Business Day HomeFront 19 March 2021

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RESIDEN TIAL RESIDEN R E S I D E NTIAL TIAL

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RESIDEN TIAL

Local chandelier graces US hotel PAGE 2

Why women buy sectional title PAGE 6

Breathing space Where to invest on the coast

Steyn City residential development north of Johannesburg offers spacious resort-style apartments in the country’s biggest landscaped garden. Homes here are like havens, set amid treed parklands with running creeks and safe walking and cycling routes.

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HOMEFRONT

Willowlamp lights in Plü Restaurant & Lounge at Grand Casino Baden in Switzerland

DÉCOR

Light it up

THE MAN BEHIND THE LAMP

The circular Willowlamp chandelier at Oaks Liwa in Abu Dhabi

Adam Hoets blends art, technology and design to create his striking Willowlamp lights – but he chose architecture over fine art when he studied at the University of Cape Town.

A jaw-dropping chandelier by Willowlamp heads across the Atlantic to the US to serve as a conversation starter of note in a new hotel

“My journey began as an architect, which has been invaluable in shaping my ‘design’ mind. I decided on architecture because my reasoning was that I could be an architect and also be an artist, but not the other way round.”

WORDS: SARAH MARJORIBANKS :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

S

outh African lighting company Willowlamp certainly doesn’t do things by halves. Its latest project, set to grace the new Marriott hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, requires 26m3 of hanging space and weighs a ton.

Willowlamp founder and creative director Adam Hoets was commissioned

by Simeone Deary Design Group from Chicago to make the chandelier.

Hoets and his team use a unique method for their creations: ball chains are fixed to laser-cut steel frames using tiny notches, resulting in a chain curtain that is free of any visible fasteners.

Besides chandeliers, the range of intricate designs include lamps, pendants and art pieces.

Once he started his own architecture company, Hoets began designing eco-lodges and gradually transitioned to lighting design in 2005. He wanted to develop a design‑related product that allowed him more creative freedom, as he felt the designer‑client relationship restricts a designer’s ability to explore ideas.

Today he takes inspiration from nature and sacred geometry – geometric shapes and proportions that underpin religious architecture and designs in nature. “This is nature in its purest, highest state and something I’m very interested in and continuously explore in my work,” he says.

DESIGN CHALLENGES “This piece is based on the original version of our

Adam Hoets with the elliptical Willowlamp chandelier custom-made for Marriott

A

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very first design for the Mandala series, which we did for Oaks Liwa Executive Suites in Abu Dhabi in the UAE,” Hoets says. However, the new chandelier has a number of challenging and impressive features that set it apart.

Like all Willowlamp designs, it is composed of cascading tiers of metallic ball chain. However, unlike the Mandala designs, this piece isn’t round – it has a long and narrow elliptical shape. “A sort of ‘squashed’ Mandala!” says Hoets.

Flattening the design vertically has made it far trickier to make than the previous works.

“It’s not simply a matter of rotating the same shapes to form a circular pattern,” he explains.

For example, the various chain lengths cannot just be repeated shapes; they all have to be worked out to fit the stretched

proportions, which is much more difficult.

JIGSAW PUZZLE The light features both upper and lower tiers of chain, which added further complications and meant that it was nearly too large to manufacture on Willowlamp’s premises.

The size and weight of it necessitated a number of design innovations.

The extruded shapes that made up the chain curtains were broken up into separate panels that were then individually mounted to a ceiling frame and fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. “That’s the only way to install such a piece, because the combined weight is one ton!” says Hoets.

The installed piece will require up to 31 LED lamps, each hung on a suspended cable hidden within the chain curtain shapes.

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HOMEFRONT INVESTMENT FOCUS

Sectional title winners

Horizon Capital’s The Vera in Vredehoek, Cape Town

Women make up the majority of first-time property buyers and are steadily reshaping the local market under favourable investment conditions

WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

T

he FNB house price inflation (HPI) for February rose to 4.2% year on year, up 0.3% from January. However, according to the latest FNB Property Barometer, price growth continues to slow on a month-on-month basis.

This is consistent with Estate Agents Survey data, which indicates strong but slowing buyer demand, mainly in the middle-priced segments of the market.

“We continue to see bigger, mainly freestanding, properties gaining popularity as buyers respond to the demands of remote working,” says FNB senior economist Siphamandla Mkhwanazi.

Much of the reflation in the second half of 2020 was in fact driven by middle segments, buoyed by a low interest rate, demand for spaces that facilitate remote working, and tenants becoming homeowners.

Looking ahead, HPI could drop to 2.1% or rise to 5.2% in 2021, states Lightstone Property. If HPI reaches between 3.1% and 3.5%, this will affect the performance of sectional title properties negatively. Lightstone’s freehold property forecasts tend to track inflation whereas sectional title properties are influenced by other factors.

Reflecting on the resilience of SA’s housing market and its ability to provide opportunities for home ownership, Dr Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property group, notes the preferences of first-time and repeat buyers shared by Lightstone.

He points out that most first-time buyers enter the residential property market in the R700,000 to R1.5m price band, rather than in

less expensive valuation bands. Both first-time and repeat buyers usually want three-bedroom, twobathroom homes. Most first-time buyers are women, whereas most repeat buyers are men.

Sectional title and estate properties are particularly appealing to women as they tend to offer better security.

ESTATE LIFESTYLE Safety is one of the main reasons people move, as cited by New World Wealth in its third edition of the Global Migration Review sponsored by AfrAsia Bank.

What better way to attain that than with the estate lifestyle where you invariably get space, nature and scenery to boot?

Wildlife estates tick all of those boxes and are becoming more popular since the pandemic has influenced so many aspects of work and home life.

“Buyers are now looking for properties where they can still enjoy an outdoor lifestyle in the safety of an estate,” says Seeff Property Group chairman Samuel Seeff.

Wildlife estates are characterised by natural

The Rondebosch in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs

scenery, free-roaming game and an abundance of birdlife, while being located close enough to essential amenities. Listening to the waking calls of the animals and enjoying sundowner cocktails and a bushveld braai later on are fairly unbeatable when it comes to the magic of Africa.

Often sought after for second homes, estates also draw investors who are planning to use a property for Airbnb purposes or for rental returns. This type of development tends to attract foreign investors as well.

Among the popular estates to invest in right now are Lekwena Wildlife Estate in Potchefstroom, where prices start from R760,000 for a 2,000m 2 plot. House plans range from 150m 2 to 1,400m 2 and there is no deadline when construction must begin.

Thorny Bush Estate is a wildlife and golf estate bordering the town of Mokopane, which boasts a strong economy. Here properties are sold as freehold erven and owners can build their own homes according to architectural guidelines. Wildlife roams

the estate freely, yet the development is dogfriendly as long as the property is well fenced by the owner.

Stands range in size from 600m 2 to 4,000m 2 and are priced between R500,000 and R1.2m.

Meanwhile, anybody wanting to retire in a magnificent natural environment in the Lowveld should have a look at Mataffin Macadamia Lifestyle & Assisted Living Village in Mbombela.

Designed as a modern village with traditional community living across

HOMEFRONT “A growing

number of families are looking to relocate from the bigger cities in search of a better quality of life”

Peter Maré, co-principal: Knysna and Sedgefield, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty

Zimbali Coastal Resort on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast

“We continue to see bigger,

mainly freestanding properties gaining popularity as buyers respond to the demands of remote working” Siphamandla Mkhwanazi, senior economist, FNB

generations in mind, it is just off the N4, less than 10 minutes from city conveniences, but in a countrified location surrounded by litchi orchards that attract a variety of birds and wildlife.

Senior Lifestyle Two is the new phase now selling through Seeff. Designed for those over the age of 49, it offers 14 sectional title units, each with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a single garage, priced from R1.575m.

Buyers who need a good balance of city and estate living would do well to invest in Horizon Capital’s The Vera in Vredehoek in the Cape Town City Bowl.

There are only 15 units, including a few penthouses,

Mataffin Macadamia Lifestyle & Assisted Living Village in Mbombela

and prices start from R1.595m. The sense of community in this part of the world is difficult to beat, with quaint restaurants that have a number of devoted local patrons.

In a way this is reflected in the design, which is described as complementing the architectural language of Vredehoek. The Vera is a modern take on the prevalent art deco style of the 1930s – all soft lines and rounded edges with interiors and finishes that befit a private sanctuary.

YOUNG BUYERS The sectional title sector in Cape Town fared remarkably well last year. “Young buyers

have added strength to the residential property market, particularly in the R700,000 to R2m price band, which offers investors considerable options in the sectional title sector,” says Dave Burger, sectional title specialist for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in the Southern Suburbs.

“Lightstone data reveals that sectional title median prices in Rondebosch and Mowbray rose from R1.65m and R1.1m in 2019 to R1.7m and R1.19m respectively.”

According to Burger, the academic belt continues to attract buyer interest.

“Given the relative expense of living in private, dedicated student

accommodation, owning an apartment for the duration of a four-year degree and selling it thereafter makes financial sense.”

He reports that the most popular units are twobedroom apartments priced below R2m and onebedroom units priced up to about R1.5m in blocks that offer 24-hour security and either undercover or secure parking.

The Garden Route is another hot spot when it comes to property investment. Lightstone data confirms median sectional title prices in Knysna rose from R835,000 in 2019 to R950,000 in 2020, whereas in Plettenberg Bay these remained steady at R1.5m.

Peter Maré, co-principal in Knysna and Sedgefield for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, says the region’s recovery is largely thanks to a resilient market underpinned by ongoing semigration.

“Despite the subdued economy and the disruption of the pandemic, the property market has remained fairly strong and we are fielding enquiries from a growing number of families looking to relocate from the bigger cities in search of a different lifestyle that will afford them a better quality of life,” Maré says. “Interestingly, we are also getting considerable interest from German buyers amid

increasing concern in Europe about the viability of the European Union.”

Tim Kirby, George and Wilderness principal for the same group, notes a shift in the buyer demographic in his area. Lately buyers hail from Gauteng, the Free State and Cape Town, and comprise some retirees but mainly young professional families in the 35- to 45-year age group.

“The pandemic has shown professionals that they are able to work remotely and can therefore live wherever they choose to. George meets all their needs,” Kirby says.

In this region the median apartment price grew from R772,000 to R900,000.

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HOMEFRONT

Coastal recharge PROPERTY TREND

A number of buyers now head to coastal locations to recharge their batteries on a more permanent basis.

Where can you invest in a less centrally located dream home to work remotely in more natural surroundings?

WORDS: KIM MAXWELL :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Balwin Properties’ Izinga Eco Estate is located in the hills just north of Umhlanga Ridge, Durban

C

onfidence in the South African property market is improving, if the latest Absa Homeowner Sentiment Index is any indication.

The index ended Q4 2020 at 80%, a 4% improvement.

And this positive sentiment towards buying property showed its third consecutive quarter of improvement. In Q4 2020, 78% of respondents considered the current market to be an appropriate time to buy. It’s the highest level of buying sentiment since the index was launched in 2015.

The low interest rate cycle obviously plays a major role in driving this upward swing.

The index analysts say property’s ability to protect wealth in an uncertain environment and increase in value in the long term was another important factor.

Many people are now drawn to the coast to recharge regularly. The KwaZulu-Natal North Coast has always attracted interest but recently, as more buyers consider this thriving region, property sales are increasing, particularly with new schools and commercial developments in the pipeline for these areas, says Pam Golding Properties area principal Farrah Williamson.

“As a primary residential destination, coastal hamlets

such as Shakas Rock, Salt Rock, Sheffield, Tinley Manor, Blythedale, Prince’s Grant and Zinkwazi Beach are no longer perceived as ‘too far up the coast’. These areas are extremely attractive to a cross-section of purchasers from various provinces,” says Williamson.

She quotes recent Lightstone Property data showing that growth in coastal house price inflation has been outperforming noncoastal inflation since Q2 2014, demonstrating a “sound return on investment”.

“First-time buyers or retirees looking to get into a secure lifestyle estate can purchase a home for about R1.8m, with access to excellent facilities,” says Williamson. “This is exceptional value for money.

If you prefer to buy land to build your own home, a minimum spend – including construction – would be R3.5m to R4m.”

PREMIUM RESIDENTIAL Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate is being developed in Sheffield on the KwaZuluNatal North Coast by Collins Residential.

According to CEO Murray Collins, only about 100 stands are left – a mix of sites, sectional title homes, duplexes and apartments.

“Zululami’s Phase 2 single

residential sites are premium sea-facing stands of between 880m2 and 2,100m2. More than 60% are sold, and interest is running high.”

He says Zululami offers the best in every department: sea views, beach access through neighbouring Seaton, kilometres of coastal trails and a commitment to preserving the natural environment. A forest pavilion, a community harvest garden and an outdoor fitness area are some amenities on offer.

“Residents have a range of property options and developments in the estate to choose from. The architectural guidelines ensure that the Zululami visual and environmental ethos is preserved.

Contemporary styling, a gentle footprint and access to the latest technology ensure homes cater for the future,” says Collins.

Williamson says buyers can acquire a new plot-andplan freehold home in Zululami for about R5.56m, with no transfer duty.

“At least 35% of buyers are from Gauteng, comprised largely of young families aged between 35 and 55,” says Collins. “With excellent connectivity on the estate, many residents can work fully or partially, or commute to the nearby business and

Priced at R4.5m by Seeff Plettenberg Bay, this 3.5-bedroom house is in Bowtie Private Estate

commercial hubs of La Lucia, Umhlanga and Ballito.”

EXTRA FEATURES Catering for first-time apartment owners who want extra features and a great price, Izinga Eco Estate is located in the hills north of Umhlanga Ridge. On offer: coastal living in a subtropical climate, minutes from a small commercial hub. Now selling off plan, these one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments

by Balwin Properties will include ecofriendly appliances and solarsupplemented electricity, plus prepaid electricity and water meters. They will be fibreand DStv-ready.

Izinga residents will get to enjoy gated estate benefits such as a secure natural park and a walking trail, as well as nearby beaches. The lifestyle centre will have a training science gym approved by Discovery Vitality, an outdoor fitness area, sports fields and courts and a spa. One-bedroom units start from R1,329,900, whereas three-bed, twobathroom options start from R2,645,900.

South of Durban, less than R4.5m will buy you a spacious family home with three sea-view bedrooms, a study and a pool.

“Amanzimtoti has lovely beaches and living here is

Pam Golding Properties is marketing this three-bedroom home in Wilderness Heights for R6.79m like being on holiday, even though you’re close to all the amenities and benefits of a big city,” says Seeff Amanzimtoti agent Karin Mac Rae. In Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route you can get a 3.5-bedroom house in Bowtie Private Estate for R4.5m. Its L-shaped timber deck has views of the bay.

Kevin Engelsman, licensee for Seeff Plettenberg Bay, says the climate and amenities put Plett in prime position as a relocation destination, with “a wholesome coastal lifestyle that will be the envy of

colleagues, friends and family”. He says the market remains very active and Plett is growing in popularity among people who want to escape the big cities.

Less well known is rural Springerbaai, near Mossel Bay and 45 minutes from George Airport. Pam Golding Properties agent Ruth Mills says Springerbaai Eco Estate has received great interest from a new type of buyer since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown.

“Previously a perfect place for a holiday cottage by the sea, Springerbaai is now hot property for buyers seeking a

Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate, a Collins Residential project on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast

safe place to live and work from home.”

Stephen Murray, area manager for Pam Golding Properties in George and Wilderness, says this part of the world offers plentiful opportunities for nature lovers. His team is marketing a 3ha architect-designed property in Wilderness Heights. “Wilderness is a fantastic proposition in that it offers the best of both worlds – it is a short drive to the beach, plus has forest and mountain views.”

COASTAL OPTION Sitari Country Estate is a coastal option in Somerset West that appeals to young families, thanks to its luxury and premium apartments and homes. Executive director Claudius Combrinck says rentals in the Cape have come under pressure as a result of many former tenants opting to buy instead.

In nearby Gordon’s Bay, Balwin Properties is planning a modern residential estate with 1,824 apartments.

Studio and one- to threebedroom open-plan units at Greenbay Eco-Estate will benefit from a landscaped outdoor area. The Barn Lifestyle Centre will have an outdoor gym, a restaurant, a

pool, a jungle gym and a sports field.

Thanks to Balwin’s registration of its apartments for Green Building Council South Africa’s Edge-certified ratings, the sustainability focus will extend to energyefficient LED lighting and appliances, low-flow water fittings, solar PV electricity generation and water treatment plants. Prices at this off-plan project start from R514,900 for a studio.

The Overberg is also rising in popularity as families make the move from major metros. Hermanus offers water-based activities, fynbos and a wine valley on its doorstep, with Curro Hermanus and Northcliff College among reputable schooling options.

Seeff is marketing a luxury four-bedroom home in Sandbaai on the outskirts of Hermanus for R4.98m, within walking distance of beaches. On the top floor, all bedrooms have wraparound balcony views. Seeff Hermanus MD Paul Kruger says apart from older purchasers, the area is favoured by buyers from the interior or those equipped to work remotely. “Some 70% of sales here are to buyers from outside town.”

Welcome to Vredehoek, Your Peace in the City

VREDEHOEK, CAPE TOWN

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