Neighbourhood DBN - 29 July 2018

Neighbourhood 29 JULY 2018

PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE

Good morning!

The lush suburb of Morningside offers homeowners a mix of urban and green spaces, page 2

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SUBURB FOCUS: MORNINGSIDE

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PROPERTY NEWS

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PROPERTY NEWS

29 JULY 2018

Neighbourhood

Suburb focus

Morningside Here’s what’s happening in property in the area WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER IMAGES: STEPHEN PILBROUGH & GOOGLE MAPS *Map not to scale

I love everything about Morningside, including its proximity to everywhere I need to be or want to go. Every time I consider a move, I defer the decision – I’m a Morningside sort of person, and I enjoy my regular social spots, my running partners and route, and the laid-back vibe.

CAMERON STONE, RESIDENT

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here’s a softness about Morningside, partly to do with the area’s two manicured green lungs, Mitchell and Jamieson parks, but also the old, established trees and exquisite vintage homes. Some of those older properties are palatial in terms of plot size and stature – the State President’s home is one such – but there are many other old Morningside homes which are picture-postcard perfect.

Many of the stylish Victorian and Edwardian homes have been painstakingly restored, and they’re prime examples of the early architecture of Durban – some were even shipped over in kit form from England – and they tell a great story about early life here. Many of Durban’s long-standing families live in Morningside, and their family history is woven into that of Durban’s.

Property Morningside is primarily residential, with little commercial or retail incursion. Freestanding homes dominate, with a sprinkling of apartments and sectional-title developments here and there, many with sensational sea views. The elevation of much of Morningside means views either take in the coastline or focus on the harbour/port.

A number of the early triple-storey Victorian homes have an enclosed viewing deck known as a widow’s walk, which way back when gave the women of the household panoramic views of the arrival and departure of ships (and their husbands).

PUBLISHED BY TIMES MEDIA PROPERTY PUBLISHING 1st Floor, Block H, Sable Square cnr Bosmansdam and Ratanga Roads Milnerton, Cape Town

Morningside property is highly sought after, and for younger families or aspiring renovators there are still a handful of relatively affordable homes in good roads, which need upgrading and TLC. Morningside hasn’t been affected nearly as much as neighbouring suburbs by the demolish-and-rebuild wave, so it’s retained that graciousness with a certain commonality of architecture.

Resident Di Carter says, “I’ve lived in an old, spacious apartment in Morningside for the past 10 years, and aside from the unbelievable views, the convenience is unbeatable. I’m walking on the beach, and shopping or lunching a mere 10 minutes from home.”

Florida Road begins at the busy, commercial coffee-and-cafe corner of Innes and Musgrave roads, opposite Mitchell and Jamieson parks, and heads down the hill towards town. It’s the entertainment hub of the area, and a vibrant commercial strip too, one which is increasingly catering to young start-up businesses and oneman bands. Restaurants, pubs and clubs sit snugly between businesses, and the energy is pulsating 24/7.

Elizabeth Gordon Gallery owner Joy Reynolds says, “The gallery has been in Florida Road for 18 years, and there’s been a massive change – from offices and businesses, to trendy food outlets, restaurants and nightclubs. The Florida Road UIP does a marvellous job of keeping the area tidy, trees and greenery cared for, and their presence gives an air of security, so we can enjoy this very different atmosphere and buzz of the neighbourhood.”

For sale Median asking price:

R1,25m

Monthly bond repayments

For a typical property (two-bedroom apartment)

For a typical property in this area

R1,95m

R1,35m

R3,65m

In a complex

For an apartment

For a house

You’ll pay

R12,063 per month

36%

Property type:

house

47%

apartment

17% complex

Based on

R1,25m median asking price

over a period of 20 years at 10% prime

EDITORIAL TEAM:

ADVERTISING SALES:

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29 JULY 2018

Neighbourhood

PROPERTY NEWS

Charles Mitchell. Established in 1894, this park is an integral part of the area and, even for those who rarely go there, it’s a landmark green expanse.

Opposite Jamieson Park and its wonderful beds of roses, is the “dog park”, and it’s rarely empty of a pooch or 17, particularly after 5pm. The owners – and dogs – all know each other (newcomers welcome, of course), and it’s particularly festive at the Christmas party, with dogs in natty gear.

Schooling The larger properties in Morningside mean family and family means schools.

There are numerous excellent schools around the suburb – government and private – from preschool up to high school. Schools with long, proud histories like Durban Preparatory High School (fondly known as DPHS) and Gordon Road Girls’ School – two government pre-primary/primary/ junior schools in Gordon Road – have waiting lists for attendance. Excellent prestigious private schools are Durban Girls College and Maris Stella School and Clifton School. There are others too, such as Morningside Primary School, and Curro Embury College.

Explore ROTI & CHAI

Mitchell Park with its Blue Zoo Restaurant and actual zoo was named after colonial secretary of Natal, Sir

With green spaces becoming few and far between, Morningside residents relish their parks – there’s another little one opposite Morningside Sports Club, which like Mitchell, features a great kids playground. Bridge, yoga, bowls, and a night market are just a few of the activities found at Morningside Sports Club, and if tennis is your game, Mitchell Park Tennis Club is legendary.

Florida Road is the party street, but with that, comes complex social issues.

Selected by eThekwini Municipality as an Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP), there have been many improvements – from speed humps to security and policing, as well as strong moves to revitalise the entertainment offering – but 2017 saw the start of a refreshed, collaborative effort to rethink the brand which is Florida Road.

Cara Reilly, head, UrbanPlaces, a division of UrbanMGT, adds, “The rebranding of Florida Road is strongly underway.

Florida Road has its own comprehensive app, First Thursdays have been reinvigorated, and, from the end of July, we’re starting Film on Florida in Gordon Road Park, focused on bringing families to the area.”

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DO: • Enjoy art galleries, talks and workshops well into the evening at First Thursdays on Florida Road.

• Visit Mitchell Park and try out the Blu Zoo Restaurant, aviary and zoo.

• Stroll through the night market at Morningside Sports Club.

• Play a few sets at the Mitchell Park Tennis Club.

• Take your dog out to Jameson Park.

EAT: • Malis Indian Restaurant: North and South Indian dishes • Butcher Boys, Florida Road: delivers the finest beef on offer • 9th Avenue Bistro: artfully crafted modern dishes with a Mediterranean influence • Afro’s Chicken Shop: proudly local chicken takeaway • Charlie’s Bistro and Cafe: bistro and cafe fare • Love Coffee: fresh, organic, direct-trade coffee

SLEEP: • Quarters Hotel Florida Road • BON Hotel 64 on Gordon • The Benjamin Boutique Hotel & Conference Centre • Audacia Manor • The Saint James on Venice • Lembali Lodge

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PROPERTY NEWS RETIREMENT FOCUS

29 JULY 2018

Neighbourhood

My business neighbourhood Love Bumps Maternity Dress Hire is designed to help mommies-to-be feel absolutely beautiful for their maternity shoots or baby shower WORDS: TIVANIA MOODLEY IMAGE: RISSIEPIT PHOTOGRAPHY

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he appeal of professional maternity shoots is on the increase as more women want to commemorate this beautiful experience. As such, the subject of what to wear arises as women want to combine sophistication with freedom of movement. Being a mom herself, Natalie Bleckert identified a gap in the market for a business specialising in beautiful maternity gowns to hire for moms-to-be looking for that perfect outfit for their maternity shoot.

Q: How did your business start?

A: There are few local retail outlets that cater to maternity wear, so my idea to import or custom make gorgeous dresses for moms-to-be to hire, came into play. Hiring made the most sense as the shoot is generally done towards the end

of the pregnancy and, therefore, there would be little need for this dress again in the near future.

Love Bumps Maternity Dress Hire opened in April last year with only four dresses. We now have over 50 dresses as well as a range of accessories and photography props. We’ve become the leading maternity dress hire provider in Durban with over 1,000 followers on our Facebook page. We courier all over South Africa and we even have a branch in Albany, Australia with further expansion planned.

Q: Why did you choose this area to set up shop?

A: Love Bumps is run from my home in Hillcrest. I chose to operate from home as this accommodates clients wanting to come through for fittings after working hours and on weekends.

Q: How did you find your premises?

A: I chose to work from home and dedicated a small space to store my clothing. Initially, Love Bumps was run from a spare room in my home. This room has since become a nursery for our daughter.

My home office became the Love Bumps area with plans to extend our home to accommodate it. The current space works for me as I can see my girls in their play area while I’m consulting, although I also look forward to having a bigger space in the near future.

to offer my clients the comfort they needed to try clothes on.

Q: Who are your neighbours?

A: Residents within the Hillcrest area.

Q: What are the shop rental/ sales prices like in this area?

A: I’m very fortunate to not have a rental expense.

Q: How many people go through your store each day?

A: I deal with about five enquiries a day, which often leads to a booking for a fitting.

Q: Do you have any expansion plans?

A: Since opening, I have grown the range of dresses to suit many different occasions and recently added a toddler range for family shoots.

Q: Do you operate online as well?

A: I’m on Facebook (@lovebumpsmaternityhire) and Instagram (@lovebumps_ maternityhire). The website will be up and running shortly.

Q: What’s your most popular item?

A: The lace dress and split-front gowns are the most popular. The flower crowns and belly crowns are also very popular and add a divine touch to the look.

SEE FOR YOURSELF: Q: Why are they ideally suited to your business?

A: I love the convenience of working within my own timelines and it was very important for me

Love Bumps Maternity Dress Hire 072 583 7980 facebook.com/lovebumpsmaternityhire

High Tea Menu

9 AUG

Women’s Day

Selection of flatbreads: Selection of gourmet sandwiches Chicken pot pies

Humus babaghanoush Tomato and mozzarella bruschetta and tzatziki ,tortilla crisps Chicken ,avo and Macon bruschetta Mini steak bruschetta Slider selection : Chicken pot pies Pulled chicken and ruby slaw Pulled lamb and garlic truffle aioli Sweet selection Chick pea and tzatziki veg slider Mini BeeStings | Mini muffins | Mini scones Mini eclairs | Mini crumpets Croissant selection : Mini waffles with a variety of toppings : Mini croissants with jam and matured cheddar ( honey ,maple syrup ,Nutella Smoked trout with herb cream frioche caramelized banana and marshmallow fluff )

Bookings essential R190pp Open Friday & Saturday Nights for dinner!

We do

Small Weddings

Eat

Sleep

Stay

Enjoy

Book 4 nights and save 20% Book 3 night and save 15% Book 2 nights and save 10% Weekends - Book 2 nights and save 15% Book 30 - 60 days in advance and save 15% Book 60 - 90 days in advance and save 20%

www.stjamesonvenice.co.za | 100 Venice Road, Morningside, Durban, 4001 031 312 9499 | gm@stjamesonvenice.co.za

Conferences Business Lunch Dinner Special Meals Fully Halal

High Tea Babyshower Engagements Kitchen Tea Birthdays

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PROPERTY NEWS RETIREMENT FOCUS

29 JULY 2018

Neighbourhood

Kloof

This area offers a wealth of options, attracting families and retirees alike WORDS: CANDICE BOTHA

IMAGES: STEPHEN PILBROUGH

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he leafy suburb of Kloof boasts a wealth of lovely family homes with beautiful gardens that grow with ease due to the climate, which is considerably cooler and less humid than Durban.

“Kloof is an established, old-worldy suburb, green and pretty with lots of natural beauty,” says Lisa Pearson, broker owner, RE/MAX Address.

“Many of the properties are freestanding homes which are usually large and built on land at least one acre in size. However, over the past 10 years a number of exclusive sectionaltitle gated complexes have been developed,” says Lee Ellis, principal of Tyson Properties Westville.

“Recently a luxury gated complex was developed at One Everton Road which addresses many environmentally friendly issues such as underground rainwater storage tanks, borehole water for irrigation purposes, and solar panels on all the roofs of the units with the ability to store the energy within the internal power grid.”

Properties are generally well priced.

“The highest listing on our books is a five-bedroom home for R12m with

a two-bedroom apartment listed for R890,000 and land from R450,000,” says Pearson. A freestanding family home in Kloof sells for approximately R2,4m while the average price of a sectional-title unit would sell for in the region of R1,8m, notes Ellis.

“Obviously the more luxurious homes sell for substantially more.”

Families and retirees make up the majority of the market with the former attracted to the excellent schools in the area and the latter the proliferation of retirement developments. “Over 65% of homeowners are over the age of 50.

Interestingly 65% of recent buyers in Kloof are under the age of 50,” notes Ellis. Pearson adds that it is currently a buyers’ market. “But buyers are taking longer in making decisions.”

Along with a wealth of shopping centres, Kloof has an 18-hole golf course and several conservancies including Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, Kloof Gorge and the Everton Conservancy. “Some of the trendier roads in Kloof are located around the Kloof Country Club such as Haygarth, Peace, Abrey, Impala and Victory roads with Everton Road in high demand, too,” says Ellis.

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29 JULY 2018

Neighbourhood

Hammer down South Africans are familiar with commercial, industrial and farm auctions, but residential is still largely unchartered territory WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

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ccording to Reiner Sternzhorn of auctioneers in2Assets, “The volume of residential auctions escalates dramatically in a distressed economy. More properties come on to the market, and that over-supply makes it more difficult to sell quickly.” Internationally, an auction is a perfectly acceptable way to sell a house, not so here.

South Africans unsure

“Residential auctions still mostly comprise distressed and insolvent auctions,” says Reiner. He puts down South Africans’ uncertainty to numerous reasons. “These sales are unsuspensive – large deposits are payable on the auction day. The sale is not subject to the approval of a loan, and if buyers cannot come up with the balance, they lose their deposit. Buyers don’t want that risk.”

Inexperience plays a role, too.

“Buyers are often first-timers and feel intimidated by an auctioneer and the swift process of an auction.

Equally, buyers feel intimidated by other bidders and can come up against experienced buyers representing syndicates,” explains Reiner. “Inexperienced buyers often don’t ascertain prior to the auction what other costs are payable,

like outstanding rates, taxes, or more.

Many of the Rules of Auction burden the buyer with onerous obligations to pay for electrical and entomologist certificates, not even knowing the costs.”

Advice

Bottom line, it’s imperative that buyers do their homework before an auction.

Her advice for prospective buyers, “View and inspect any property before the auction date – all auction properties are sold ‘voetstoots’ (as is), so the purchaser is unable to negotiate and get warranties or undertakings.”

From a seller’s perspective

A slow market means a slow property sale. On auction, it’s faster, and bidders aren’t “just looking”. Some auction houses insist on a buyer being pre-approved for a bond prior to bidding, so the auction sale is unlikely to fall through due to the seller’s inability to qualify for a bond.

How to buy on auction

Although it differs between auction houses, the process loosely goes as follows: 1. Potential buyers view and inspect the property 2. Buyers register before or on the day and pay a deposit, which is refundable if unsuccessful 3. If successful, a buyer immediately pays a deposit of either 5% or 10% of the bid price 4. Then bank guarantees for the balance of the purchase price are due within a specified period of time, anything between 21 to 45 days.

“You cannot negotiate the terms and conditions of an auction sale. It’s take it or leave it,” says Maria Davey of Meumann White Attorneys.

Maria suggests that if a buyer has concerns about anything on the property, get a professional to look.

“The purchaser must ascertain first-hand whether there is any damage or work to be done so as to decide how much to bid.”

She adds, “Obtain copies of the title deeds, plans, any lease agreements and the zoning certificate if relevant. Get hold of a copy of the conditions of sale and make sure you understand the meaning of it all before the auction. This will also set out what the purchaser is accepting liability for, like municipal rates.”

She cautions, “A winning bid at an auction is legally binding and cannot be retracted later without repercussions.”

PROPERTY NEWS

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New seaside resort for KZN’s North Coast

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inley, one of Tongaat Hulett’s northern development initiatives, already has four significant international resort operators showing interest to operate a new, international beach resort on the site – the first of its kind in Southern Africa.

Tinley will cater to the international and domestic tourism markets with capacity for mixed-use development as well. Tongaat Hulett Developments managing director Michael Deighton says, “Tourism has been identified as both a national and provincial priority and together with the associated ancillary economic activities, will have a significant impact on socio-economic growth and development in the region.

“To this end, we have been working closely with the local and provincial government to present the opportunity

to solicit national and international brands looking at opportunities to establish themselves in KwaZulu-Natal.”

The strategic objective is to create enhanced value in the surrounding assets which will benefit from proximity to, and association with the resort and higher-pricing premiums as destination value takes hold in the area. The EIA (environmental impact assessment) process for the resort opportunity is currently underway with the identification of the international hotel operator soon to be announced.

Deighton says, “Just like Sibaya Coastal Precinct and other projects before that, through Tinley we will ensure there is purposeful shared-value creation for all our stakeholders and this will include the nearby rural communities, which will also benefit socially and economically from this development.”

Guaranteed rental return at Cape hotel

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he Capital Mirage Hotel at 40 Chiappini Street in De Waterkant, next to the V&A Waterfront, is offering property investors the opportunity to buy apartments within the hotel, with a guaranteed rental income from the investment for three years, with an option to extend for up to nine years – even if there’s no occupancy.

Rob Stefanutto, group managing director, Dogon Group Properties, explains, “Rental return is as important as capital growth and purchasing property within a hotel that guarantees a rental income, is a great investment option. Occupation date is on transfer, so no rental is lost and The Capital Mirage guarantees a 6%

annual escalation. There are also no maintenance issues with an on-site maintenance team handling the upkeep of your unit on your behalf.”

The Capital Mirage is unique in that it’s the only property investment opportunity that makes such guarantees.

“Buying-to-let is a popular strategy for investors who hold property in their portfolios. However, it comes with risks should you not find a tenant, or have a tenant that reneges on payment.

An option such as that provided

by The Capital Mirage effectively removes the risk of vacancies and subsequent loss of income for the buy-to-let owner,” adds Stefanutto.

Hope for savvy Joburg landlords T he rental market in many Joburg suburbs has shown encouraging signs of revival this year, but it remains a competitive market and landlords who best cater to their market’s needs will reap the healthiest returns.

So says Shaun Groves, rental specialist for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty in Gauteng, adding, “There has certainly been a healthier appetite and good uptake for rental property, especially during the second quarter of 2018, but I can’t say that it’s due to a massively improved sentiment as landlords and tenants are still very concerned.

“In 2017, the entry to the middlemarket, sectional-title sector in Sandton took the hardest knock with a spike in vacancies and a sharp drop in yields. However, The Parks area was generally the most

resilient and the situation has not changed much this year despite renewed activity in the sector.”

While the rental market may not be booming, there are still solid returns to be made if investment buyers do their homework.

“Middle-income areas near good schools remain ever popular and if I were to be drawn into where I would be investing my own money at the moment, I would look to Duxberry – an absolute gem of a suburb – secure, good value and close to the French school.”

Groves concludes that if landlords are negotiable on rentals and increases, price their properties competitively and offer a well-maintained product in a sought-after area, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t yield good returns – both in the short and long term.

THE HOUGHTON CIRCLE OF LUXURY

Experience the tranquillity of nature; breathe fresh air; marvel at the vistas across the golf course; and enjoy having a five-star hotel, spa and gym on your doorstep – all in a secure environment.

This can be your lifestyle, in the heart of Johannesburg.

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WARREN BECKER 082 302 3004 | warren@thehoughton.com ASHLEIGH SMITH 073 220 7357 | ashleigh@thehoughton.com Houghton on 12th, 53 Second Ave, Houghton | Show apartment 12733

Come and have a look at our luxury apartments 12733 and 8555, available daily for viewings