As little as 20 years ago the quaint surroundings of Swaanswyk Road next to Tokai forest, originally part of the exclusive Steenberg Estate, were relatively unspoilt. This countryside mixture of farms and smallholdings ranging in size between one and five acre real estate sites, was mostly recognized for its equine community who favored treed parameters surrounding their paddocks and training arenas.
Age old legacies passed down through generations made allowance for extended families to live together on one property, where municipal plans allowed for more than one dwelling. It was here that a community mindful of their pristine environment prepared the ground for future generations. While this area is fast becoming the playground of new and young investors with the means to combine contemporary and classic, Swaanswyk Road’s longtime residents also have a reputation for firmly resisting inappropriate development.
Today Swaanswyk Road still runs pass the Tokai Forest of imported pines from Australia planted at the end of the 19th century, where keen horse riders ascend Silvermine Reserve along tight hairpin turns to enjoy the magnificent views over the Constantia Valley. Large properties here have been sub-divided, allowing well heeled property owners to build new luxury homes. Next door neighbour, Steenberg Golf Estate holds the highest ‘nearest suburb ranking’ and is currently the third ranked lifestyle estate in the province, with average values of around R12 million. Lightstone statistics shows average freehold property prices on Swaanswyk Road to have reached its highest values in 2009 of R10.7 million, that escalated from R3.7 million in 2004.
Bordering on the Tokai Forest on one side and Ou Kaapse Weg looking down onto Westlake from the other, it enjoys a central location within close vicinity to most essential requirements including schools, shopping malls, health centres and entertainment. Most properties enjoy northerly orientations with mountain and vineyard views across the historic viticulture region and world class golf course next door.
It is also only kilometers away from the spectacular surroundings of Chapmans Peak, Hout Bay and the Atlantic Seaboard. For those who enjoy warmer sea temperatures, the False Bay Coastline with the popular surfing and swimming beaches of Muizenberg and St James are minutes away.
While this small suburban suburb only offers freehold property for sale and very little property for rent, average freehold property values here are becoming more affordable since dropping from a high in 2009 to R5.7 million in 2010, and R4.7 during the past three months of 2011. The low number of property sales in this suburb is largely due to its small size, yet this year to date has already seen five property sales as compared to the seven of last year.
Swaanswyk Road currently holds 11th place national ranking out of 5180 suburbs with average values of R6.7 million, and 7th in Cape municipal rankings, and in both cases with higher ranking positions than its next door neighbor, Constantia.
This suburb’s central location makes for a convenient lifestyle just 45 minutes from the city and is ideally suited to families with school going children, or young professionals and retirees. That this area makes for a sound long-term investment is seen in the stable ownership of 44% of residents who have stayed here for 11 years or more.