This four-bedroom property at Monaghan Farm is on the market for R7,9 million through Pam Golding Properties.
“Rolling grasslands with magnificent vistas, meandering rivers, a wandering herd of Nguni cattle, jackals, small buck and rare bird life, stables, walking and cycling trails, upmarket homes with magnificent vistas—there are so many reasons why Gautengers would want to live at Monaghan Farm.”
So says Jo Lotter of Pam Golding Properties. Monaghan Farm is a residential estate situated just north of Lanseria Airport, between the cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Mogale. Lotter describes the 1 260-acre estate as “a quiet country haven set within the heart of bustling Gauteng”.
Monaghan Farm is roughly the size of the Johannesburg suburbs of Westcliff, Parkview and Saxonwold combined. The Jukskei River meanders through it for more than three kilometres, providing several kilometres of attractive common river frontage.
“The estate, or farm as residents prefer to call it, offers a novel lifestyle to those looking to escape back to their roots, back to country living and away from the hustle and bustle of Gauteng’s ever growing cities with their interminable traffic,” adds Lotter.
“The residents have the best of all worlds. They are situated on the fringes of both Johannesburg and Pretoria, and, for the executive or businessperson who needs to travel, the Lanseria airport is just 15 minutes away. Yet the residents of the farm have a country and outdoor lifestyle that has few equals anywhere in South Africa,” she adds.
The developer of the estate, Prospero Bailey, says Monaghan Farm is far from your typical upmarket development. Its ethos is based on incorporating the environment—the natural environment as well as the people in surrounding communities who service and are dependent on the development—into a model of partial self-sustainability. Monaghan Farm also seeks to bring back the sense of community that has been lost in the cities, points out Bailey.
“The development challenges conventional building and architectural trends,” he observes. “There are no huge mansions dominating the landscape homes here. Homes are designed to merge into the environment, without losing any of their elegance or the comfort of modern living.”
The estate belongs to the residents and is run by a homeowners’ association. Lotter says most residents are professionals and entrepreneurs aged between 30 and 50 years of age. Many are parents looking to bring up their children in a healthy, life-affirming environment.
A number of homes are available for sale in the estate through Pam Golding Properties varying in price from between R3.8 million and R10.9 million. Investors are also able to purchase stands and design and build their own homes. These are available from Pam Golding Properties from between R975 000 and R2.5 million.
Luxurious yet discreet, only single-storey structures are permitted at Monaghan Farm. Roof and walls must fall within a range of earthy colours that match the environment. All houses should have an element of passive solar design and the ability to collect rainwater in tanks. Architectural guidelines have been formulated and an aesthetics committee approves all plans before submission to council.
According to Bailey, Monaghan Farm is a showcase for progressive, sustainable home design. One gem of a home that has been placed on the market for R7,9 million through Pam Golding Properties, is the original five-bedroom Monaghan Karoo farmhouse. Four of the bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, and there is a separate cottage and staff quarters. The doors to this light and spacious 520 sqm home open onto an entertainment area where you can view the grasslands or splash with fish in the all natural swimming pool.
The facilities of the idyll that is Monaghan are truly impressive. The restaurant that is run from the farm is very popular on weekends and is known throughout Gauteng. There are two schools on the premises including a Montessori school and a Curro private school. The latter currently offers Grade 000 through to Grade 4 and will accommodate 1 200 learners when it is completed. In addition it will provide 60 disadvantaged children with bursaries.
Monaghan Farm is a horse and bike rider’s paradise. There are 35km of paths, which make for scenic horse or bike rides, runs and walks. Many residents make use of the tennis courts and cricket nets, and a number of other sporting facilities are planned.
A business park is to be developed and will be convenient for those who wish to work close to home. Technology has also not been forgotten with fibre optic cabling being run to each property providing homes with the highest internet speeds available.
“Space has become a rare and valuable commodity in Gauteng. At Monaghan, you can own an architectural masterpiece on an acre of garden with cutting-edge infrastructure,” notes Bailey.
“Close to the city but a world apart, the development offers space, integrity and good taste, modern connectivity and security, in a beautiful and sustainable environment. Monaghan Farm offers an idyllic lifestyle the likes of which has not been seen before in a residential development in Gauteng,” concludes Bailey.
