The demand for luxury estates, including golf estates, is at the highest level in three years, driven by the desire to enjoy a better lifestyle closer to home so that you do not need to be so confined indoors.
This is according to Gerhard van der Linde, managing director for Pretoria East, who says that if we look at the example of the Woodhill Golf Estate in Pretoria East, Lightstone data shows that activity this year is the highest in five years, such as the demand for homes in the estate.
The trend is also not just unique to South Africa. A recent article on golfweek.usatoday.com for example highlights that the desire to live in an estate with a golf course has increased dramatically in the USA since the onset of the Covid pandemic. Pre-COVID, only 42 percent of people preferred to live within the estate where they play golf. This has since increased to 61 percent.
Golf estates offer a lot more than just security and come with a host of amenities and facilities, says Van der Linde. Top-class security is the first vital aspect that buyers look for as they want to know that they can live and enjoy leisure activities in a secure environment.
The Pretoria East area is popular with luxury buyers and home to some of the most sought-after estates including the Woodhill Golf Estate, says Van de Linde.
In terms of amenities, he says the high-demand Woodhill Golf Estate offers an 18-hole Peter Matkovich golf course regarded as one of the best in the country. Residents also get to enjoy recreational facilities such as tennis and squash courts, lovely gardens with walkways and a play area for children.
There is a top-class clubhouse with venues for private functions, meetings and boardroom facilities, a restaurant and bar. Additionally, there is the Woodhill College on site which offers schooling from Grade RRR to Grade 12.
Van der Linde says golf estates such as Woodhill cater to a broad buyer base, from young professionals to families and older buyers.
Property in these estates is considered excellent investments and buyers are prepared to pay a bit more for the security and luxury of having all of these amenities on their doorstep. Once people move in, they often tend to stay, he adds.
“Lightstone for example shows that 62% of owners in Woodhill have owned their properties for more than 11 years, reinforcing the excellent investment value.”
Deeds office data for Woodhill also shows that there has been an increase in younger buyers with under 35-year-old buyers representing 19% of recent sales compared to just 1% of current owners falling into this age group.
There are currently *11 new property listings in Woodhill according to Property24 Trends Data, with the average asking price for the area being R4.825 million. The average sale price per erf for 2020 was about R3.95 million while Section Scheme Units average sale price for the same period is R1.925 million.
The latest residential listings on Property24 show that four bedroom homes are most widely available, at an average list price of R5.5 million. Sellers in the area fall within the 50-64years or older (58%), while 36% of buyers fall in the 36-49-years age group.
What can you buy in the estate?
The estate caters to both sectional titles, priced from around R2 million and freehold homes priced from around R5 million.
The houses are generally luxurious and spacious and can range to around R9 million for a unique top-end home overlooking the golf course which represents one of the finest homes in Pretoria on the market right now, says Van der Linde.
African bush escape
The home overlooks the golf course, but the real story is the exquisite architecture which creates an ambience of living in the African bush with high ceilings and natural finishes, a thatched entertainment area, and floor-to-ceiling windows for an indoor-outdoor feel complete with a wooden deck surrounding high trees.
Features include four living areas, a fireplace in the centre of the home, four spacious bedrooms, a wine cellar, two studies which are ideal for WFH (work from home), staff accommodation, a triple garage, swimming pool, air-conditioning and a generator.
It is a spectacular home, says Van der Linde. From the moment you walk in, it feels as if you have entered a guest lodge somewhere in the African bush with an interplay of glass, views and vegetation and some of the most unique finishes and layouts in a home.
It provides the ideal escape and lifestyle that buyers would want, yet with access to the Pretoria metro. Luxury homes in estates achieve some of the highest prices in the Pretoria area as well as elsewhere in the country. Estates are also popular for rentals and often achieve higher rentals compared to houses outside of estates.
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*Property24 Listings Data Disclaimer: The trends detailed in this article are based on Property24 listings, current at the time of publishing, and property transfer data supplied by Deeds offices, which typically take 3-4 months to reflect. Suburbs are listed according to Property24's geographical database. In some areas this will include both commercial and residential properties. The age demographic data of buyers, sellers and stable owners is determined over a six-month period. These Property Values should not be used as a substitute for independent professional advice and is subject to Property24.com Terms and Conditions
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