Bavarian beauty by the seaside

This home in the heart of Ramsgate has everything a discerning buyer could wish for. Lea Jacobs reports

SET on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, Ramsgate remains a popular choice for those who wish to make the area their permanent home. The small seaside village is situated minutes from the resort town of Margate and although perhaps not regarded as a holiday hotspot, Ramsgate does have a Blue Flag beach and its fair share of holiday accommodation.

Lightstone statistics reveal that 63% of property in the area falls under the freehold banner while the remaining 37% is made up of sectional title apartments mainly centred in the beachfront area. Ramsgate is generally marketed as a prime, upmarket residential suburb, although Ramsgate ext 3 offers more basic, entry level homes.

There are two schools in the area, including one of the coast’s biggest private schools, Southcity Christian Schools, catering for primary and high school education.

“We have found that the school has boosted the area and have noted an increase in enquiries from those looking to live nearby,” says Willem Erasmus, principal of the Acutts office in Margate.

He says sales volumes over the past three months have been on the low side, with 24 properties selling below R800,000 and only eight homes achieving prices above this figure.

“Although these sales statistics could be viewed as disappointing, it must be remembered that this period reflects the market conditions for the winter, which is traditionally a low season, and past experience shows that this figure changes quite significantly during the summer months.”

The statistics reflect this trend and indicate that 34 sales with an average selling price of R1,032m took place over the last year. Fifteen properties sold for an average of R2,029m and an additional two sales with a mean selling price of R3,375m were concluded.

“It is now an established a fact that the south coast market hit a high around 2006-07 and that most areas have experienced substantial decreases in volume and value since then,” says Erasmus.

In Ramsgate, the lowest point seems to have been reached in 2010, when sectional title values dropped to an average of R807,000 as opposed to the R1.264m achieved in 2007. Since 2010, sectional title values seem to be holding their own, even showing a slight increase. Freehold sales have almost miraculously shown a steady upward trend as far as value is concerned.

Value is only one side of the coin. Sales in Ramsgate have shown a marked decline since 2004, when the number of freehold units transferred peaked at 347. Currently, 80 freehold transfers take place per year. Although not backed by statistics, it is possible that higher value properties are just not selling and sellers in the R800,000-R1m price range are holding out to get their price despite lowish sales volumes.

Ramsgate has several spectacular homes and one such property has recently come on to the market. The gracious Bavarian home was designed by a German architect and features woodwork designed and fitted by a Bavarian carpenter specially brought out to complete the work.

The home underwent a R2m upgrade in 2008 and although many of the original features remain, it now has a modern, stylish look. Situated on a property measuring 7,855m2, the 600m2 dwelling enjoys both distant sea views and inland vistas.

The property comprises a main house with three bedrooms as well as a fully fitted one-bedroom apartment and features high-end finishes including solid Oregon German-designed window frames and doors and louvered shutters on all the bedroom windows. There is marble and travertine flooring throughout the living areas and pure wool carpets in the bedrooms. The drawing room — complete with fireplace — opens out onto a large veranda that makes the most of the views.

There is a separate TV lounge, a formal lounge and study as well as a fitted kitchen with solid oak units and granite worktops. As an added bonus, there is also a walkin pantry and separate scullery.

The main bedroom has an impressive en-suite bathroom and a large walk-in dressing room.

The home has ducted air conditioning throughout, and the downstairs entertainment area has a bar, his and hers changing rooms, a wine cellar, sauna, hobby room and a heated swimming pool. The staff quarters feature a kitchen and bathroom.

In addition to the manicured gardens that surround the home, the adjacent properties collectively have planning permission for four additional homes.

Price: R5.999m Contact: Acutts Margate Willem Erasmus 082 654 5035 Office 039 312 2512