When Cape Town and surrounds is on the wish list of aspirant property buyers and tenants planning to re-locate, there is much more to discover than when on holiday as a tourist, or during brief business travels.
And when asking Cape residents, re-location specialists and property professionals the most popular reasons presented for this choice, answers re-enforce the well documented positive aspects of this sought after lifestyle.
From the mouth of a property professional, the short the answer is: ”Because of the constant demand to have a share in the idyllic lifestyle in the Western Cape, and the positive spin-off effect on the value of properties over time.” says Danny Pringle, CEO and License Partner at Engel & Völkers, Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschhoek. He says property prices may therefore be at a premium compared to most other regions in the country, but it retains value far better as a result of ongoing demand.
Other than Cape Town’s well deserved status as a global tourism destination, the city is perceived by owners and employees of large companies, some who are breadwinners commuting between different cities, as one with high levels of functionality and security compared to other large cities both locally and abroad.
Following improvements made in preparation for the 2010 World Cup, is the effective and consistent service delivery function by city’s management. The efforts of the Cape Town Business Partnership initiative in collaboration with business and the City of Cape Town to create a better city for all established more than a decade, ago continue to pay dividends. The financing and integration of community development projects such as the integrated transport system, housing, sanitation, energy, greening of the city, recycling, as well as the planned facilitation of solar water heaters through municipal rates and taxes payments, continue. In addition is implementation of effective policing and security in the inner city as well as surrounding areas.
And so the favourite slogan of ‘location location’ is indeed an attainable commodity for Cape property buyers, resulting from the wide variety of choices available to all income sectors of the market ,as well as types of properties including sharehold, free standing and private estates. Top end investors are spoilt for choice with high capital growth areas such as the Atlantic Seaboard, the Cape Winelands, and Southern Suburbs. Another result of ongoing and measured demand is seen in commercial property investments for mix use development, such as the fast developing university town of Stellenbosch currently seeing the mix use re-development of the Eikestad Mall.
The availability of excellent schools, tertiary institutions, both in and around the city, and suburban areas makes for a realistic long-term choice. Seeff Property consultant in Stellenbosch of five years, Leon Vermeulen says families in Cape regional areas as well as from upcountry and other large cities who change jobs tend to favour towns such as Stellenbosch, due to excellent choices for private esate living, and short commuting distances between the city and the airport.
Another popular reason for re-location is easy access to a lifestyle further out in country areas, and small towns in the Klein Karoo, the Boland, and along the Cape West Coast, no more than an hour from the airport, prove to be firm favourites with business people willing to commute to large cities.
In addition to the abundance of informal outdoor sporting activities, are good quality sports facilities at well maintained open public spaces, stadiums, and community clubs.