Right address that has it all
Hyde Park has long been considered one of the most exclusive suburbs in Johannesburg
LIKE its namesakes in London and Chicago, Hyde Park in Johannesburg is a “pinnacle” suburb — a residential enclave exclusive to those at the peak of their business and professional careers. It is home to politicians, statesmen and the captains of industry.
Situated just minutes from financial heart of SA, Hyde Park affords easy access to the best shopping and entertainment venues in the metropolis, several super-luxury hotels and the top private clubs as well as excellent public and private schools — including Pridwin, Kingsmead, Sandown High, Hyde Park High, St David’s and Crawford College.
Daniella Apteker, area specialist for Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty, says Hyde Park is characterised by quiet, access-controlled roads lined with large trees and by opulent homes set in the multi-acre private estates for which it is renowned.
It comes as no surprise then that this area is home to some of the city’s wealthiest residents who are attracted by its proximity to Sandhurst, Sandton and Rosebank. Hyde Park also has a range of property types from which to choose — from sectional title apartments to stately mansions on large stands. Added to this, the number of top-end amenities close by — Sandton City, Melrose Arch, the Wanderers Club and the Hyde Park Corner to name a few — all add to this area’s appeal. Interestingly enough, Hyde Park Corner was the first fully enclosed, decentralised shopping centre in the country when it opened its doors in 1969.
Apteker says that land here is scarce and new cutting-edge homes are few and far between in this prestigious suburb, where the price of a good empty stand could buy one with a magnificent home on it elsewhere.
The latest offering from the Summersun Property Group is this double-volume glass mansion, which has been designed in a ”Millenium Modern” style.
Conceived by Arlene Rottanburg of Summersun as a home that would “set the bar for uncommon luxury and privileged living”, the house is built on a 4,000m² estate in Ninth Road and offers magnificent views of Northcliff and the Magaliesberg beyond, as well as a manmade lake and stream, boutique hotel-style swimming pool, sumptuous entertainment areas and a Zen-like meditation garden.
The residence itself is some 1,300m² under roof, and boasts a 12-seater cinema privé, an enter-
Apteker says land here is scarce and new cutting-edge homes are few and far between
tainer’s kitchen, a gym, a library, a steam room, a cigar bar, a wine cellar, five bedrooms — all en-suite and remote-controlled smart technology throughout along with the highest quality imported finishes.
This home was also designed to be green and uses solar energy for the low voltage LED lighting throughout the home and for back-up power, while borehole water takes care of the irrigation. A German system utilising hot and chilled water coupled with heat inversion pumps provides underfloor heating and temperature control as effective as normal air conditioning, but much more environmentally-friendly.
“This is without doubt a world class home,” says Lew Geffen, chairman of Sotheby’s International Realty in SA,
“We think it very realistically priced, especially when one considers its location.
“Hyde Park is an area that has consistently delivered higherthan-average property investment returns and that is currently much favoured by high-end home buyers prepared to pay well for large properties in convenient, sought-after suburbs, especially brand new homes which are few and far between.
“In fact many buyers now perceive such value here — as in neighbouring Sandhurst and in Constantia and Bishopscourt in Cape Town — that they will easily pay several-million rand for a home on a large estate — and then at least another R30m-R35m more to demolish it and build a brand new one to suit their requirements.”
Data sourced from Lightstone, a property statistics and data provider, reflects that the majority of recent buyers (31.51%) have fallen within the 50-64 years old age category, while approximately 36.54% of recent sellers have been aged 65 or older.
These figures also show that in the period between May last year and April, there were 69 property transfers in Hyde Park of which only 13 were freehold, 39 were sectional title and 17 were within estates. |About 42% of all properties sold in Hyde Park between May last year and April were priced at more than R3m, with an average selling value of just more than R4m. Price: R38m Contact: Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty Daniella Apteker or Mary Fourie Office 011 886 8070