most companies overlook, Jeep used a 9-speaker Alpine system that push-

es out more than 500 watts of pure entertainment pleasure. The well bolstered front seats offer good support all round, and even a strenuous long-distance trip won’t ruin your back. A large cargo-area (591F) is also welcomed if the vehicle will be used on the school-run or as a glorified grocery carrier. The top-spec Trailhawk which I tested, used a 3.2 V6 petrol engine producing a decent 200kW and 315Nm. Nothing unusual there, but what was remarkable is the gearbox paired with this meaty V6. Just as one gets use to the odd 7 or 8 speed shifters, suddenly the market turns to all things 9-speed. This Cherokee

then has almost twice the amount of gears as the automatic Cherokee it replaces. It begs the question, when is enough really enough? Cruising at the highway limit the Cherokee’s engine is barely ticking over. The rev needle is coasting at about 1 600 rpm. That drastically aids the 2-ton SUV’s fuel economy. When you drive mostly on highways, the Jeep can return close to 13km/F. However in town, not even the 9 cogs can save you from dreaded fuel stops. My overall usage after three days was just over 10km/F. When you do decide to stomp on the accelerator, the Cherokee is no slouch. A respectable 0-100 time of

8,5 seconds should scare off most boy racers. The aspect I enjoyed the most was certainly the way this Trailhawk devoured a tricky 4x4 obstacle route. Close to where I live is a private 4x4 road that takes you up and over the picturesque Perdeberg mountains. After selecting the 4-wheeldrive low-range and locking the rear differential, no gradient was too steep or rocks too slippery. Here the Cherokee came into its own and lived up to its best-in-class 4x4 capability. With all these aids helping you not to damage your car, crossing seriously difficult terrain becomes child’s play. Not once in my twohour trip did I feel unsafe or that the Cherokee will not make it over the next crest. On my way down the mountain the ever effective hill-decent control came to my rescue. The only thing that might run out is your patience. Thoroughly impressed, I made my way home. Direct rivals to the Jeep include the Landrover Freelander, Mitsubishi Pajero or even Nissan’s Pathfinder. You might even consider the evergreen Fortuner, but if you take into consideration value for money and standard specification the Cherokee trumps the Toyota as well. Buyers can currently choose between a 2.4 litre petrol and the powerful 3.2 V6. A diesel variant will be introduced to our market in the near future. The 4-wheel drive Trailhawk retails for R607 900 and Jeep offers a comprehensive six year/ 100 000 km maintenance plan. This Cherokee is truly a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dull midsized SUV lineup. It offers striking looks, loads of standard kit to play with and is nearly unstoppable offroad. If you want to stand out from the crowd, give this Cherokee a test run.

Donderdag

25 September, 2014

SOLD AUTO BOLAND

Honda Ballade Elegance: the sweet nature HANJO STIER

shape is new. Its nose still reminds me of other models like the Civic or Insight – this Every now and then, one slips is a good thing – while the profile is through the net. Despite being drawn with stronger lines, ending in voluntarily bombarded with the a more sophisticated and elegant rear. latest car-related information The interior has also been spruced up on a daily basis, the new Honda with new shapes, controls and more Ballade’s arrival at my house space; especially at the back. caused a smidgen of confusion. Should you go for this Elegance model, you may enjoy a multi-funcIt looks nothing like the last Baltion steering wheel with cruise conlade I reviewed. When did they trol and audio buttons as well as a change it? market-leading touchy-feely audio According to one of my unrelentsystem. This 7-inch icon-based unit ing sources, at the end of May. This plays RDS radio, CD, mp3/wma, makes a lot of sense as I had just HDMI and Bluetooth sources through gone on honeymoon so my brain eight speakers. was fixated on other activities. FurMore important to many South Afther research even revealed an inricans is the fact that Ballade comes vitation to the local launch and a with black fabric seats and an even comprehensive press release; bigger boot (536F) with a wider and which is coming in quite handy lower opening. Safety is taken care of right now. by six airbags, active head restraints, Many of you may remember the traction control, stability control and Ballade of days gone by; a lekker loseat belt pre-tensioners with load limcal version in the 80s and 90s of iters. what was essentially a budget Civic Honda tinkered with the Ballade’s sedan. Back then it was one of Hon- Honda tinkered with the Ballade’s front suspension, electric power steering and engine ever-so-slightly to infront suspension, electric power da’s best-sellers so when this “City” crease efficiency and comfort levels PHOTO: QUICKPIC steering and engine ever so slightly to sedan was born about three years ago, they quickly renamed it Ballade and bished Ballade which boasts with sufficient tomers looking for a spacious, comfortable increase efficiency and comfort levels. For technical and design changes to confuse dis- and affordable sedan. Slightly longer and tall- that trip into the South African countryside, brought it to town. May 2014 saw the introduction of this refur- tracted journalists and win even more cus- er, the press release tells me that 86% of its 150 mm of ground clearance will come in just as handy as the engine’s willing and frugal nature. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol motor has identical power outputs to the previous Ballade (88 kW/145 Nm) but reduced friction and weight result in better efficiency; 0-100km/h takes 9,6 seconds (our best was a very impressive 8,3), top speed is 185 km/h and claimed average fuel consumption is 5,9F/100 km from the 40F tank. While our weekly consumption average was 7F/100 km, it reconfirmed my belief that 1 500 cc engines are sweet, eager and free-revving in nature. Although the four 73 mm cylinders have a relatively long stroke (89,4 cm), this engine has no problem pulling the Ballade’s 1 060 kg along at a decent pace. Give it horns and the VTEC-equipped engine screams to almost 7 000 rpm while annoying the traction control in first and second of its five forward gears. This peppy performance may decrease with additional weight but any Honda fan will delight in this motor’s exuberance at high crankshaft revolutions. Just as enjoyable are the car’s light pedals, steering feel and comfortable seats. The instrument cluster houses a big speedo with eco lighting, a rev counter, digital fuel level and consumption displays as well as a trip computer. The missing temperature gauge is represented by a blue and red warning light. The Honda Ballade has undergone sufficient changes to confuse distracted journos while offering better value and impressive toys. It is available in six colours, two trim levels, manual or CVT automatic gearbox with a 3-year/100 000km warranty, one year roadside assistance and 4-year/60 000km service plan. This 1.5 Elegance Manual model currently retails for R220 990. – Galimoto Media

BOLAND SOLD

AUTO

Donderdag

25 September, 2014

MODDER ORAL: Tydens die Kaapse been van die SA Nasionale Tydrenkampioenskappe het Paarliet en veldry-yster, Giniel de Villiers, daarin geslaag om sy eerste oorwinning in die reeks te behaal. De Villiers het sy Castrol-Toyota-Yaris-S2000 oor die wenstreep gekry slegs ’n paar sekondes voor sy spanmaats Leeroy Poulter en Elvene Coetzee. Poulter het sodoende ook sy algehele posisie bo-aan die punteleer versterk. Hier tref Poulter ’n water-obstruksie gedurende die Kaap tydren.

FOTO: QUICKPIC

Donderdag

25 September, 2014

AUTO

BOLAND SOLD

PERFORMANCE: The all-new Volvo XC90 is set to launch locally around July 2015. The R-Design derivative will follow shortly after. Full details, as well as pricing will be confirmed closer to the time.The visual promise of a dynamic ride is confirmed by the driver-centric interior featuring R-Design sports seats in Nubuck textile and perforated leather. A choice of Drive-E powertrains offering up to 295 kW and superb chassis ensure an agile driving experience.. PHOTO: QUICKPIC