West Coast spring flowers luring home buyers

At this time of year the Cape’s dry West Coast areas are covered with a carpet of colour as millions of spring flowers bloom for a short time. This annual splurge of floral beauty lasts for about ten weeks after which the West Coast once again becomes the dry, tough area that it traditionally is.

Psotta says the West Coast spring flowers are always a boost to house sales.

This is according to Klaus Psotta, the RawsonProperty Group’s St Helena Bay franchisee, who says every year this magnificent spring floral display attracts a steady influx of tourists, not only from Cape Town, but from all over South Africa. He says many of these visitors stay two or three days and traverse as much as 800km in the area seeking out the best blooms.

Estate agents working on the West Coast have learned that a percentage of these visitors are likely to contact them after their visit, and another percentage will return to investigate house buying possibilities, says Psotta.

“However you measure it, spring flowers are always a boost to house sales. Local estate agentswho ensure they have a high profile at this time, for example putting up boards at all the relevant points, can confidently expect enquiries.”

Psotta says he has lived on the West Coast for eight years with his wife, for the last two of which they have represented the Rawson Property Group.

This three bedroom, two bathroom fisherman-style cottage selling in Lampiesbaai, St Helena Bay is located bout 800m from the 4.5km Golden Mile beach. It has a balcony with built-in outside braai and views over West Coast fynbos. The house is on sale for R869 000 - click here to view.

After the 2008 to 2010 downturn, which caused prices throughout the West Coast to drop substantially, prices are struggling to recover, he says.

Today, many prices are still much lower than they were in 2007, and many vacant serviced plots measuring anything from 400sqm to 800sqm are currently available in a price range below R200 000, sometimes priced as low as R130 000.

Psotta says the majority of home sales taking place in this area today are in the R800 000 to R1.5 million bracket, and this is where the majority of enquiries are targeted.

At the higher level, he says this year has seen a slight but gratifying upturn in interest and demand for the more expensive top-of-the-range homes, typically those found at Shelley Point, along the Golden Mile and in Britannia Bay.

Some of the homes on the market here, especially sea-fronting properties, are selling at prices well above R3 million.

Why do Psotta and certain other estate agents on the West Coast still feel confident about the area’s future?

This two bedroom, one bathroom home for sale in Shelley Point, St Helena Bay is situated in the Shelley Point Golf Estate. It has a semi-covered patio with built-in braai and wooden deck extending into the communal garden. It is selling for R899 000 - click here to view.

Psotta says the factors which originally drew people from all over South Africa to this area remain in place. The remote regions of the West Coast are within about two hours’ drive of Cape Town on a fast, straight road, and the mild West Coast climate has always been a huge attraction to Cape Peninsula residents.

“Then, too, most people who move here come because they appreciate the low crime rate and relaxed laid-back lifestyle with ample opportunities for fishing, kite surfing, sailing and boating. They also find the friendliness of people in this area refreshing,” he says.

Psotta says the economic prospects for the West Coast are also worth noting, especially the planned expansion of the Saldanha Industrial Zone, development of the West Coast gas fields and rumours of another nuclear power station in the region.