Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Commercial complex on Knysna Main Road offers 17 units in five buildings
A COMMERCIAL COMPLEX situated on the main road in Knysna and comprising 17 commercial units housed in five separate buildings will be brought to auction by Rawson Auctions Western Cape towards the end of this month. The entire complex will be sold as one lot.
The property is located in an established commercial node close to Knysna’s central business district and offers quick access to local amenities such as retail stores, Woodmill Shopping Centre, Knysna Hospital and banking facilities, says Tanya Jovanovski, franchisee of Rawson Auctions Western Cape. “The Knysna Waterfront is also nearby.”
The estate is 1 572m2 in size and the buildings that make up the property are positioned among oaks and other trees, she says. “The two oaks that distinguish the front entrance and a pin oak tree in the central courtyard highlight the tranquillity of the site.”
She adds that the main building on the site is a double-storey heritage structure that is rich in history. The main structure has steel ceilings, sash windows, Douglas fir flooring, and a feature fireplace upstairs.
The other buildings on the site consist of three double-storeys and one single-storey. Unlike the main building, these are not heritage buildings.
The single-storey building could be used as office accommodation, she suggests. The complex also offers four small stalls that could serve as retail or flea-market kiosks.
The buildings have been modernised with glass frontages that allow for uninterrupted viewing of the courtyard which is situated in the middle of the buildings. “This timber deck could be used for exhibiting goods or advertising,” she adds.
As all the units are currently vacant, the complex lends itself to the possibility of being transformed into a themed business centre, such as an artistic haven for the arts and crafts sector, in Jovanovski’s view. “It also offers many other options. It could, for example, be used to provide services such as a convenience store, banks, a restaurant and a hairdresser, as it is centrally located and easily recognisable and accessible to the public.”
She says improvements made to the buildings include corrugated sheet metal roofs, and ceilings of rhinoboard and timber. “The external walls are of brick, which is plastered and painted; the internal walls are a combination of brick, which is plastered and painted, and dry-walling. The floors are concrete, with a combination of tile, carpet and wood-strip floor coverings.”
The property, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Knysna municipality, also has a current lease for 40 park- ing spots which are positioned behind it.
The auction will be by silent tender, with written offers to be submitted in sealed envelopes. Tenders will close at noon on Thursday, October 27.
The guide price of the property is R7.5 million, but all offers will be reviewed. The seller is registered for VAT, so transfer duty will not be payable. The rates and taxes are currently R108 384 an annum.
No registration fee is required to bid with RawsonAuctions. However, the buyer will be expected to pay a deposit of five percent of the purchase price, and 10 percent commission plus VAT over and above the purchase price, to Rawson Auctions on the seller’s acceptance of the bid. Bidders are required to be registered and must have with them certified copies of their identity documents and proof of residence.
Offers should be submitted on Rawson Auctions’ Offer to Purchase form with its standard terms and conditions, a copy of which can be obtained by contacting the Rawson Auctions office at info@rawsonauctions.com . Bids can be delivered to Rawson Property Group’s head office: 222 Main Road, Rondebosch.
For more information or an appointment to view the property, call Tanya Jovanovski on 021 837 1700 or 082 411 9599.