Although Secunda is perhaps best known for the petroleum products it produces, the suburbs that surround the town boast beautiful homes and exquisite gardens.
An Internet search reveals that there are a number of outstanding homes, ideal for those looking for an upmarket lifestyle, for sale in the area. Although industrial chimneys may dominate the skyline, the well planned leafy green suburbs ensure that the approximately 90 000 inhabitants have the best of both worlds. Property prices range between R400 000 and R7-million.
Statistics released by Lightstone reveal that price averages in Secunda are maintaining record levels. And although the number of sales declined between 2007 and 2009, the report indicates that recovery is well and truly on the cards and that property acquisition in the area remains a sound investment.
The statistics also confirm that price averages in the area have risen consistently year on year since 2004. Property downturns, although unsettling, do not always mean that values decrease. Put simply, in Secunda the only effect of the downturn was a drop in sales volumes.
There have been a total of 144 transfers in the area over the past 12 months. The average price paid for a freehold property was R1.215-million and the sectional title average was R631 000. Freehold property in Secunda dominates market stock, making up just over 86 percent of the property available. Interestingly, 46.58% of purchasers over the last 12 months, are under the age of 35.
Sales volumes in Secunda, as in most areas in South Africa, began to decline in 2007. However, signs of recovery began to appear during 2010, when 124 sales took place compared to the 71 in 2009. In 2011 this figure again increased when 140 transactions were registered. It is this, coupled with stable price averages, which gives a clear indication that sales volumes should be set to continue their upward trend.