Rising interest in older suburbs
Solid old homes in inner suburbs are winning favour again among buyers with young families - and this is especially evident in the older suburbs of Germiston.
Leslie de Wet, co-owner of the Chas Everitt International office in Germiston,
reports brisk sales in the inner suburbs. "We find that especially couples
in their mid-thirties are targeting these older homes.
Their children are starting school and, on the one hand, they need the space
these old properties offer, and on the other, they prefer the established infrastructure
and want to be close to amenities such as schools.
"Younger people are still keen on new developments on the outer edges of town and older people tend to buy into security villages.
"But buyers with young families find good value in the older suburbs and are not averse to buying a basic golden oldie at a reasonable price and then renovating it to suit their family's requirements."
He says the lovely finishes in many of these homes are also an attraction. "Many of the homes built in the early 1900s in suburbs such as Delville, for example, still have the original wooden floors and decorative steel ceilings."
And although stock is limited, older homes needing a touch of renovation are still available in the R500 000 to R750 000 price range. De Wet says such homes have very short listing periods before being sold.
"Meanwhile homes in suburbs such as Leondale are very popular among the upcoming middle class and a selection is available at prices of between R500 000 and R650 000.
"Other popular suburbs include Elspark, where prices for standard family homes range between R650 000 and R950 000, and Hazeldean, where prices range between R750 000 and R1,1m."
Issued by Chas Everitt International
For further information call
Leslie de Wet at
Chas Everitt International Germiston on
011 917-4401