Why property buyers love the West Coast Peninsula

The beautiful villages of the West Coast Peninsula, including Paternoster and St Helena Bay, are still hot favourites with buyers, according to Seeff’s agents.

This three bedroom, three bathroom double-storey house in St Helena Bay has views of the bay, a private sandy beach and a spacious covered patio. It is on the market for R3.67 million - click here to view.

Karin Holloway from St Helena Bay has, for example just achieved a new record price for the area of R10.5 million for the sale of Sea La Vie, a 4-star guesthouse with five self-catering apartments located on the water’s edge at the tip of peninsula in Shelley Point.

She says this is a remarkable achievement for the area, considering that most sales tend to be below the R2 million range.

With fantastic ocean views, this three bedroom, two bathroom house in Shelley Point has a braai area and a double garage, and is ideal for retirees or a holiday purchase. It is on the market for R1.995 million - click here to view.

Seeff's teams also note that these areas still offer more accessible pricing for holiday and second-home buyers, hence they are still seeing good activity. However, it is not just holiday, but also retirees who are still looking in these areas.

“The West Coast Peninsula stretches from Langebaan, Saldanha and Vredenburg to Paternoster and St Helena Bay, which includes Shelley Point and is just under two hours’ drive from Cape Town,” says Halloway.

This well-maintained house in Golden Mile, St Helena Bay, is a stone’s throw from the beach and offers stunning sunset and sea views, two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and a manicured garden. It is on the market for R1.9 million - click here to view.

“Aside from the beautiful coastline with its azure bays, the area includes the West Coast National Park, a nature lover’s paradise teeming with birdlife. In the spring, the area transforms into a flower carpet, attracting visitors from all over the world.”

It is crayfish and snoek country, and the area is renowned for its hospitable people and storytelling, says Holloway. Characterised by white-washed fisherman-style architecture, the nutrient-rich Benguela current means that fishing a large part of the local economy. In fact, more than half of the SA’s annual fish production is processed in St Helena Bay.

This spacious home in Langebaan has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a covered patio and braai area. It is on the market for R1.595 million - click here to view.

She says St Helena Bay has a 31km coastline with 18 bays, three working harbours, stunning beaches and rock formations. It is also home to the beautiful Shelley Point Country & Golf Club estate which offers a range of properties, priced from R1.5 million to R10.5 million.

“Although a popular weekend bolthole for Capetonians, the peninsula attracts people from all over the country, especially from Johannesburg and Pretoria, and a small percentage foreign buyers,” says Halloway.

This three bedroom, two bathroom home in Mosselbank, Peternoster, is within walking distance of the ocean and has a garage. It is on the market for R2.499 million - click here to view.

“The local property market has been quite active over the last three years and showed a drastic improvement in the 2014 to 2017 period, ending on over 570 transactions for the twelve months to end-June, including several sales above R3 million.”

Halloway says beachfront property is in high demand, and on the ‘Golden Mile’, now sells for around R6.5 million to R7.5 million for a luxury home with spectacular ocean views, an adjacent boardwalk, spectacular living areas with a terrace and pool, five bedrooms, modern finishes and top-class security that can be rented out over the busy summer holiday season at around R8 000 a night for up to twelve people.

According to Marina Enslin, Seeff’s agent for the village, nearby Paternoster also enjoyed an active 2017 ending the last twelve months with 31 transactions as it is much smaller and a more niche market. It is one of the oldest fishing villages in the country where you can enjoy an unspoilt getaway as it is largely devoid of commercialisation.

This two bedroom, one bathroom house in Paternoster is located near the ocean and is being sold with furniture and appliances. It is on the market for R1.995 million - click here to view.

“Strict building guidelines protect the architectural integrity of the village and contributes to the demand and high property values. Fresh seafood, beautiful surroundings, white beaches and an azure-blue ocean are all part of the attraction,” she says.

“Property options range from apartments to small fisherman’s cottages and luxury beach houses. There is still vacant land for sale, priced from R390 000 to R3.8 million for a beachfront plot. Sectional title units start at around R1.6 million for two bedrooms and range to R3.6 million for three bedrooms overlooking the beach. Houses range from R1.85 million, with a highest price of R8.3 million.”

Halloway says many homeowners rent out their properties to holiday visitors. Low season rates are around R600 to R1 000 a day for up to three bedrooms and R2 000 to R5 000 a day over the busy summer season. There are also many guesthouses and B&B’s which offer rates of R495 to R3 000 a night.