Neighbourhood PTA - 09 September 2018

Neighbourhood 9 SEPTEMBER 2018

PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE

The great escape We bring you our favourite off-the-beaten-track destinations for getaways with a difference, page 2 2

HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS

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PROPERTY NEWS

9 SEPTEMBER 2018

Neighbourhood

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Off the beaten track Holiday destinations with a difference WORDS: GEORGINA GUEDES

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

THE ORIENT

G

autengers don’t need to escape to the seaside to get away from it all. We have some exciting – and unusual – destinations right on our doorstep.

a collection of arty flair and rustic decor surrounding you, much like living in an art museum. Guests can watch TV in the living room or have a braai at the pool and make use of patio, garden and braai facilities.

Rest & relaxation

Unique sleeps

The Satyagraha House, named after Gandhi’s non-violent political resistance philosophy, is the perfect tranquil and contemplative spot where you can immerse yourself in the spirit of the philosophies of Gandhi. Located in Orchards, Joburg, the house was designed and built in 1907 in the style of an African kraal with rondavels and thatched roofs. Between 1908 and 1909, Gandhi shared the house with its architect, Hermann Kallenbach. When the French travel agency Voyageurs du Monde bought the house in 2009, they restored it and opened it to the public as a museum and guesthouse.

Gandhi’s principles of asceticism are evident in the minimalist decor and simplicity. Guest rooms are decorated in neutral tones, there are no television sets and the chef only serves vegetarian meals which are seasoned from their very own herb garden.

Another great destination is De Kunst Huisje, an eclectic mix of old and new located in the small farming town Bela-Bela, with iconic pieces from the African history mixed with modern touches and amenities like air conditioning, Wi-Fi and DStv. The old farmhouse’s door and windows are painted red with wooden carved chickens on the stoep and the interior is filled with artworks from different eras and styles. You get to stay with

FAIRVIEW TWIN TOWERS

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

If you have ever wanted to be the captain of your own boat, but didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting a skipper’s licence, the Old Willow Houseboat is the perfect getaway. Navigate 55km of the Vaal River, stopping at riverfront venues on the way. You can sleep on board under the starry skies and watch the sun rise and set over the water.

If the “high seas” aren’t for you, be transported to a simpler time and live like a Voortrekker and sleep in an ox wagon, with the comfort of modern luxury. Located high up on the mountainside overlooking the Hartbeespoort Dam, Oxwagon Lodge completes the perfect setting for a traditional yet simple stay in a bushveld atmosphere.

With a lapa, restaurant, braai area, dance floor, outdoor amphitheatre and Oxwagon Museum, this getaway will guarantee you have a memorable experience.

Though it’s unusual to sleep where your food is stored, Fairview Estate made it possible by creating a guesthouse in a renovated grain silo.

Located in the Maluti Mountains just outside Fouriesburg, the Fairview Twin Towers look like a rustic, farm-style, trendy holiday home. The space is decorated with old pieces of furniture, vintage photographs,

industrial-style lighting and many different textures and patterns inspired by South Africa’s cultures.

What’s more, you get to live a luxury farm life with alpacas!

Luxury escapes If your budget stretches a little further, you can try these luxury themed escapes. Forum Homini Boutique Hotel celebrates the history of mankind, weaving a cave theme into the design and construction of this boutique hotel. The rooms protrude from the earth around a natural wetland, with “stalactite” lights hanging from the roof, and cave art worked into the decor.

A visit to Forum Homini, however, is nothing like staying in a cave – the warm, neutral colours of the walls and floors are strategically paired with bright, interesting colours and patterns to give it a quirky finish.

Visit a palace and stay in one of nine themed rooms at The Orient. Each suite is designed as the expression of an exotic concept, with genuine colonial and Eastern artefacts in utterly luxurious surroundings.

Guests can indulge in classic activities like browsing through a library, walking through the surrounding Francolin Conservancy, playing petanque and croquet, or picnicking in the floral gardens.

Of course, a visit to The Orient wouldn’t be complete without a visit to multi-award-winning Restaurant Mosaic in the heart of the palace – a truly transporting experience of culinary excellence.

EDITORIAL TEAM:

ADVERTISING SALES:

Group Editor: Charis Le Riche charisl@yourneighbourhood.co.za Senior Sub-Editor: Marana Brand Designers: Anja Bramley, Samantha Durand and Leah de Jager

Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za or call 087 828 0423 Sales & Marketing Manager: Michèle Jones michele.jones@thecreativegroup.info Production (Editorial & Property Advertising): Lucea Goosen pretoria@yourneighbourhood.co.za Online coordinator: Chantelle Balsdon chantelle@augmentcreative.com

9 SEPTEMBER 2018

Neighbourhood

THE SATYAGRAHA HOUSE

THE SATYAGRAHA HOUSE

TRAVEL BLOGGERS: Meruschka Govender – Mzansi Girl mzansigirl.com Dawn Jorgensen – The Incidental Tourist theincidentaltourist.com Kate Els – Indikate indikate.net Ishay Govender-Ypma – Food and the Fabulous foodandthefabulous.com

EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF: The Satyagraha House satyagrahahouse.com/en FORUM HOMINI

De Kunst Huisje dekunsthuisje.co.za Old Willow Houseboat oldwillow.co.za Oxwagon Lodge oxwagonlodge.co.za OLD WILLOW HOUSEBOAT

Fairview Twin Towers fairviewestates.co.za Forum Homini Boutique Hotel forumhomini.com The Orient the-orient.net

DO: • While staying at Satyagraha, tour Jozi by retracing Gandhi’s footsteps.

• Zip line with Waterberg Zipline Adventures in Bela-Bela.

• Canopy tours at the Cradle of Humankind.

• Hot-air ballooning over Hartbeespoort.

• For treetop obstacles and zip lines, head to Acrobranch in Melrose or Centurion.

FORUM HOMINI

OXWAGON LODGE

OXWAGON LODGE

FORUM HOMINI

PROPERTY NEWS

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PROPERTY NEWS

9 SEPTEMBER 2018

My business neighbourhood Vencasa serves the sleep, comfort and wellness needs of the refined South African sleeper in Brooklyn WORDS: ZENA LE ROUX

IMAGE: SUPPLIED

V

encasa sells Tempur, Magniflex and the Sealy-Vencasa Signature Collection for a superb sleep experience. CEO Greg Smart tells us more.

Q: How did your business start?

A: Over the past 30 years, our business has evolved along with the wellness industry, something we pride ourselves in. We have over three decades of in-house experience sourcing premium-quality products from the world’s most renowned bed and bedding brands. Vencasa is now partners with sleep specialists from across the globe and we can put that experience and expertise to work for the local market. Vencasa was born from the legendary and reputable longstanding Pharmaline umbrella and, with over 30 years’ experience in the wellness industry, began rebranding their stores to Vencasa in 2017. Our Brooklyn store was changed in late 2017 from a Tempur showroom to a Vencasa showroom, but the official event was held this year.

Neighbourhood

Pretoria. Opening a store in the epicentre of the interior industry was a key objective for us.

Q: How did you find your premises?

A: Scouting and sourcing new premises is part of our business model and is an ongoing process. Over the years, we have developed strong relationships and partnerships with key shopping management developers.

Q: Why are they ideally suited to your business?

A: It is important for us to have a showroom where customers are shopping for bedroom solutions as it gives the customer a wider variety, and we want to be part of that offering.

Q: Who are your neighbours?

A: Our neighbours include a gallery and a Boardmans.

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

A: Prices in Brooklyn Square and Mall is comparable, given the location.

Q: How many people visit your business each day?

A: Brooklyn Square and Mall attracts a large number of people and we are able to enjoy the influx of feet into the space.

sleep space, which would suit South Africans.

Q: Do you operate online as well?

A: E-commerce shopping is available on certain items on the website.

The nature of our products means customers come into the store to test, feel and experience before they buy.

We strongly advise our customers to lie on the mattresses and pillows for a good 15 minutes each, to feel the benefits. Our team are well-trained consultants who listen to understand each individual’s particular health and sleep patterns and needs. Based on that information, they are able to advise on the ideal sleep solution.

Q: What’s your most popular item or service?

A: The Tempur Sleep Experience draws a lot of attention as it takes one through a journey while lying on the mattress, with an ambience that resembles bedtime. It is a state-ofthe-art sleep pod within each store, which demonstrates the importance of sleep. We recently opened the first Pillow Bar in Sandton City, Joburg which has a selection of around 29 pillows, which has seen remarkable success.

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

A: Brooklyn Square and Mall was the obvious choice, as it has fast become one of the top design centres in

URGENT SALE Land for development

(READY TO GO) • 115 Units (Residential 3) situated on Erf 3 Mabopane X (Development land size = 8 162m²) • All Bulk contributions paid (Water, Sewer, Roads and Storm water as well as Electrical).

• External upgrades completed incl. 345 kVA electrical connection.

• Paving to bus stop outstanding.

• Internal services completed, except internal road (paving) and internal electrical reticulation.

• Site Development Plan and Building Plans approved (new plans designed).

• 1.8m High boundary wall constructed.

• Phase 1 NHBRC paid and foundation construction completed.

• Ideal for Rental or Student accommodation R4 750 000 (Excluding VAT) Direct from developer Contact: 083 376 1887 or eugene@chdprojects.co.za

Q: Do you have any expansion plans?

A: We are currently expanding and rebranding all our stores to Vencasa.

We are also constantly looking globally for new innovations in the

Vencasa 0861 60 60 60 vencasa.co.za

outh

9 SEPTEMBER 2018

Neighbourhood

PROPERTY NEWS

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Cape short-term Tech company improves rentals heat up rental collection S H

l? hort-term rental agents ble across the Cape are expecting . a busy summer season, ans to test, according to Seeff Shortstay teams buy. in Cape Town and Hermanus. ers to The season usually starts from ws for around September/October and lasts until April when the he ined last foreign visitors leave. rstand alth Airbnb has really opened Cape Based Town to the world. Everybody ble to wants to come to the city over the summer. Jason DaCosta from Seeff on.

Atlantic Seaboard says Airbnb has em or also boosted the short-term rental sector in recent years, and although rates are under pressure due to the dip in visitors this year, agents are es ng on looking forward to a busy summer. e that Despite the lower visitor numbers -oftore, tance e first urg 29 able

during the early part of the year, bear in mind, Cape Town is still the busiest tourist city on the continent.

The Airports Company reported that Cape Town International Airport’s arrivals totalled 10,7 million (domestic and international) in 2017, 6% more than in 2016.

December 2017 arrivals were 11,5% higher compared to December 2016.

DaCosta says that aside from locals, the South African summer coincides with the cold Northern Hemisphere winter and offers a fabulous escape for foreigners. Seeff expects a good deal of visitors from the UK, Germany, Netherlands, USA and other countries. Visitors from Asian countries are also increasing.

There is incredible investment growth in retirement lifestyle developments. Many people, therefore, take the opportunity to invest in properties well ahead of retirement age, renting out the units and paying off their bonds until they are ready to retire and use the properties themselves. For those looking to scale down a little sooner, most retirement lifestyle developments allow residency from 50 years old.

CHARL VAN NIEKERK, MARKETING MANAGER: CELEBRATION RETIREMENT ESTATE, CENTRAL DEVELOPMENTS

ouseME, a property technology company that launched in 2016, has released its latest rental collection statistics showing that on-time rental collection is nearly 30% higher than the national average. Credit bureau TPN, on the other hand, recently published a rental monitor report confirming a further decrease in the number of residential tenants who pay rent on time.

HouseME has managed to maintain a national average of nearly 83% of rent being paid on time by tenants.

This is significantly higher than South Africa’s average, which, according to

TPN and PayProp, is less than 64% of tenants. Many have attributed this in part to the VAT increase and general financial constraints.

Ben Shaw, founder and CEO, comments, “Although many landlords will feel the pinch of South Africa’s dip in on-time rental payments, those using HouseME won’t notice it at all. This is because we offer a three-month ‘rental guarantee’ which ensures that landlords are paid on time every month, regardless of when the tenant makes the payment. We pass on the benefits to our landlords in the form of our rental guarantee

and low rates, and to our tenants by requiring only one month’s deposit.”

Furthermore, TPN’s report shows that out of the tenants who do pay late, approximately only half will end up paying the balance within 30 days. That means that on average, 18% of South African tenants don’t pay the full rent. HouseME’s latest figures show the company has been able to bring those delinquency numbers down to an average of 2% for its own tenants after one month and 1,3% after two months.

That translates to an overall rentcollection rate of above 98%.

Enigma Private Estate breaks ground

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mhlanga’s Enigma Private Estate has officially broken ground. This follows the civil-contract tender being awarded to Vumani Civils.

“We are delighted to see this incredible project get underway. The civil infrastructure is expected to be completed by the end of November and the first transfers are anticipated to take place as soon as December this year. This means by early 2019, we can look forward to seeing the first homes

under construction,” says Stefan Botha, director, Rainmaker Marketing.

generating more positive interest for the estate,” continues Botha.

“With its prime location, easy accessibility to world-class amenities and the contemporary lifestyle on offer at Enigma Private Estate, we’ve seen captains of industry secure their place within this modern estate. The year began on a positive note with a record R30m in sales achieved in one week. Thereafter, the positive momentum has continued, and we look forward to this next milestone

Selling stands from R3,5m to R7,5m, Enigma Private Estate’s biggest asset has always been its incredible location in the heart of the Umhlanga Ridgeside area. Enigma Private Estate is one of the newest developments within Umhlanga Ridgeside, and with the civil contract secured and construction in full swing, you can expect to see more cranes within the area take up the skyline.

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RETIREMENT FOCUS

9 SEPTEMBER 2018

Neighbourhood

How much care is enough?

With the rise in retirement development numbers, innovative models are being introduced to spread the financial load of care facilities WORDS: ANNE SCHAUFFER

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

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n the list of must-haves for any retiree will always be on-site care facilities. Retirees need to ask the right questions, and ensure they’re getting what they need… and are paying for.

In-home care

Generally speaking, the medical care, nursing staff and management are outsourced to professional service providers such as MyCare and TotalCare, but equally, there’s a greater focus on in-home care.

It’s not only believed to be a healthier option for residents to remain in their homes while cared for – retaining that all-important independence – but it’s obviously less costly for the developer and therefore the residents.

Leigh-Anne Aitken is a director at MyCare and is well aware of the care concerns of retirees, in particular as to when or whether care facilities will be built. “We don’t believe in a frail-care centre per se, but the option to have home-based care, overseen by a registered nurse based in the care centre. The care centre is much smaller than traditional frail care, but we have doctor’s consulting rooms, where, for example, an audiologist visits one day a week.”

Accessible medical facilities for all

It’s also making good financial sense for developments to have on-site medical facilities which are available to those outside of the retirement development.

It’s impossible to predict the care needs of residents at any one time, so allowing others to access the facilities – while prioritising residents’ care – certainly spreads the financial load.

Full care

And then there are developments which provide full medical care. Here you’ll get everything from frail-care units and assisted-living units, to specialised Alzheimer and dementia care and nurses on 24-hour call.

For many retirement villages, the ability for a retiree to be able to call for medical assistance is standard.

Preventative health care

For many, health-promoting facilities are important. Whether it’s long boardwalks through nature, cycling and hiking routes, yoga, gym or swimming pools – these matter.

Particularly today, when developments are billed for over 50s and over 55s, who are relatively young people with many years of good health ahead of them – they want facilities in which to ensure that longevity.

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Available daily for viewings 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 8555