Raising the residential bar in PE

Buyers in the market for either a first or a new home, are becoming more and more discerning about the quality of construction and lifestyle offering when compared with only price.

AMDEC

The top residential estates in South Africa have traditionally offered added value in terms of design and space, communal gardens and parks, location and maintenance, as well as security and sporting facilities. Added value comes from the addition of on-site schools and amenities such as shops and office space. In general this quality offering has only really been seen in high-end estates, for example Zimbali in Durban, Fancourt in George, Val de Vie in Franschhoek and Steyn City in Johannesburg.

Lately, a comparable degree of quality is now expected in more affordable estates as well. There are a number of developments coming on board with new offerings that make the mark.

Among the new estates that look towards this level of quality is the 230-hectare Victoria Country Club development in Pietermaritzburg. It will feature a nature reserve, golf club, sports club house and restaurant, along with walking and cycling trails, priced from R1.5 million. Just outside Cape Town, near fast-growing Somerset West, Sitari Country Estate is also expected to fall into the high-appreciation category. With a central park running through the complex connecting a range of 3 150 apartments (R1.395 million) and houses (R3 million) to a country clubhouse, the development ho sts a Curro school, which is up and running, and a shopping complex.

These developments are not exclusively located close to South Africa’s largest metropolitan cities – Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban - but now also cities such as Port Elizabeth.

Amdec developers, with their Westbrook estate, has entered the market with similar high quality, value-formoney offerings. According to the developer, the site is already showing returns for investors: one unit that sold for R995 000 in the first phase of the development two years ago, recently sold for R1.21 million – an appreciation of 10%, far beating annual property growth figures.

‘Among the many reasons that Westbrook is doing so well in spite of a tough housing market, is that the

development has broken the mould of other more traditional counterparts in PE by “taking the townhouse feel” out of the estate,’ says Clifford Oosthuizen, Managing Director of Westbrook.

‘Within a typical townhouse development, all the units look the same from the roof colour to walls or finishes,’ notes Oosthuizen. ‘At Westbrook, we’ve made all the units different, giving the entire development a more residential suburb feel.’

In fact, the Westbrook development team have shied away from the use of the word “complex” entirely, and refer instead to 9 different “villages” that will ultimately be part of the estate.

However, it also has all the security of a gated townhouse complex, with a perimeter fence around the entire estate and 86 security cameras.

It also has a 5km track where residents can walk, run or cycle, parks and amenities such as a Curro school. Being implemented are “village-like” amenities, including the Westbrook Town Square that will offer medical facilities along with retail and premium office space.

Progress for PE indeed. The photos do not lie!