With well-priced properties being snapped up within days and rentals in short supply, Queensburgh in KwaZulu-Natal is now highly popular and offers incredible value for money.
This is according to Seeff Queensburgh Licensee Jan Vermeulen, who says that December 2018 and January 2019 have been exceptionally busy in Queensburgh.
“We have noted that a lot more first-time home buyers are now in the market, and I believe that they had been holding off and have now decided to buy. Influences could be the decreased fuel price, people who have transferred from Gauteng, and the fact that while Queensburgh is only 15 minutes away from Durban and Pinetown, properties here are much more affordable than in other areas,” says Vermeulen.
Vermeulen says prices in the area range from R520 000 for a two bedroom flat or simplex, from R800 000 for a three bedroom house, and that anything under R1 million with good property offerings sells within a week.
“We recently listed a sole mandate property for R980 000 and received two written offers within a day after for R900 000, both of which offered large deposits. This property was a three bedroom house with a swimming pool, granny flat, workshop area and carports in Bellair/Mount Vernon. We listed another property around the corner from that one at the same price of R980 000, offering three bedrooms, a granny flat, garage, carport and pool. This was listed on 19 January 2019 and a signed cash offer was received on 20 January 2019,” says Vermeulen.
“We have also noted many properties coming onto the market in the R1.3 million to R1.6 million bracket, these being in the Malvern, Escombe and Northdene areas, generally with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, either with a granny flat or with potential for creating one. We currently have a very well-situated family home in Escombe on the market at R1.53 million, which offers three garages, a large granny flat, double carport, three bedrooms, deck and swimming pool. This property really offers great bang for your buck. Our three bedroom homes with lock-up garages and granny flats are sold before you can blink.”
Another property, he says is in Northdene and has three good-sized bedrooms, two bathrooms (main en suite), a spacious lounge and dining room with French doors leading from the lounge into the level garden with its swimming pool. "Off the dining room is an additional room that can be used as a guest room, play room, TV lounge or home office, and there is a spacious kitchen with granite tops, loads of food prep areas and sufficient cupboards. On top of this is an additional area that can be converted into a spacious granny flat, with the potential for an open-plan lounge and kitchen, bedroom and en-suite bathroom, by incorporating the current office space and staff accommodation and bathroom. There are French doors leading from the existing office to the covered patio. There is a greenhouse, as well as a shed for storage and double carports. It is fully walled with access via automated gates, all close to Northdene Preparatory School, the M7 and M13 highways and Firwood Sports Club. This home is priced at R1.59 million and won’t be on the market for long."
Vermeulen says on the rental side there is great demand for two and three bedroom properties at monthly rentals from R5 500 up to R10 000 for the larger, newer units.
“There has always been a great demand for rentals in Queensburgh, but stock is always a problem, especially in the more affordable range. We just don’t have enough stock. Two and three bedroom simplexes with two bathrooms at rentals from R6 000 are in especially high demand - but there is definitely a shortage of these, as most stock coming in takes the form of flats and duplexes with one bathroom. However, families want something with a garden for the children to play in within a secure environment. There is also a great demand for rentals situated near shops and schools.”
Another ‘hot item’ on the list in Queensburgh is land.
There are great opportunities for new developments in Queensburgh, which is reflected in a large appetite for land of 1 000sqm and bigger, at prices from R500 000 to R2 million, says Vermeulen.
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