The beautiful landscape and safe, laid-back lifestyle of the countryside continues to attract more buyers according to the Seeff Property Group.
Ian Badenhorst, managing director for Seeff Country and Karoo said on Thursday that aside from local residents and retirees, agents are also seeing a semigration trend with many either moving to, or investing in the small towns. South Africans are seeing value in homes out of SA’s major cities.
The semigration of people to the small towns has added enormously in terms of small businesses such as art and antique stores, boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants, guest houses and more. This in turn has created more attractions and drawn tourists, opening a whole new industry, said Badenhorst.
A sandstone home can be bought for R1.2m, in Oudtshoorn.
Ladismith, an agricultural centre in the Klein Karoo
Sonja Claassen from Seeff Ladismith said there is a lot of positive sentiment about countryside property. Thjs location on the Route 62 makes it popular. It is mostly a farming community with milk, wine, flowers, and mutton. There are also two cheese factories for Parmalat and Ladismith Cheese, and the Ladismith Wine Cellar for tasting, and cellar tours.
House prices range from R800,000 for a small house to around R2.4m for a large home, and farms from R2.7m to R24m for a 200-ha farm with extensive infrastructure which produces export-quality fruit.
Graaff-Reinet, a landmark town in the Karoo Heartland
Famous for its more than 200 heritage buildings including the Drostdy Hotel. These are examples of early Cape architecture and the Camdeboo National Park surrounds the beautiful town.