Despite the recent slowdown in home sales in Cape Town which has seen many real estate companies scale down their operations, Chas Everitt International franchisees are investing in new offices in the metro in anticipation of a substantial turnaround in the not-too-distant future.
One of these is the new high-visibility operation in Constantia Village, at the heart of a plush heritage area that has been particularly hard-hit over the past 18 months by emigration, the stagnant economy and a decline in the number of upcountry and foreign purchasers.
“This will further strengthen our strong position and interest in Constantiaberg area where we already have offices in Tokai and Bergvliet,” says Chas Everitt Constantia principal Sally Gracie, “and will be used to expand our penetration of the upmarket belt along the mountain slopes from Constantia and Bishopscourt to Newlands.
Home prices here, as in many other areas known for their high-end real estate, have tumbled by as much as 30% as demand dried up, but well-heeled buyers are now beginning to see the opportunities inherent in this situation, she says, and sales are set to improve significantly in the coming summer “season”
“It also doesn’t hurt that we’ve had very good rains this winter which have filled up our dams and put an end to the drought and the threat of Day Zero which hung over Cape town for so long.”
Gracie says there has been a very positive response to the new office, with lots of walk-in custom from both local sellers and buyers interested in listings in this area. It has also prompted enquiries from several top local estate agents keen to join the group.
“We have exclusive mandates to sell some exceptional properties in Constantia (see photos) and Newlands and in the few weeks that we’ve been open have already made our first sales. We will shortly also have a team operating in Claremont.”
Meanwhile, the Ballan Group, which owns the Chas Everitt International franchises in George, Knysna and Sedgefield, has just opened a trendy new office in Bloubergrand on Cape Town’s west coast, under the leadership of sales manager Leonard Coetzee.
Named Chas Everitt Blouberg Metro, it covers a huge area – including Melkbosstrand, Table View, Parkland, Parklands North and Blouberg – that is generating well over 2000 home sales a year worth a total of at least R4,3bn, despite the current oversupply of new developments that is keeping a lid on prices.
“This part of Cape Town has become increasingly popular with local buyers over the past few years because it offers lower prices, a great beach lifestyle, excellent private schools and easy access to the city via public transport. Many people relocating to Cape Town from Gauteng and other inland provinces have also chosen to live here because of its relative affordability compared to the rest of the metro,” he says.
“It also appeals to a very broad spectrum of buyers, with apartment prices starting from around R750 000, home prices generally ranging from around R1,6m up to about R7,5m and exceptional beachfront properties going for as much as R25m. And we believe it is set for a significant revival within the next few months.”
As it is, he notes, the office has also notched up several sales in the few weeks it has been open and plans to have a total of at least 15 sales agents in the field by the end of the year.
Issued by Chas Everitt International
For more information contact
Sally Gracie on 021 712 5029 or
Leonard Coetzee on 021 204 9914
According to Sally Gracie, MD of the Cape Town South’s Chas Everitt real estate franchise one of the glorious things about Spring is breakfasts! “Getting up a little earlier and taking some ‘me time’ with a friend or even alone, and enjoying a yummy breakfast at one of the many glorious restaurants in our area just reminds you of the many breathtaking spots we can enjoy on our doorstep,” said Sally.
Referring to this month’s The Inside Guide which features a very good selection of top breakfast spots Sally and Chas Everitt Cape Town South have offered to sponsor a breakfast for two to the value of R350-00 at the venue of your choice to one of our blog subscribers who joins us in September as part of the many #ReadyForSpring activities.
To enter the competition just enter your email address (see right column next to this article) and receive in your email our local posts and keep informed as to what is happening in your neighbourhood like this post! You can of unsubscribe at any time.
Sally’s personal favourite is included in the list. It is the Chardonnay Deli (above) located at 87 Constantia Main Road, Constantia
Here’s a #ReadyForSpring idea! Why not start a Breakfast Club and take full advantage of what’s on offer and make some new friends! Add R10-00 a head and use the fun opportunity to raise some money for a worthy cause. Remember – no cell phones LOL!
Read More and view the 30 Best Breakfasts here
Featured image is The Conservatory at The Cellars-Hohenort
Curated content by eNeighbourhoods
Chas Everitt Cape Town South’s representative Andre de Villiers will be attending this Dublin event and participating in various networking events.
The Irish economy is booming! The appetite for second properties is now significantly higher than a few years ago and while closer destinations a few hours away are obviously the main attraction, many Irish buyers are familiar with Cape Town where they have family and friends and the “fly south for the winter” market is not resistant to a select number who are not averse to an overnight flight.
According to de Villiers, recent media coverage has made many Irish second home buyers aware that there is currently excellent value on offer in Cape Town with a very favourable Euro Rand exchange rate.
“We think the opportunity to market the value in Cape Town property overseas is real for second homes and in particular those who are retiring and can look at long-stay visits as Irish citizens get a free three month, visa on arrival in Cape Town.
Chas Everitt Cape Town South is going to maintain a permanent representation in Ireland to assist such buyers through Andre de Villiers who has 35 years experience in the Cape Town real estate market,” said Sally Gracie MD of Devler Estates trading as Chas Everitt Cape Town South.
There are few people better equipped to assist Irish buyers than Andre de Villiers who is currently living in Ireland.
“It should be understood that we seek to ensure that Irish buyers will get exposure to properties offering both great value and good security. Attacks on tourists, including Irish tourists, have had a significant impact on perceptions of South Africa as a destination. These are not issues that can be wished away and need to be dealt with however the growing pains of South Africa are typical of a vibrant emerging market and the bottom line is as a second home destination there is arguably little to compare with Cape Town,” said de Villiers.
While The Overseas Property Show does not have any South African exhibitors this year, Chas Everitt Cape Town South is planning to exhibit at this annual premier property event in 2020. Regular marketing of our local Irish representation has however already started with marketing in local online media already underway.
Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl hardest hit by declining prices.
The much anticipated FNB Property Barometer is available to read here Property barometer – CPT – Aug
Over the last few months the Chas Everitt Cape Town South franchise has invested substantially in its rental infrastructure to offer a more substantial growth orientated service offering. If you are looking for a great rental service we have it!
Our rentals team are managed by by Taryn Retief who has many years experience in residential property management.
Our current selection of over thirty rentals in the Cape Town South area has a very deliberate focus on quality and our tenant vetting procedures through TPN and rental management through Rent Connect are vital partners in offering reliable end to end services.
View our current rental portfolio
If you are interested in a superior rental experience Talk to Taryn
Sixty security staff have been appointed to guard tourists in Table Mountain National Park, two weeks after a Russian tourist’s murder.
Tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane met the 60 white-gloved guards on Thursday at Kloof Nek, in the shadow of Table Mountain’s northern face.
Their numbers will be boosted to 86 in October, and cameras and drones will join the anti-crime effort from December.
James Vos, Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for economic opportunities, said he was delighted by the deployment of the guards.
“Table Mountain is a leading tourist attraction on the African continent with local and global significance,” he said. “We need to make sure that we protect and promote our tourism sector. It is the backbone of our economy and job creation, with almost 300,000 Capetonians employed in this sector.”
Women’s Day in South Africa is a different date to the rest of the world. Women’s Day in South Africa marks the anniversary of the great women’s march of 1956, where women marched to the Union Buildings to protest against the carrying of pass books.
On 9 August 1956, about 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government’s control over the movement of black women in urban areas.
The earliest Women’s Day observance, called “National Woman’s Day,”was held on February 28, 1909, in New York, organised by the Socialist Party of America at the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel.
In August 1910, an International Socialist Women’s Conference was organised in Copenhagen, Denmark. Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual Women’s Day although no date was specified at that conference. Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights including suffrage for women.
The following year on March 19, 1911, IWD was marked for the first time, by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire alone, there were 300 demonstrations. In Vienna, women paraded on the Ringstrasse and carried banners honouring the martyrs of the Paris Commune. Women demanded that they be given the right to vote and to hold public office. They also protested against employment sex discrimination.
The Americans continued to celebrate National Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February.
Chas Everitt Cape Town South pays tribute to the fact that the real estate industry remains one where so many women have not only been welcome but have excelled and in so many company’s have taken the lead.
Rose O’Hanlon and Sally Gracie (Stonehurst Estate) has been joined by attorney Andrea Tomasicchio to complete our Tokai sales representation in the area.
Andrea moved to the Southern Suburbs in 2006 after completing her articles in Grahamstown. Andrea was a junior conveyancer at STBB for two and a half years and it gave her a sound legal background. In this capacity, Andrea was able to network with clients, estate agents, bankers and developers.
Andrea started a family in 2008 and it was very important to her to do family-friendly outdoor activities.
“We soon fell in love with Tokai as it was a safe place for our children to ride bikes, hike in Silvermine and have picnics in the forest. I know that Tokai has a strong sense of community and is very family orientated. I am looking to assisting families in their search for the perfect family home in Tokai. I offer sound knowledge and passion for our area and amenities.”
Andrea can be contacted on Cell: 082 442 7537 and the Tokai office number remains 021 712 5029.
The City of Cape Town is advising residents that water in the distribution system is currently discoloured over a large part of the eastern, central and southern suburbs.
“The discolouration is due to a process control fault at the Faure Water Treatment Plant. As a safety precaution, residents are advised to boil the water before drinking especially if it appears discoloured,” the City said in a statement. “We are now feeding the affected areas of the network from Blackheath Reservoir and the situation is anticipated to normalise over the next few days.”
The City is working on resolving the problem as soon as possible, and wishes to apologise to the public for any inconvenience.