Chelsea Village in Wynberg, in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs is still one of the best kept secrets for property buyers, especially those looking for a historic home or cottage in one of the city’s trendiest villages.
That is the word from Seeff agent, Gail Turner, who says that the village dates around the late 1700s when it developed as a garrison town halfway between Cape Town and False Bay.
“It has remained remarkably well-preserved and in mid-1990, the entire village was declared an Urban Conservation Area. The Victorian cottages in Durban Road have also been identified for future heritage declaration”.
The ‘Old Wynberg Village Society’, formed in 1993, continues to work towards protecting the historical integrity of the area.
Property in the area is undoubtedly sought after and an excellent investment with property values now considerably higher compared to five years ago.
“Even at a time when the spark is out of the market and the economy is faltering, property values in the Wynberg Upper area that includes the village still grew at a steady rate of 11.8% over the last two years”, says the agent.
In 2014, for example, the average selling price in the area was just over R3.3m (R3 377 125). It now stands at almost R3.8m (R3 778 571).
Chelsea Village comprises of a mix of homes, cottages, restaurants and shops. It is the quintessential village lifestyle, says the agent who is marketing a rare historic complex, ‘Capri Court’, with four sectional title cottages in the area, priced between R1.6m and R2.8m.
“The buildings are structurally sound and grouped around a large and secure inner courtyard that includes an exclusive use parking bay for each unit. The units can either be bought individually”, or, says the agent, “the entire complex could be of interest to an investor or developer”.
The development faces the ‘green’ and is adjacent to Maynardville Park and the amphitheatre with its recreational facilities and summer seasons of Shakespearean plays and ballets. It is also convenient for schools in the area.
The first two units are located in the thatched roof heritage building. They are double storey and each offer two living rooms, a kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor and one bedroom suite with lovely dormer windows and views on the upper level. In the front, is a vine trellised pergola and, to the rear, each opens to a private courtyard. These are priced at R2.8m each.
The other two units are located in the ‘Coach House’ and ‘Barn’ respectively. The ‘Coach House’ offers an open-plan living/dining room with a functioning fireplace, a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom and is priced at R1.6m.
The ‘Barn’ is more spacious and includes a large entrance hall with marble tiled flooring, a living room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom, two bedrooms and a bathroom as well as a veranda that extends the full length of the long house. It is also priced at R2.8m.
There are plenty of facilities and amenities in the immediate vicinity, says the agent. These include a library, a safe public park with a children’s playground, small gym circuit and boules. There is also public transport in the area.
Aside from lovely restaurants in the village, there are décor and antique stores, beauticians, a master cobbler and a local pub. You are also close to supermarkets and specialist butcheries (Super Meat Market in Kenilworth and Black Forest Butchery in Gabriel Road) and close to leading gyms, Constantia Village and Cavendish Square.
Security in the area is good and the village falls within the Wynberg Improvement District that offers cycle and vehicle security patrols, regular pavement cleaning and marketing of the area.
