With more and more home buyers prioritizing access to good schooling when considering a purchase, historic Paarl in the Cape Winelands is increasingly coming up trumps, attracting purchasers who are willing to pay top end prices in excess of R11 million in the town itself.
Surina du Toit, Pam Golding Properties area manager in Paarl says the price range at the top end of the market is varied, ranging from R5 million up to R35 million on the estates.
“The ongoing demand for luxury homes is further fuelled by the beauty of the area and its close proximity to Cape Town. With its wine estates, world-class restaurants, beautiful scenery including vineyard and mountain views, access to beaches and central location in the Boland, it appeals to a wide range of buyers across all age groups and sectors of the market”.
“Paarl offers a sense of community along with a typical outdoor lifestyle with lots of activities such as mountain biking, trail runs, farmers markets and numerous other leisure pursuits. It also has a well-established infrastructure and excellent medical facilities. The town is only 60km from Cape Town, less than 30km to Stellenbosch and about 55km to the beach in Strand.
“The tourism offices in the Winelands are also pro-active in promoting this area and many people drive out to Paarl, Franschhoek and Wellington over weekends to experience all that it has to offer.”
Reaffirming the demand for high calibre homes, local Pam Golding Properties agent Lana du Toit recently sold a five bedroom, five bathroom home with double staff rooms at an exclusive address for a top price of R11.5 million. Acquired by a Namibian buyer, this stand-alone home is situated in a cul de sac adjacent to Le Joubert Estate. Designed by a local architect, Lammie Phillips for the first owner, an Italian, the property features timeless marble and speaks elegance and good taste.
Says Surina du Toit: “The new owner wanted to live in Paarl, but did not necessarily seek views across the town, preferring a more natural and countrified outlook. In this home he found his dream property as it feels as if you are living on a smallholding, enjoying mountain views from every window, yet you are ideally situated right in the centre of town. This property combines the best of all worlds – space and town living with magnificent scenic vistas across the Berg River Valley and to the mountains.”
While Paarl still offers good value for money compared to other smaller towns, with the middle market around the R3 million mark, sales of upmarket homes recently concluded by Pam Golding Properties are for houses which fetched R4.75 million, R5.2 million and R6.25 million.
Du Toit says buyers are from Paarl and surrounds as well as from Gauteng, Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and country areas such as Oudtshoorn, and even include South African expatriates from the UK.
“Generally people buy property here as a primary residence or for weekend accommodation when visiting their children attending some of the country’s top rated schools such as La Rochelle. Other top end home buyers in Paarl commute to the work out of town to centres in Gauteng or KwaZulu-Natal while their families reside in Paarl and on the estates.”
Some interesting and high quality homes in Paarl are currently on the market through Pam Golding Properties. This includes a beautiful five bedroom thatch home in a prime location surrounded by the vines of the Grand Roche Hotel, in a very secure and central position with easy access to the N1 and all of Paarl’s schools and amenities.
Priced at R5.95 million the house includes an entrance hall with a sweeping Art Deco style staircase, newly renovated kitchen and spacious accommodation for the larger family or the work from home option. With scenic village and mountains views and a beautiful private garden with old world charm, this is an ideal family home. Located on an erf of 1 632sqm, it includes staff accommodation, wine cellar, double garage plus covered parking.
Another notable property is an exceptional four bedroom Victorian style home which has been lovingly upgraded to accommodate a modern family who enjoys space and functionality. Priced at R7.295 million it includes an impressive entrance hall with chandelier, four large bedrooms with original sash windows and shutters with high ceilings, completed by three en-suite bathrooms.
The master suite has a gas fireplace for chilly evenings and a spacious en-suite bathroom with underfloor heating. Living areas include a formal lounge and dining room with fireplace with French doors opening onto a patio and an open plan bar/snooker room with easy access to the kitchen – which leads via fold away doors to the large undercover patio and built-in braai.
One of the very few 3000 square metre stands in the town, this property offers ample space for children to play at leisure and explore. A swimming pool with water feature plus undercover seating area can be used as a cellar for wine or can be converted into a gym. The property includes a guest cottage with its own access and consisting of a lounge, eat-in kitchen, large bedroom and full bathroom.