Tech allows us to leave cities behind

IRONICALLY, the technology keeping people attached to jobs and the outside world 24/7 is the same technology that has the power to allow them to break away from it all.

Jeremy Barnes, of Greeff Christie’s International Real Estate, says as it develops more, the need to be in an office will decrease, leading to decentralisation and making it easier for people to move away from established hubs.

Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty’s Chris Cilliers says the trend of moving further away from city life has been enabled by technology which allows people to work remotely or commute between cities, choosing to live where it best suits them.

“For these buyers, estate homes are especially popular. Many, like De Zalze in Stellenbosch, have on-site clubhouses, with wi-fi and coffee on tap, which double as informal office areas.”

Val de Vie in Paarl caters specifically for this growing trend by building office blocks on the estate which residents can rent, Cilliers says. For those who need a less formal space, they also have a shared office facility.

For many, living “further away” means living in another city altogether, says Paul Stevens, chief executive of Just Property. And if the always-full early morning flights between Port Elizabeth and Joburg, and from the PE to Cape Town, are anything to go by, this is also a growing trend.

“There are six flights from PE to Joburg between 6.30am and 8.30am on a Monday, and many occupied by the same people each week, so I would argue the demand is there.”

Commuting by road is also attractive.

Using Hartbeespoort, where many people working in Joburg, Rustenberg, and Pretoria choose to live, as an example, Stevens says: “There are residents there who get up at 4am to commute long distances to work, returning after 7pm but living at the dam because of the after-hours and weekend lifestyle benefits.”

In the Cape Peninsula, buyers are looking for remote peaceful living on the coast so areas such as Kommetjie and Scarborough are high on the list, with Fish Hoek and Simons Town also drawing enquiries, says Barnes.

While many permanent residents in remote locations are professionals working from home, and travelling occasionally, there is a “small number” who commute daily, but this would be confined to the Southern Suburbs.

The more attractive out lying areas become, the more development takes place there. In KwaZulu-Natal, this is being seen in the Nottingham Road area, says Shaun du Bois, principal of Just Property in Pietermaritzburg.

“What was once a sleepy village often attracts more people and retail and industry follow the demand.”

He says Hilton has experienced large growth and the community has conflicting views on their quiet town transforming into a busy one.

WONDERFUL WORKPLACE Many lifestyle properties and estates, such as De Zalze, have on-site clubhouses which double up as informal offices.