Sunshine Coast booming
[caption id="attachment_38336" align="alignright" width="405"] LAP OF LUXURY: This spectacular Kenton-on-Sea holiday home was recently sold for the record price of R10.9-million. It comes with stunning river and landscape views, 650m² in floor space, five bedroom suites, spacious living areas, luxury finishes, viewing decks, a swimming pool, separate one-bedroom flat and garaging for three vehicles[/caption]
THERE is renewed interest in the villages of the Sunshine Coast, especially around Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea where a luxury holiday home was recently sold to a buyer from Johannesburg for the record price of R10.9-million. The previous highest price in the village was R10.6-million, set in 2012.
Aside from residential buyers, holiday home and retirement buyers are also heading back to the unspoilt villages in the area that stretches from Alexandria, past Kenton-on-Sea and Port Alfred to Kleinemonde, Seeff principal Simon Oliver says.
Property options range from affordable to luxury. While there has been sustained demand for affordable houses, luxury homes are now also attracting buyers. Although prices remain flat, sellers are more confident about negotiating.
FNB's latest Property Barometer also points to an improvement in holiday home buying, from 2% to 3% of all house sales for the six months ending March. The signs in our area are very encouraging right now – buyers are back and buying again, says Oliver. The interest is coming from across the board, from the neighbouring Western Cape Province to inland regions such as the Northern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and surrounds.
Getting here from the main centres requires either a road trip or a fly-in by plane to Port Elizabeth or East London and then a short car trip through the game reserves and past the beautiful dairy farms. With almost year-round sunshine and good weather, even during winter, it is worthwhile, Oliver says.
The pristine beaches, Addo Elephant Park and number of malaria-free game reserves, many offering popular day trips, are some of the top attractions. Being in the centre of where the 1820 Settlers settled there is a wealth of history.
Grahamstown, a mere 60km away, offers some of the best schools in the country and Rhodes University.
The area still offers excellent value for money, complemented by good infrastructure and amenities. Port Alfred, for example, has a golf course and the Royal Alfred Marina offers homes with water frontage and private jetties. Some of the best value to be had is vacant land with prices starting from R300000 in Port Alfred and about R350000 in Kenton. But this can range up to R1.5-million and R2-million for a waterside location.
Houses start at about R700000, but you can expect to pay upwards of R1.5-million for partial river or sea views, to about R7.5-million for a luxury waterside home.
