Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Another first for Camissa Properties
CAMISSA is the largest and leading new housing developer in the Parklands area and was the first developer to dig a spade into Parklands soil during 1997. Camissa Properties has since developed the most residential units in Parklands. In fact, Camissa has a long line of first to its name. “We were the first to break the R3 million barrier in Parklands North, as well as the R3.5m level. Recently we have concluded a sale, which is the highest in the suburb, of R4.9m,” says Ahmed Essop, managing director Camissa Properties. “Camissa Properties i s al s o t he f i r s t housing developer to have gone green and to build with an emphasis on sustainability. “All Camissa homes built from this year-on generate its own electricity by means of photovoltaic solar power (PV) and they have a solar water geyser, which not only dramatically r educes energy consumption, saves tens-of-thousands of rands over the years on electricity bills, and makes a significant contribution to ‘greening’ the home, but ensures home owners of a constant electricity supply as South Africa’s energy challenges become more serious,” he adds. Essop says in one instance they are saving a client R4 000 a month through cutting electricity expenditure, let alone improving the quality of the family’s lifestyle by not having to worry about the hassles of load shedding. “The main reason for these achievements is that we have always been leaders in innovation and try to set an example that makes good sense to follow, not only from a financial perspective, but also from the environmental, design, quality of workmanship, comfort, functionality, and security standpoints,” says Essop. “Our aim is to continue to offer the best service and the most home for the lowest price, which has made us into the leading force that we are today. Camissa is also the only developer that builds with its own funds and not with that of its clients. This inspires client confidence. Essop says as an indication of the confidence that Camissa Properties has in its houses is that the company gives longer warrantees than other developers. “The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) only requires a three month warranty plus five years on the structure. We offer our clients a six month warranty on patent defects, four years on latent defects, 12 months on the roof, and five years on the building structure. “An indication of the quality of Camissa’s homes and service is that clients have returned to us up to four times in the past seven years to acquire larger homes in Parklands. “One customer, who originally bought a house for R599 000, has bought and sold at a profit a number of times through us, and is now living in a home to the value of around R3.5m,” says Essop. In addition to Parklands and Tableview, Camissa Properties’ areas of activity are in the upmarket suburb of Sunset Beach and in Burgundy Estate.