Coastal home buyers also find value in the area
Home buyers looking for value for money in prime coastal areas – both for permanent relocation and holiday use – are finding that St Francis Bay, with its attractive beaches and canals and situated on the lower Eastern Cape coastline close to the Garden Route fits the bill.
So says Richard Arderne, area principal for Pam Golding Properties, who says: “Apart from good residential property sales we are seeing a significant increase in holiday rental enquiries with bookings flooding in for the December – January holiday season.
“There’s not only a greater demand, this festive season our holidaymakers are staying for longer rental periods from 14 to 21 days, with some even as long as four weeks.
“Most of these are families living in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban, although we also receive a few overseas bookings,” adds PGP rentals agent, Emily Obray.
She says rentals start at R1 600 per night, ranging up to around R12 000 per night. Leases for holiday rentals have an average value of R65 000 with a few around R150 000 and one over R250 000 confirmed for the forthcoming festive season.
St Francis Bay and the surrounding areas continue to grow in popularity as the summer holiday destination of choice for many local and international holidaymakers. “We have the best of all worlds with a wide variety of activities available, for example world renowned surf spots, a world class golf course – The Links, water skiing on the Kromme River, jet skiing, canal boat trips, wind surfing, paddling and scenic walks, not to mention the much sought after events and entertainment organised for both young and older throughout the season.
“Having experienced record property sales in 2014, we’ve achieved buoyant sales for this year to date too with many buyers even through the winter months. However, buyers are becoming more discerning, looking for bargains.
“Just some of our recent sales include 10 plots on St Francis Links in October, and plots on the canals which fetched R1.4 million, R1.7 million and R3.5 million, with all three buyers planning to build next year (2016).”
Pam Golding Properties sales of existing homes include an old thatched house on the hill with a good view which fetched R1.5 million, an apartment in Port St Francis which was acquired for R1.1 million, a modern thatched home in an estate just off the canals which was sold for R1.8 million and two older small houses on the canals which each fetched R2.7 million.
Adds Arderne: “At the higher end of the market stylish or more modern, luxury homes sold at prices ranging from R2.6 million and R3.6 million to R4.4 million and R4.5 million. We also sold a large industrial plot for R2.1 million.”
For further information contact Pam Golding Properties in St Francis Bay on 042 294 1188 or email richard.arderne@pamgolding.co.za.
