Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Chic village of Franschhoek offers best of both worlds
THE TOWN of Franschhoek has become synonymous with fine food and wine, clean mountain air and panoramic views.
The village has a distinctly Gallic flavour thanks to its French Huguenot heritage, and a cosmopolitan lifestyle of pavement cafés and restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries and antique collectables. The surrounding farmland is also renowned for its rich soil and abundant vineyards, producing some of South Africa’s most famous wines.
Pam Golding Properties (PGP) said this rich agricultural heritage and chic lifestyle make the valley highly sought-after as a weekend getaway, holiday destination or place of permanent residence.
One of the most popular property options for buyers in all of these categories is the lifestyle farm – typically a smallholding with a generous homestead and some small-scale farming activity. Buyers in this category usually look for warm family homes in picturesque settings, where they can enjoy quality time together and perhaps dabble in a little winemaking or artisan farming as a hobby.
“Prices for such farms can vary tremendously depending on their size, location and condition,” said PGP agents Doug Gurr and Shelly Schoeman, “as well as on the size, historical value and luxury features of the homestead. You can pay from R10 million to R40m for farms in this category – but the lifestyle on offer is priceless.”
PGP’s area manager for Franschhoek, Surina du Toit, said that for people who want to escape the rat race and raise their families in a rural environment, Franschhoek offers the best of both worlds – a small village lifestyle in a magnificent rural setting that is still within easy reach of amenities such as Cape Town International Airport, major shopping facilities and medical care.
“The town also offers an excellent private co-ed school, Bridge House, making it a feasible option for families with school-going children,” she says. “And Stellenbosch University is just 20 minutes’ drive away.”
PGP is marketing a 9.75-hectare property, named Fleur Vue (view of flowers), on the banks of the Franschhoek River, just minutes from the village centre. The farm has a main homestead, a guest cottage and a manager’s house, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. The property is for sale at R16.5m.
The main homestead has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, including a master suite with a fireplace and twin dressing rooms, as well as a study or fifth bedroom. The double- volume, open- plan living areas open on to a covered patio with views across the gardens, vineyards and mountains.
The guest cottage has two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms plus open-plan living areas. Additional buildings on the property include a three-bedroomed manager’s house, a large barn for storage of farm vehicles and tools, and a cold room for wine storage. Fleur Vue has just over 5ha under vine, including cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc varietals. The 2ha olive grove spans has over 1 650 trees, including mission and kalamata olives. The farming areas are watered by the micro/ drip method from the Robertsvlei River, for which the farm has pumping rights. The owners bottle a relatively small quantity of wine for personal use, and sell the rest of the grapes to larger producers. They also produce their own bottled olives and olive oil in small quantities.
Schoeman says the next owners could continue to operate on this scale, or they could expand the production to a more established boutique wine or olive estate.
Call Gurr on 072 610 7208 and Schoeman on 083 301 8833 or e-mail winelandsint@pamgolding.co.za