Jump On The Bandwagon

Cape Town's Southern Suburbs aren't just home to royalty, renegades, and the ultra-rich. With the recent recalibration to more realistic property prices courtesy of COVID-19, value-for-money opportunities are on the rise in suburbs like Claremont, Constantia, Tokai, Newlands, and Wynberg Upper.

Jumping on the bandwagon has never quite had such curb appeal.

Apart from investment value, it's the alluring multifaceted lifestyle that seriously draws discerning purchasers and tenants alike. With global unrest spurring the need for a sense of community, people are demanding next level quality-of-life.

Entertainment. Education. Equestrian. Leisure. Sports. Shopping. Culture. The great outdoors. The Southern Suburbs has it all.

Because of ongoing housing demand, myriad new developments are sprouting, especially in the dreamy Constantia Valley - with DG's Steenberg Green leading the pack. Perfectly positioned between legendary Steenberg Estate and equestrian Zwaanswyk, this boutique residential estate has otherworldly flair.

With only ten eco-sustainable homes planned, exclusivity borders on rarity: this is where estate architecture has become art. Reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright's prolific architectural style - sleek geometrics and stark modern lines vitalized by earthy, natural grains - this security-conscious development epitomizes gentrified country living. The juxtaposition of contrasting materials - stone and glass, timber and metal, concrete and water - entrenches a soothing sense of balance. The calm interplay of dense with void, light with dark, and smooth with textured promotes endless focal points for meditative bliss.

The bold approach of horizontally pitched roofs, overhanging eaves, cantilevering structures, and open floor plans is an antidote to confined city living. Intentionally aged materials require minimal maintenance, ensuring that a purchaser's investment is underpinned by enduring practicalities. Indoor-outdoor living is perfectly achieved with each home arranged over two levels, featuring functional layouts and luxurious design for everyday sleep, play, dining, leisure, and work. State-of-the-art conveniences together with bespoke fixtures and fittings make the recesses of these residences therapeutic oases.

HCI Properties, whose diversified portfolio consists of conference and exhibition properties, industrial, inner city housing, mixed-use precincts, commercial, and retail properties, takes an attention-to-detail no-expenses-spared development approach. Ultimately, Steenberg Green is an investment no-brainer.

Award-winning firm Malan Vorster Architecture Interior Design's design vision is succinct: "An elegant yet earthy style that blends in effortlessly with the surrounding semi-rural environment."

Malan Vorster will work with you to accommodate your desired interior layout within the architectural theme for the estate as shown in the two houses already completed and occupied on the site.

There's an indulgent list of world-class optional extras and amenities; like home automation, hydronic underfloor heating, Tesla power walls, car charging systems, solar photovoltaic battery backup system, heated swimming pool, concealed pool cover, and automated blinds and drapery to name but a few.

At every turn this estate weaves together elements of earth and sky. As if suspended between both horizons, life at Steenberg Green is a symphony of quietude, culture, and freedom.

As the trend of mixed-use suburbs continues to soar, few want to stray far from home these days. In search of less density and more space, both local and international families after good schooling and decentralised office nodes can find all they need and more in any of the Southern Suburbs merely 25 minutes from Cape Town's CBD and 40 minutes from Cape Town International Airport.

For buyers or tenants with children, exceptional schools abound. Newland's Sacs and Westerford, Rondebosch's Bishops Diocesan College, Claremont's Herschel and Western Province Preparatory School, Constantia's Reddam, and Springfield Convent in Upper Wynberg all offer enriching superlative curriculums. And, of course, UCT is also within easy reach.

In terms of leisure, Southern Suburbs has a plethora of fine dining bistros, laidback coffee shops, bohemian delis, art galleries, and couture boutiques. Add the selection of premier Cape wine estates, Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, various museums, as well as hiking, horse-riding and walking trails, you have yourself a veritable smorgasbord of memory-making delights.

Recent additions like Constantia Emporium and the Norval Foundation bring yet another layer of unique liveability.

For anyone contemplating an upcoming relocation to the Southern Suburbs, the following should be positive mitigators for your 2021 real estate deliberations:

- 2020's encouraging interest rate cuts

- Exceptionally buoyant rental market

- The new work-from-home norm

- Further property market growth expected despite current lockdown and load shedding issues

- Sectional title properties remain in demand because of the shifting socioeconomic landscape

- As more foreign buyers take advantage of South Africa's current buyer's market, homes in mixed-use areas will become increasingly desirable

- The demand for green tech-equipped sustainable homes continues to play a significant role in 2021 as more home buyers seek energy-efficiency or even to get off the grid entirely

Paul Upton, head of DG's developments, adds further enticement with this proverbial cherry-on-the-cake:

"A large benefit to all of these [new development] properties, Steenberg Green included, is that no Transfer Duties are payable, saving buyers a substantial amount of money."

It seems the decision is without question.

The bandwagon headed for the Southern Suburbs should categorically not be missed. For more information about private consultations regarding available opportunities at Steenberg Green, contact Paul Upton +27 71 610 8088 paul@dogongroup.com - or Alexa Horne +27 82 349 7799 alexa@dogongroup.com