Southern Suburbs offer a new lease on suburban living

Many people are no longer wanting to live and work in urban centres, preferring instead to base themselves away from the grind, setting up a home that lends itself to a more comfortable lifestyle.

Gone are the days where being located close to work is vital, with today's 'work' often just a computer and a cell phone, and as such the suburbs are becoming a very attractive prospect - and not just for families either.

The Southern Suburbs in Cape Town is a very appealing option for buyers - and leasers - with plenty of reasons to make the move, with an exemplary lifestyle and incredible value chief among them.  

"The Southern Suburbs has a number of attractive opportunities for property owners," says The Agency's Jo Fourie. "Arguably the biggest reason is the incredible lifestyle it offers - it's in close distance to the mountain, beaches, sporting facilities and top restaurants."

Jo admits that a new-age workforce is driving the move 'south', but it's a lot more than mere semantics, with semigration and schooling also a factor in the decision-making process.

"We have found that a number of clients are looking to move from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal - and even internationally - because they realise they can do most of their work from home and enjoy an incredible lifestyle.

"Families, meanwhile, have always flocked to the Southern Suburbs, with some of the best schools in the country based in the area, both in terms of academics and culture, and sports. We have also seen a high demand for luxury homes that are furnished for international workers bringing their families to the Southern Suburbs with two international schools based here."

The stability of the area is also a major lure for buyers, with the Southern Suburbs market seeing great results, often in spite of national trends or events.

"There is excellent capital growth and return on investment," says Jo, "It has shown great resilience, even when other parts of the country are facing challenging circumstances. The huge demand for properties to buy, and rent, continues to drive the property value upwards.

There is also a wide variety of properties on the market, ranging from large estates in Upper Constantia and Bishopscourt to the lock-up and go and secure estates throughout the area, with entry-level properties for young couples and families looking to get a foot into the area.    

The Agency's Elle Hooper says that there have been some noticeable trends starting to take shape in the Southern Suburbs, with a changing demographic of buyer and diversification of assets driving the prices.

"We have seen an increase in buyer in the 30-45 age bracket, with more and more young families and married couples moving into the area. These buyers are wanting the nature, cycling, the golf... and they want to bring their children up in a more natural environment," she says.

"The prices have come down with a growing trend of sub-division of homes and sectional-titling of ervens, which means it becomes more affordable for younger people, or older people for that matter, to buy smaller properties, instead of large ervens of an acre or more.

"Sellers are then getting increased income, they are capitalizing on this densification, and really it's a win-win for all. It helps the seller to achieve some income off their asset and it helps the buyer to come in for something smaller and cost-effective and, of course, it helps with the added security."

Elle adds that this is a trend that looks set to continue in the future, while traditional estate living remains popular and in hot demand.

"It's happening more and more across the Southern Suburbs, with clusters of 3-10 in the Zwaanswyk, Constantia Hills, and rural Constantia areas. We are finding homes on one acre are splitting to a maximum of three homes, or moving towards sub-divisions or sectional titles, with the latter being more popular as it's a little easier.

"Estates, meanwhile, also remain popular - with the lock-up and go lifestyle and estate security a big draw - and we actually do not have enough stock for the number of buyers. The rental market remains very busy and in demand, with a lot of people looking to rent and not buy.

"We have a number of beautiful estates in Constantia, Tokai and Steenberg, which all offer fantastic lifestyles for residents."  

For more information on properties available in the Southern Suburbs or to list your property with us - get in touch with one of our Southern Suburbs experts today:

Elle Hooper: 082 808 9746

Jo Fourie: 071 286 5383