Buyers moving South

Cape residential property is about 25 percent to 30 percent more expensive than residential property in Gauteng; a fact, says Anton du Plessis, CEO of Vineyard Estates, that does not deter many Gauteng buyers from moving south, even though they may have to downscale quite appreciably to make such a move possible।

"Gauteng currently," said du Plessis recently on SABC’s Expresso Morning Show, "offers better value for money on plot sizes, floor areas and finishes but, of course, Cape Town has scenery, the sea, winelands and much else. If it is a lifestyle rather than financial reward that is now your priority, this is where you will probably find it."

Most upcountry buyers, he said, arrive in Cape Town with a set budget in mind. Once they discover that they cannot buy the lifestyle that they want, at the price they had anticipated, those buyers who can afford to raise their sights often do so.

"More often than not, a buyer from Gauteng who indicates a maximum spend of, say, R4-million initially will end up buying for R5-million and more."

The housing market in and around Johannesburg, said du Plessis, still has ample space at its disposal. Even in the built-up areas there is still huge scope for densification and redevelopment and whether the buyer looks north, south, east or west, land for expansion is not hard to find. In many Gauteng suburbs the problem lies not in a lack of subdivisions, but in the provision of services to accommodate the additional load.

"By contrast, the Cape Peninsula’s middle class suburbs have been crammed into the limited space between the mountain and the M5 freeway on the east and the mountain and the sea in most other areas.

"As the demand, however, is still strong, and the supply relatively limited, prices will inevitably be far higher than in equivalent sized homes in and around Johannesburg.

"Having said that," du Plessis added, "it is currently very much a buyers’ market and where sellers are distressed good properties can be snapped up for up to 25 percent less than their real value."

"This will not last forever. There are now signs that by the second half of 2012 (as I have said previously) today’s prices could look very low indeed."