From seaside mansions and coastal forest gems to beautiful eco-estate bush abodes, the property market on the KZN North Coast is simply flourishing. Whether you’re relocating, buying your dream holiday home or looking for investment opportunities, the Ballito Umhlanga corridor is where you should be shopping.
COASTAL HOLIDAY HOME INVESTMENT
Who said you can’t have it all – live and work in Johannesburg and have your beachside holiday home only a short hour flight away? Offering an idyllic coastal lifestyle, where you trade in your sleek suit for a flowy dress or baggies and slops, KZN is all about tropical warm weather, beautiful beaches, hectares of indigenous forest . . . and a booming property market.
The North Coast of KZN
There is no denying that investing in property on the highly sought-after KZN North Coast is to any buyer’s advantage. Offering more than just a ‘holiday home by the sea’, the Durban-Umhlanga-Ballito corridor was highlighted as the fastest growing wealth market in the country in AfriAsia Bank’s 2019 South African Wealth report, showing a 25% growth trajectory over the last 10 years. Developer representative of the Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate Andrew Smith agrees. “This region is seeing major development, including South Africa’s first Smart City master plan, as well as the R76 billion master plan that is set to transform the North Coast from Ballito upwards.”
Holiday home appreciation
And you can get your home to work for you too. With the North Coast attracting more professionals and holiday makers, it’s no surprise that your potential apartment investment can also generate a lucrative income for you. According to Smith, Ballito’s three-bedroom apartment rentals can fetch approximately R3000 more than the average apartments in Sandton and about R6000 more than Midrand’s average apartment rentals. “You can invest in South Africa’s leading property market and have the benefit of enjoying a relaxed coastal lifestyle.”
About Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate
Situated 200m away from one of KZN’s most prestigious beaches is Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate. The family-focused estate caters to the outdoor-loving North Coast community with revitalised dams and wetlands, a forest pavilion, wetland clubhouse, various other amenities and direct beach access. Aura, nestled within Zululami, is an ideal lock-up-and-go solution for investors with two and three-bedroom apartments from R2 million.
Details: www.zululamiestate.co.za; [email protected]; 086 176 4847
OLALA INTERIORS
Colour update
A lick of paint can make a world of difference when it comes to updating the look of a room. Here are a few simple tips to consider before choosing your colour . . .
1. Don’t pick paint colours first
Remember, it’s much easier to choose a paint colour that goes with furniture and décor, than vice versa!
2. Consider your room size
Darker colours create a smaller, cozier feel, while lighter colours make a room feel larger and brighter.
3. Consider the floor colour
Shades should flow as you move from room to room. Think about nearby wall colours, the floors and your home’s overall colour scheme.
5. Consider the purpose of the room.
Warm reds and yellows create an energized room, while browns and greys give a more relaxed feel.
These handy tips were supplied by Paint & Beyond who offer expert advice, specialist tinting, colour consulting and free delivery.
Details: Paint & Beyond: Shop 24, Umhlanga Centre, 185 Ridge Road, 031 561 7402, www.paintbeyond.co.za
Secure, modern farm-style living
There are very few things that make a parent as happy as seeing their child run free in the fresh air, playing outdoors and just ‘being kids’. Nowadays however, many people are sacrificing space for security and living in gated estates with small or sometimes no gardens.
The world is a busy, stressful place and children and adults alike are spending more time in front of screens than ever before. Gone are the days where families came home and spent time tending to their gardens, playing with their pets and reconnecting with each other and their natural surroundings. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
According to the developers of Springvale Country Estate (situated in Sheffield, just outside Ballito on the KZN North Coast), more and more people are wanting to go back to a ‘country’ lifestyle where they can have their own veggie gardens and lay chickens and spend time with their children and pets in their own back yard. Director of sales, Stuart Graham, says there is a growing demand amongst buyers for ‘farm-style’ living on large plots, without sacrificing the security and amenities that come hand-in-hand with living in an estate.
“The health implications of children spending too much time in front of screens and not enough time outside, playing in the sand and climbing trees, are becoming more and more evident,” he says.
Stuart refers to an article he read online recently, highlighting the importance of outdoor play for children to reduce the risk of stress and even mental illness as they get older. “The article showed studies have proven that children raised in more ‘rural’ environments, exposed to animals and even bacteria-laden soil, grow up to be healthier with more resilient immune systems.”
But, he says, that doesn’t mean you have to pack up and move to a rural area far from civilisation. Nor does it mean giving up the first world security we have become accustomed to in gated estates.
Springvale is just one of a few developments in the country that offers large homestead plots (averaging 2600m² going up to 4800 m²), allowing homeowners to create a modern farm-style home with pets, surrounded by beautiful waterways, trees and indigenous buck and birdlife.
What sets Springvale apart from most developments, however, is the affordability factor. Prices start at R1,3m for 2200m² with the average piece of land selling for around R1,65m for 2600m²)
A family-owned development, Stuart says he and his family are creating a place where they themselves would want to live and raise their children. “We are focussing on the values we hold dear to our hearts like space, water, animals, trees, security and freedom.”
With 121 freestanding, single-storey homes on nearly 58ha of land, Springvale is also moving away from the very ‘stringent’ rules often put in place in estates. Springvale is close enough to the hub of Ballito for residents to enjoy the ease and practicality of being close to schools, hospitals and shops, and offers the benefits and amenities of estate-living like a clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis courts.
“Your home should be your sanctuary. The place you go to destress and reconnect with your family and natural surroundings . . . and a place where your children can get muddy, explore and enjoy being kids!”
Details: Springvale Country Estate: www.springvalecountryestate.co.za; [email protected]; 0870941084.
PATIO WAREHOUSE – UMHLANGA
PALM LAKES FAMILY ESTATE
RICHACRE DEVELOPMENTS
ELALENI COASTAL FOREST ESTATE
FALCON FIBREGLASS
