“Arabella Challenge” to showcase family-friendly lifestyle, says PGP
Arabella Country Estate near Hermanus is preparing to host the “Arabella Challenge” – a mountain-bike and trail-running festival, taking place on the weekend of 21 and 22 September (2013). Pam Golding Properties (PGP) says the event provides the ideal opportunity for visitors to experience the family-oriented lifestyle on offer in the estate, whose 236 erven are now almost fully developed.
The Arabella Country Estate is located on the banks of the Bot River lagoon, just 20 minutes’ drive from Hermanus and an easy hour and a half’s drive from Cape Town. The entire estate is situated within the Kogelberg Biosphere, a UNESCO-designated biodiversity zone noted for its unspoilt beauty and huge variety of flora and fauna. Besides its residential component, the estate contains an 18-hole Peter Matkovich golf course, often rated among the top five in South Africa, as well as a hotel, spa and numerous sporting and recreational facilities, including floodlit tennis courts, jogging paths and children’s playgrounds.
PGP area manager Mike Bisset says after a period of muted sales activity between 2008 and 2011, sales of homes on the estate have increased and steadied over the past 18 months, with a notable shift towards a local buyer profile, and an increased number of permanent residents. “PGP sold six homes at Arabella last year (2012) to a total value of R18.6 million,” he says, “and our agents have already sold four homes in 2013 (as at end August) to a combined value of over R16 million. And this is even before the peak summer selling season, when increased numbers of visitors are exposed to the lifestyle offering. We anticipate that sales activity will continue and even increase into the final quarter of the year.”
“There has definitely been a shift in the attitude towards second homes,” Bisset continues, “with buyers now prepared to commit if they feel they are getting good value for money – a factor which is a major selling point on the Arabella estate. The highest demand at present is for homes in the R2.8 million to R3.5 million price range, both for holiday use and full-time residence. A number of properties are also being extensively renovated and enlarged – a sign of confidence in the superb lifestyle and sound management of the estate. Events such as the upcoming Arabella Challenge are also helping to increase the public’s exposure to the residential offering, alerting visitors to the fact that this is a secure, family-friendly environment with a beautifully serene setting, excellent facilities and an accessible location.”
At present there are 216 completed houses on the estate, a further five under construction, and just 15 erven which have not yet been developed. Four of these are available for purchase through PGP, with prices ranging from R800 000 to R1.1 million. The estate’s design style is one of understated elegance, with neutral colours, sandstone-clad chimneys and slate roofs which blend easily into the surrounding environment. Entry level pricing is around R2.5 million to R3 million for a small lock-up-and-go home on a smaller stand, with larger family homes offering multiple bedrooms, pools and superb views usually fetching between R3 million and R3.5 million. At the top end of the scale the estate’s more luxurious homes in prime locations can fetch anywhere from R3.5 million to R7.5 million.
Meanwhile the possibility of a second phase of development at Arabella is still under consideration. The Homeowners’ Association has recently established a Consultation Committee which is working closely with developers on plans for the possible extension, which may include additional homes and even a second golf course, subject to approval by the relevant authorities.
For more information on homes for sale in the Arabella Country Estate, contact the on-site PGP office on 028 284 9384 or arabella@pamgolding.co.za, or call PGP area manager Mike Bisset (082 889 5300) or agent Danie van Niekerk (083 454 3545).
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