Idyllic Paternoster retains its fishing village character
Strict building regulations for new development will ensure that the quaint fishing village of Paternoster on the West Coast will retain its historical character.
All new buildings have to feature white walls and either reed or black corrugated roofs while demolishing old fisherman's cottages is forbidden, says Arthur Randall, Chas Everitt International's area specialist.
Paternoster, named by thankful Portuguese sailors who found fresh water there during a long sea voyage, is about 145km from Cape Town on the R27, close enough for modern explorers from the Mother City to find soul sustenance over weekends.
But buying into the sleepy paradise does not come cheap. Demand for property in Paternoster has seen prices escalate and the cheapest undeveloped stands now cost from R560 000 upwards, says Randall.
Stands on the beach fetch prices of around R1m while 2ha smallholdings about 1km from the beachfront sell for prices of R1m upwards. Smallholdings with dwellings sell from R2,2m each.
Prices for homes away from the beach vary between R1,6m and R1,9m.
Beachfront homes fetch prices of up to R3,8m, while old fisherman's cottages
on the beachfront sell from about R1,6m.
Even recently-built low-cost housing units fetch prices of up to R1m thanks to the fantastic sea views they offer, notes Randall.
Paternoster is of course famed for its crayfish and about 150 local fishermen still ply their trade. A fish market on the beach sells fresh seafood, as does the 200-seat restaurant in the Paternoster Hotel. The hotel, run for the past 34 years by Oom Johan Carosini, is the hub of social activity in the village.
The only other commercial development in Paternoster is a small supermarket and an antique shop.
Randall, who also runs a diving school, says divers from far and wide come to Paternoster. Several old shipwrecks in the area offer excellent diving opportunities. There are three golf courses within a 20km radius, and visitors stream to the town to view the annual wild flower display.
A new development, Klein Paternoster, will be launched soon, says Chas Everitt Paternoster's development specialist Hans Botes. "The development will offer 14 units, featuring the typical reed roofs, walls 400mm thick and wooden sash windows."
The 95sqm units will offer two bedrooms and one bathroom while the 125sqm units will offer three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The units will be marketed off-plan and although prices still have to be finalised, Botes says packages will cost around R1,5m. The show house is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Issued by Chas Everitt International
For further information call Brenda Smith at
Chas Everitt International Bryanston on 011 463 2033
or visit www.chaseveritt.com