KNOW YOUR ’HOOD
In each issue, Home Weekly brings you a closer look at a South African town or suburb. This week our spotlight falls on the leafy, green, low-key and relaxed suburb of Westville
NITTY GRITTY
• Although many assume that Westville’s name derives from its position 20km west of Durban, it was actually named after Martin West — the first British lieutenant-governor of Natal when it was established in 1843. The fact that it denotes its geographical position in relation to Durban is just a convenient coincidence. • The suburb includes the areas Cowies Hill, Atholl Heights, Sherwood and Reservoir Hills, among others. • Westville is home to several excellent schools such as Westville Boys’ High, Westville Girls’ High, Westville Senior Primary and Atholl Heights Primary, so families find the suburb a very attractive location in which to settle. The Westville Campus of the University of KwaZuluNatal is home to the commerce faculty as well as certain health sciences programmes, and Varsity College also has a campus in the area. • One of the province’s biggest and busiest shopping centres, the Pavilion, provides plenty of amenities and entertainment for the community and the suburb has several upmarket office parks. • Westville Hospital is adjacent to the Pavilion and conveniently situated just off the N3 freeway, providing top-notch medical care.
PRICE POINTS
The greater Westville area offers buyers properties at a wide range of prices.
“In Sherwood, prices may range from R500 000 to R1-million. In Central Westville the average home sells for R1.5-million and in Cowies Hill the properties reach R5-million,” says Lee Ellis from Tyson Properties in Westville.
Most homes are freestanding houses, Ellis says, and “there are limited gated town house complexes in Westville and even fewer apartment blocks. Many years ago the Westville Municipality was against the idea of them.
“As a result, when people grow older they are forced to relocate to other areas such as Hillcrest, where there are plenty of town house complexes.”
IN THE MARKET
Ellis says that buyers are usually young families with school-going children.
“Westville has a real abundance of green space and there are many parks, sports clubs and the beautiful Palmiet Nature Reserve in close proximity.
“The schools in the suburb are excellent and it is very well situated, with easy access to the greater road network of the N3, M13 and M19.”
Generally, properties in roads such as Kings Avenue are highly sought-after. Complexes like Belvedale Woods in Cowies Hill are also in great demand, as are units in the complex Woodhall Estate in Kings Avenue, Ellis explains.