Market report: The secret delights of Bellville

Situated right in the heart of Cape Town’s northern suburbs, Bellville is a “hidden gem” for homebuyers – and especially those relocating from Gauteng, who are often shocked at how much higher prices tend to be in the Mother City.

   So says Charl Louw of our Cape Town Northern Suburbs franchise, who notes: “Bellville is made up of a number of different suburbs and offers a wide range of properties to suit all lifestyles at really competitive prices. It is often overlooked but it should not be as it has much to offer, starting with a great location.”

   About 20km from the Cape Town CBD and the V&A Waterfront via the N1 freeway, the area also offers residents easy access to Century City, Milnerton, Parow and Durbanville, but most residents never actually have to commute or deal with peak-hour traffic jams as they work close to home in Bellville’s own commercial centre and office parks, he notes.

   “In fact, those who live here don’t really have to travel far for anything. Bellville has excellent public schools, including the DF Malan, Stellenberg and Bellville high schools, and the Eversdal, Totius and Welgemoed primary schools. It is also very well-supplied with excellent retail and recreational facilities, including the 90 000sqm Tyger Valley Centre and the Bellville Velodrome, which regularly hosts international and South African music stars and indoor sporting events.”

   For outdoor enthusiasts, Louw says, the area even has its own beautiful nature reserve and several wine estates on its northern edge, as well as a very well-situated golf course in Welgemoed that offers players panoramic views of the Hottentots Holland mountains.

“However, value for money is really Bellville’s the main draw card for those in the know. For first-time buyers, good quality two-bedroom apartments are available in sought-after Loevenstein at prices from around R850 000, and in the blocks around the trendy Tyger Valley Waterfront at prices from around R1m.”

  For young families, he says, suburbs like Oakdale offer sturdy three-bedroom, two-bathroom family homes with garages and sometimes a separate flat at prices from around R1,35m to R1,7m, while Stellenberg and Eversdal have three-bedroom townhouses in secure complexes at prices from R1,5m and modern three-bedroom homes at prices from around R2m.

   “For repeat buyers (and upcountry semigrants), there is a very wide choice of executive-level and luxury homes in the suburbs and estates close to and overlooking the nature reserve, including Kanonberg, Welgedacht, Protea Valley, Welgemoed and Loevenstein. (See photos).

   “These are all very safe areas with quiet streets and prices for gracious three and four-bedroom freehold properties with large gardens here generally range from around R2,5m to around R7m, although prices for exceptional mountainside and estate homes can go all the way up to about R13m.

   “Bellville also has a number of retirement villages, while Protea Valley is a popular choice for those scaling down from family houses and in search of low maintenance, lock-up-and-go homes in secure complexes. Prices for two-bedroom townhouses with mountain views in this area start at around R1,7m.”           

   And with this variety of properties on offer, Louw says, it is not surprising that Bellville also has a very diverse and cosmopolitan population. “For example, the area is home to many doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel, because there are three hospitals here, including the Tygerberg Hospital, which is the teaching institution for the University of Stellenbosch medical school.

   “There are also many academics and students living in Bellville, because the University of the Western Cape, the the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Northlink Technical and Vocational College are all located here. And then there are legal and financial professionals, corporate executives and entrepreneurs too.

“It’s a real melting pot – and a convenient and creative place to live, which explains why 57% of homeowners here have not moved in more than 10 years.”

Captions:

This four-bedroom, three bathroom Cape Dutch home in Loevenstein is for sale for R3,6m. It has four reception rooms and boasts unsurpassed views over False Bay and the mountains. Sash windows and high ceilings add to its charm and it also has a separate two-bedroom flat. A great location means easy access to main roads, popular schools, hospitals and shopping centres.

This spectacular four-bedroom, four bathroom home in Kanonberg is for sale for R11,5m. It features exceptional finishes with free-flowing entertainment areas, upstairs and downstair and many luxury features, including built-in wall units with flat screen televisions, teak decking around the pool, a walk-in wine cellar, heated towel rails and underfloor heating in the bathrooms, integrated Bosch appliances in the kitchen, fitted cupboards in the study, three geysers with heat pumps, and staff accommodation with its own kitchenette. It also has double garaging and a pool.