Idyllic Zimbali home retreat
THE Zimbali Coastal Resort on the KwaZuluNatal north coast has firmly entrenched itself as a premium destination offering its residents excellent security and a pristine and private natural environment. With easy access to the new King Shaka International Airport, living in Zimbali and commuting to Sandton or the greater Gauteng region has become more manageable.
In addition, the extensive infrastructure and the range of shopping, business and medical amenities that have now developed within the immediate area have transformed Zimbali into a hub for those who love the sense of living in harmony with nature while still having everything they require at their fingertips.
Andreas Wassenaar, principal of Seeff Properties Dolphin Coast, is marketing this R30m Zimbali home which boasts Balineseinspired architecture and a range of top-notch finishes and fittings. He says that the trade in Zimbali properties has been surprisingly steady in the past four years. He points to deeds office registered transfers reported by Lightstone — a property data and statistics provider — that show 2009 delivered 66 sales to the value of R288.2m, 2010 produced 80 sales to the value of R310m, 2011 recorded 70 sales to the value of R269.7m and last year resulted in 70 sales to the value of R362m.
“On average Zimbali therefore is producing 72 sales to the value of R307.5m. Not bad for a generally constrained property market where supply still exceeds demand by a wide margin, especially for coastal properties,” he says. “Remarkably the number of actual transactions for 2011 and 2012 were identical, but the value shot up 34%. This is indicative of the recovery in demand at the higher end of the market.”
Wassenaar says the high-end market in Zimbali can be segmented into two groups. There is a R10m-R20m bracket which is represented by beautifully positioned homes, with sizes ranging from 500m² to 800m², offering four to five bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms and particularly noteworthy finishes and attention to detail. Home automation, heated pools, smart kitchens and designer media/entertainment rooms start to make their presence felt in this category. The very top end of the home market within Zimbali is defined by a group of approximately 50 homes priced within the R20m-R40m bracket.
“Each one of these properties is extraordinary and designer finishes and top-end home automation is standard,” says Wassenaar. “Media rooms controlled by iPad apps are cutting edge, kitchens with integrated appliances are expected while extensive design features such as rimflow pools, koi ponds that flow underneath parts of the home and lavish outdoor entertainment areas often characterise this group. Most importantly it comes down to position and privacy. Privacy is the new luxury and individuals … at the high end of the residential property spectrum place a considerable premium on it.”
This feature home, 10 Milkwood Drive, Zimbali, is the quintessential Balinese-inspired home. Three life-size Balinese stone statues greet guests with the soothing sound of flowing water setting the tone for a tranquil experience. “For those who have been to a spa at a Banyan Tree Resort in Asia or the Seychelles, the same experience of barefoot luxury and sensual experience will be familiar in this remarkable property,” says Wassenaar.
The ground floor living spaces include formal and informal dining areas positioned close to an oversized kitchen with doublevolume ceiling space. A cleverly designed internal courtyard with centrally located frangipani tree leads out to the second pool. The main pool is positioned on the seafacing elevation and frames the view from the large wooden deck. Two private guest suites are located on the ground floor.
The first floor landing boasts an exceptional ocean view, and leads to the two master suites. This home also includes four lockup garages.
Wassenaar says that two noteworthy transactions within Zimbali have recently been recorded which provide clear evidence of renewed activity within the higher end of the market: a new 600m² home was sold and transferred in September last year at R20m, and a 1,034m² home was sold in May this year for R20.5m with transfer expected to be registered in July.
“The expectations for the rest of the year is that the number of transactions should be up on last year, with more higher-value transactions concluded, although selling prices are still expected to be 10% below general asking prices,” he says. Price: R30m excluding VAT Contact: Seeff Properties Andreas Wassenaar 082 837 9094