The city of Nelspruit has boomed in recent years, due in part to its close proximity to Mozambique. Situated close to the Kruger National Park, Nelspruit has long enjoyed a healthy influx of tourists who stop over on their way to the world famous game reserve. The park is however not the only attraction and the entire region offers a wealth of interesting places to visit.
The sheer beauty of the area is a drawcard all on its own, however, those who want to experience a little more than the delightful scenery are spoilt for choice. One of the most popular attractions is the nearby Sudwala Caves, considered to be the oldest in the world. The caves offer tourists the opportunity to explore some 600m of passages and small natural halls, festooned with impressive examples of stalagmites and stalactites.
Property sales vary from district to district and statistics sourced from Lightstone reveal that there have been 144 transfers in the suburb of Stonehenge in the last 12 months. The suburb does seem to offer a slightly more affordable choice of property and the average price paid for a freehold property in Stonehenge was R619 000, with the sectional title average coming in at R444 000. Price averages for property sold in estates in the area came in at the R700 000 mark.
Sales volumes in the area have declined steadily since 2006 when 371 sales took place. The picture in 2010 clearly illustrates this point, with only 165 sales concluded that year, undoubtedly as a result of the recent property slowdown. The somewhat more upmarket area of West Acres has weathered the economic storm a little better and according to Lightstone’s statistics, the suburb recorded 212 sales in 2011.
This is a far cry from the 577 sales concluded in 2004, when the average price of a freehold property hovered around the R365 000 mark. Price averages in West Acres have continued to increase steadily and in 2011, the average price paid for a freehold property came in at R882 000. The average sectional title unit was selling for R502 000 in 2011, while a property on an estate came with an average price tag of R907 000 that year.
Market stock is made up of 74 percent freehold property and 19 percent sectional title property. Five percent of property in the suburb falls under the estate banner. While price averages in the freehold sector in West Acres have increased, the sectional title price average has declined since 2008 when the average price attained was R556 000.