The sumptuous Gatsby mansion on Houghton Ridge in Johannesburg is back on the market - at a massive 45% discount to its original asking price two years ago.
Now priced at R64.8 million, the super-luxury property was designed and furnished by Pellerade Design House, well known for creating homes for African royalty and other uber-wealthy clients. Though it’s not occupied, it was recently featured in a Netflix TV series. It boasts lavish living areas, eight glamorous en-suite bedrooms, a magnificent art collection and expansive outdoor entertainment areas and gardens, as well as business and conference facilities - click here to view the listing.
“It is the perfect option for the affluent buyer who wants a home that offers a complete and secure escape from the world by providing total work and business functionality on site in addition to private family living in extreme comfort and style,” says Rory O’Hagan, head of the Luxury Portfolio© division of marketing agency Chas Everitt International.
“Live-work-and-play at home is a major trend now among high net-worth individuals, who are spending millions of dollars worldwide to acquire one or more ‘whole-life’ homes, or to upgrade all their existing properties and turn each one into a self-contained safe haven where they and their families could ride out the current pandemic or any future world disaster without any loss of income or major lifestyle adjustment.”
However, these homes are definitely not survivalist ‘bunkers’, notes Pellerade Design House CEO Stephen Pellerade. “They are highly-customized, luxurious retreats that often resemble a 7-star boutique hotel.”
Some of the ‘extravagant necessities’ currently most favoured by the owners and buyers of such properties he says, are home spas and gyms, hairdressing salons, home cinemas, private cigar and champagne bars, bowling alleys, double kitchens, cold rooms, multi-layered security systems, smart home automation, clean air systems and water and power back-up systems.
“And Gatsby already incorporates most of these features, so it is readymade for the high-end investor seeking a whole-life property in Johannesburg - the city which is not only the financial heart of South Africa but is also rapidly gaining recognition as the gateway to the lucrative African market now that the African Continent Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has officially been launched.”
This agreement will eventually create a single market of more than 1.2 billion consumers - and SA is already positioned as a preferred gateway for those who want to do business with this market, thanks to its excellent banking and financial systems, relatively good physical infrastructure and the best connectivity in Africa, says O’Hagan.
“We anticipate that Johannesburg will also become the preferred residential location of many more foreign millionaires and billionaires with existing or new commercial interests in Africa, and that this will substantially increase the demand for super-luxury homes such as Gatsby - and the prices of such properties - over the next two to five years.”
Strategically positioned on Houghton Ridge, Gatsby offers spectacular views over the northern suburbs towards Pretoria and 2 000sqm of ultra-luxury living space spread over four storeys, as well as extensive conference and boardroom facilities that are separate from the main house and incorporate accommodation and dedicated garaging for au pairs and assistants.
Boasting its own spa as well as a library, gymnasium, heated indoor pool, salt-water outdoor training pool, this super home also features a private nite club and an extravagant entertainment centre based on the Buddha Bar in Paris. It is also fully automated with smart climate control, music, lighting and security systems that can all be operated via a cell phone.
Among the many unique artefacts that have also been incorporated into the design are giant oak front doors from Argentina, solid marble balustrades from Turkey and chandeliers from France, Italy and Germany. Marble and bronze statues from Argentina and France also grace a dozen fountains in the formal, terraced gardens, which are based on those of the Peterhof Palace in Russia.
The furnishings include handpicked antiques and period pieces from around the world and specially commissioned modern pieces. There is also a global selection of modern art, old masters, classic paintings and sculptures, including an entire collection of the Royal African bronzes by Cecilia Wilmot.
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