Neighbourhood DBN - 02 April 2017

2 APRIL 2017

Neighbourhood PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE

Broadway

A popular residential area with some of Durban North’s most prized streets, page 2

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SUBURB FOCUS: BROADWAY

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BUSINESS Q&A

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PROPERTY NEWS

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PROPERTY NEWS

2 APRIL 2017

Neighbourhood

Suburb focus

Broadway Here’s what’s happening in property in the area WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER

IMAGES: STEPHEN PILBROUGH & ISTOCK

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ver the past decade, this once residential-only road, which runs off the M4 freeway up to the T-junction at Kenneth Kaunda Road (Northway), has gradually become the top commercial and retail hub of Durban North. Mackeurtan Avenue comes a close second, but ask anybody in the area and they’ll tell you that Swapo Road leads the way.

When you come off the coastal freeway, the area is largely residential, but by the first traffic circle, it changes.

All the banks are there and so are a number of smaller shopping centres like Kensington Square and Union Square. At the point where Swapo Road crosses Adelaide Tambo Drive (Kensington Drive), the residential area ends, and there are retail outlets, beauty salons, jewellers, clothing stores and eateries offering cuisines such as Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Indian, to name a few.

Further up the road towards Kenneth Kaunda Road, you’ll mainly find freestanding houses that have been converted into a range of businesses and professional services, from estate agents through to dentists.

The Broadway precinct is a popular, sought-after residential area. Some of Durban North’s most prized streets, such as Chelsea Drive, Balmoral Drive, St Andrews Drive and Gleneagles Drive, can be found branching off Swapo Road. These are highly sought-after by families because Durban North has a wide range of quality schools, many within easy walking distance of this stretch.

In addition, proximity to the M4 means Umhlanga to the north and Durban to the south are literally five to 10 minutes’ drive away.

With three children at different schools – primary, junior and high – we couldn’t live in a more convenient location within shouting distance of quality schools MANDY SLOAN, RESIDENT

TOP SCHOOLS:

NATURE NEARBY:

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Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School Northwood High School Northlands Girls’ High School Chelsea Preparatory School St Martin’s Pre-Primary School Virginia Preparatory

BEST IN FOOD: • • • • • • •

PUBLISHED BY TIMES MEDIA PROPERTY PUBLISHING Unit G04, Old Castle Brewery Bldg 6 Beach Road, Woodstock Cape Town, 087 828 0423

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ADVERTISING SALES:

EDITORIAL TEAM: Group Editor: Charis Le Riche charisl@yourneighbourhood.co.za Junior Managing Editor: Molly Fitz-Patrick Senior Sub-Editor: Mlungisi Mthembu

Union Square: for tasty burgers Lupa Osteria: for casual family dining The Mad Italian: for pizza and pasta Bombay Blu: for Indian delicacies Panaji: for Indian takeaways Atasca Portuguese: for delicious Portuguese and Mozambican meals Silverani’s: for bunny chows

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Beachwood Mangrove Nature Reserve lies at the mouth of the Umgeni River, and is accessible from Riverside Road.

Virginia Bush Nature Reserve: this 38ha reserve has a little-known lower section between Kensington Drive and Margaret Maytom Avenue which recently had trails developed to accommodate dog-walkers.

The Durban Green Corridor project is a partnership between eThekwini Municipality and the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust, supported by private companies, special interest groups, sporting clubs and associations. There are guided tours and equipment hire for the extensive network of mountain biking, hiking, birding and canoeing trails.

Designer: Anja Bramley Group Online Editor: Lauren Joubert Digital Assistant: Lauren Daniels

Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za or call 087 828 0423 Sales & Marketing Manager: Michèle Jones michele.jones@thecreativegroup.info Advertising: Julie Ellice kzn@yourneighbourhood.co.za Production (Editorial Advertising): Lucea Goosen lucea@yourneighbourhood.co.za

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2 APRIL 2017

Neighbourhood

For sale in Durban North

For rent in Durban North

Median asking prices

Median monthly asking prices

R5,6m

R15,000

For a typical property (four-bedroom house)

R2,4m In a complex

R1,14m For an apartment

For a typical rental property (three-bedroom house)

R3,51m For a house

R14,000 In a complex

Property type 82%

Monthly bond repayments For a typical property in this area.

9%

apartment complex You’ll pay

R9,140

R19,500

For an apartment

For a house

Property type 9%

house

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PROPERTY NEWS

Based on

67%

27%

house

apartment

over a period of

at

R55,909

R5,6m

20

10,5%

per month

median asking price

years

prime

6%

complex

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PROPERTY NEWS

2 APRIL 2017

Neighbourhood

My business neighbourhood Crystal and Vine is a one-stop shop for all your styling and decorating needs for weddings and other events WORDS: MOLLY FITZ-PATRICK

IMAGES: CHRISTY HOSKING & SAMANTHA MABER

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im Roberts is the owner of Crystal and Vine, a specialist decor rental and styling service for weddings and other events. She runs her successful business out of Umhlanga.

Q: How did your business start?

A: I’ve always had a passion for decor and design, having spent a few years renovating homes as a hobby. I decided to pursue the idea of curating a collection of decor that was unique and not traditionally available for rental, as well as to offer a styling service for events and weddings.

Q: Why did you choose this area to set up shop?

A: I run Crystal and Vine from Umhlanga. It’s a relaxed, comfortable space to work from and meet with clients, and also very central for collections and drop offs of decor that I hire out. Most of our work actually happens on site where we set up for an event or wedding, so I get to work in a host of beautiful spaces around KwaZulu-Natal.

Q: How did you find your premises?

A: Lots of looking! I love the Umhlanga area due to the large amount of exciting business development in the area, but also its proximity to the beach and its distinct holiday atmosphere.

Q: Why are the premises ideally suited to your business?

A: With storage facilities on site, it’s perfect for easily accessing all of my stock. It’s also a relaxed space with a great view for meeting with clients and experimenting with table layouts and styling for their event or wedding.

Q: Who are your neighbours?

A: Umhlanga is exploding with development everywhere you look.

From new commercial complexes to trendy shops and restaurants, it’s a bustling, dynamic space.

Q: Do you operate online as well?

A: We interact with a lot of clients over our social media platforms where we show a lot of our work and also over email. We have a website which shows all of the pieces available for hire and we have a facility where clients can send through enquiries for items they would like to hire.

Q: What’s your most popular item?

A: Our beautiful set of matte gold cutlery is by far our most popular item. It’s a unique product that certainly gets your attention on any table setting. Second to that is our lighting, which includes custom design and application of naked bulbs, which provides the perfect ambience for any event.

Q: What are the shop rental/ sales prices like in this area?

A: Umhlanga is conveniently located with incredible views and upmarket commercial spaces available. Space is therefore rented or sold at a prime rate.

Q: How many people go through your office each day?

A: The majority of my work is done on site at various venues or I meet with clients in Umhlanga or at nearby coffee shops. A lot of communication also happens via email as details for each event are finalised and arranged.

Q: Do you have any expansion plans?

A: In the future, as Crystal and Vine grows, I would love to move into a creative studio space as well as

Home is where the heart is.

Find yours now.

Search 1000’s of fresh properties everyday.

some decentralised storage spaces around KZN and even South Africa to assist with logistics and taking my product even closer to my clients.

A home for everyone www.privateproperty.co.za

SEE FOR YOURSELF: Crystal and Vine 083 664 6268 crystalandvine.co.za

2 APRIL 2017

Neighbourhood

The contemporary mall is designed to meet the modern retail and entertainment needs of its customers and, at the same time, provide them with a uniquely enjoyable experience PATRICK FLANAGAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLANAGAN AND GERARD

New mega mall for Ballito Ballito Junction’s 200 stores are open for business WORDS: CANDICE BOTHA

IMAGE: SUPPLIED

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allito Junction shopping mall opened its doors recently to much fanfare and excitement from the local community. The expansion of the existing 10,000m2 shopping centre into an 80,000m2 shopping mecca, owned and developed by Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings and Flanagan and Gerard Property Development and Investment, has been highly anticipated. The coastal resort town, which has seen enormous growth over the last decade with the development of several upmarket gated estates, has lacked a mega mall to cater to its growing, affluent population.

Conveniently situated between the N2 and M4 to serve the residents of Ballito and KwaDukuza, the mall has a myriad leisure options, including an eight-screen Nu Metro cinema screening both 2-D and 3-D movies, as well as excellent restaurants and casual eateries nestled in the Urban Eatery section which boasts a 6m window with magnificent views over the town to the sea and an alfresco dining area.

“Retailers are proving eager to gain access to this attractive, growing consumer market. The contemporary mall is designed to meet the modern retail and entertainment needs of its customers and, at the same time, provide them with a uniquely enjoyable experience,” says Patrick Flanagan, executive director, Flanagan and Gerard.

Ballito Junction’s shopping attractions will be led by anchor tenants Woolworths, Edgars and Game, which join existing anchors Pick n Pay and Dis-Chem, and an exciting array of international brands offering shoppers approximately 130 retailers to choose from, many for the first time on the North Coast.

Ballito Junction’s exceptional size makes it the largest regional mall immediately north of the King Shaka International Airport, and the dominant retail asset in the region.

Carl Jankowitz, director, Menlyn Maine, says, “This significant investment in Ballito Junction is creating an asset

for its community that will have knock-on positive impacts beyond providing social infrastructure by way of its leading retail and entertainment attractions. It is designed to delight locals and visitors alike, and will serve to boost the region and further entrench Ballito as a leading place to live and visit.”

It is designed to delight locals and visitors alike, and will serve to boost the region and further entrench Ballito as a leading place to live and visit CARL JANKOWITZ, DIRECTOR, MENLYN MAINE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS

CONTACT: Ballito Junction ballitojunctionshopping.co.za

PROPERTY NEWS

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Downsizing: a lifestyle choice rather than economic necessity

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maintenance. And as the smaller properties are usually situated in gated communities or estates, they offer a greater level of security.”

Sandy Geffen, executive director, Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty, says downsizing can also free up a considerable amount of money each month that can be put to good use, such as boosting your retirement fund, decreasing debt or saving for an overseas family holiday.

According to a report by specialist property research company, Lightstone, one in 10 recent residential property purchases in South Africa have been in gated communities, and despite the fact that the rate of development nationally has slowed, demand has not. The overall value of these properties is around R800bn, which according to Geffen indicates the extent of this trend.

“Two other reasons commonly cited by people selling larger homes are lifestyle and security.

Compact homes generally require less maintenance, which means homeowners can get out and enjoy life rather than spending weekends mowing the lawn and attending to a seemingly endless list of basic

“Lightstone’s research shows that only about a tenth of the properties in this sector fall into the luxury category,” says Geffen. “The vast majority are the sort of compact homes that specifically cater to this movement in lifestyle demand – people wanting safer, smaller and easier-to-maintain homes.”

uring an economic decline, downsizing becomes more common when homeowners find themselves increasingly cashstrapped and debt-ridden, but this is only one reason motivating South Africans to move to smaller homes.

If a buyer has signed an agreement, but would no longer like to purchase the property, it’s best for them to be upfront with the seller and let them know as soon as possible, rather than breaching the contract.

The seller might be willing to let the buyer off the hook and look for another buyer, rather than drawing out the situation longer than necessary. It’s possible for the seller to pursue the matter legally, which could leave the buyer with a very expensive impulse purchase on their hands.

ADRIAN GOSLETT, REGIONAL DIRECTOR AND CEO, RE/MAX OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

Construction under way on roadworks around Cornubia development

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s construction on the Cornubia residential and commercial development adjacent to Umhlanga Ridge continues, Tongaat Hulett looks at the infrastructure requirements within the immediate vicinity.

“With key attractions such as the Cornubia Shopping Mall scheduled to open in September and residents and commercial tenants starting to take occupation, it’s necessary to improve access into the development,” says Mtura Matshini, development executive, Tongaat Hulett Developments.

“In conjunction with the eThekwini Municipality, we have been involved in the construction of major roadworks to precede the anticipated increase in vehicle traffic as these amenities become operational, to avoid any unnecessary congestion.

Unfortunately, in the short term, this may result in some inconvenience for motorists and residents during construction.”

The roadworks include the construction of a bridge over the N2 motorway to connect Cornubia with the Umhlanga Ridge town

centre, as well as upgrading the Flanders Drive interchange.

The N2 bridge will also contribute to the C9 corridor that feeds the City of Durban’s Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network, also known as the Go! Durban service. C9 refers to the Gateway route which runs from Gateway, through Cornubia and Phoenix to Bridge City, another Tongaat Hulett Developments project undertaken in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality. This transport network already plays an important role in improving access to Durban and Pinetown from areas north of the city, with many commuters residing in Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu.

The Flanders Drive interchange will provide access to the southeast quadrant of the Cornubia Development that includes amenities such as the shopping mall, the business park and the town centre.

Construction on the interchange is scheduled to be completed by August 2017, while work on the bridge will be completed the following month.

With the shopping centre scheduled to open in September, all roads and routes will therefore be completed and allow for easy access.

t n e m e ir t e r t s ju n a h t e r So much mo security!

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On-site secure parking allows for 16 vehicles.

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