Tucked up neatly against the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains, in the heart of Somerset West, is a little piece of retirement paradise.
Boasting breathtaking views of the Stellenbosch Winelands, framed by majestic mountains and with the silky beaches of Strand quite literally around the corner, Helderberg Retirement Village offers exemplary living in a magical setting.
Originally the brainchild of a visionary entrepreneur who purchased the wine farm with the intention of developing a truly unique and exclusive retirement estate, the growth of Helderberg Village over the last 27 years has been phenomenal, with additional land being purchased in order to meet increasing demand. Today, an exciting mix of just under 800 luxury sectional titled homes and upmarket apartments grace this thoroughly developed estate, comprising modern styled homes encompassing an aesthetic charm resplendent of the traditional Cape cottage. Having topped the Worldwide Best Retirement Village list and been proud winners of The International Property Award for Africa in 2013, it is little wonder that Helderberg Village remains the preferred choice for those wanting to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
Residents of the village come from all walks of life and all parts of the world; ex-captains of industry successfully mix with retired judges and doctors in a simply idyllic community environment. Fully intent on upholding its reputation as the award-winning industry frontrunner, Helderberg Village is built on a firm foundation of four essential estate requirements: an enriched lifestyle, superb healthcare, formidable security and financial sustainability. Villagers enjoy a wealth of sporting and recreational pursuits catered specifically for those who enjoy the finer things in life, including tennis, bowls and croquet. An extremely well-maintained nine-hole golf course and onsite golf shop welcomes both resident players and members of the public, whilst a fully furnished gym and four large swimming pools, one heated, provide ample activity. Spread over 84 hectares of scenic landscape, including over nine kilometres of exquisitely manicured walking paths, villagers are free to fish in any one of the seven dams, picnic next to the meandering river or simply relax outside and breath the refreshing air.
The centrally located country clubhouse boasts a well-stocked ladies bar and billiards room and is where villagers can obtain information about the countless social societies on offer – from weekly bird, fishing and walking clubs, specialist interest groups focussing on back exercises and yoga to weekly movie screenings, there is quite simply something for everyone. Art is a chief aspect of life at Helderberg and villagers are able to partake in organised crafts workshops such as woodwork, painting, knitting, pottery and photography, and monthly exhibitions are held to showcase villagers’ work, with the best 12 photographs making it into the annual village calendar.
With a well-stocked library, music room, in-house choir and organised day trips to theatres, wine farms and local attractions, it easy to see why Helderberg Village has swiftly established itself as the perfect, secure living environment for those wanting to acquire a new skill, or refine an existing one at leisure, spend quality time with the family and connect with nature. Stunning views of the golf course, vineyards and neighbouring mountains make the restaurant and function facilities at Helderberg Village the perfect location to host beautiful events. Serving up delicious plates of food made with fresh and locally sourced produce, the venue comfortably sits 120 people for birthday parties, anniversaries, corporate events, family dinners and intimate wedding receptions.
In order to enhance the quality of life at the village, estate dwellers can take advantage of the excellent onsite laundry service that not only wash and iron, but also collect and deliver. Housekeeping and gardening services are available where needed and there is even an internal postal service, allowing villagers to send and receive both internal and external mail. DSTV can be accessed in all houses in the village and an excellent irrigation system ensures the surrounding terrain remains lusciously nurtured.
An in-house hair salon and standalone bank makes ordinary services easily accessible, whilst the daily shuttle service to nearby Somerset West Mall means that villagers are never short of anything.
A 70-bed onsite healthcare facility provides professional sub-acute and frail care as well as a designated dementia unit, containing therapeutic music and fish tanks and, despite being halfway through an R6 million upgrade, a qualified general practitioner and full medical team is always available on site to attend to emergencies. Once completed, the upgrade will extend the healthcare offering even further with villagers able to make use of an inclusive home-based care programme, providing holistic and medical support in the comfort of their own home.
With approximately 1200 residents at any given time, together with external contractors, staff and visitors, access control is definitely a high priority, especially when approximately 3000 people visit the village over holiday periods.
A recently completed state of the art security upgrade means that each property is fitted with a panic and intruder alarm as well as a smoke detector.
A well-furnished control room screens real time footage from more than a hundred high definition and thermal sensor cameras and onsite armed response officers provide around the clock on the ground monitoring, whilst an additional five kilometres of electric wiring offers villagers ample peace of mind. Every staff member and external contractor is fingerprinted and only after examining their criminal history are they cleared for entry. Helderberg Village remains an extremely viable investment option. Apartments of no less at R1.2 million in value and 37sq metres in size showcase breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the 240sq metre free standing homes provide spacious accommodation for the extended family and are valued at anything up to R10 million.
Ownership is not limited to a domestic clientele with the 800 houses being inhabited by a lovely combination of locals and international investors, who have chosen to make Helderberg their home. With less than four properties currently available on the market, taking, on average, less than a month to sell, it is obvious that Helderberg has effortlessly retained its premium address. The unique retirement lifestyle of Helderberg Village is unrivalled and near perfect and most definitely raises the bar in retirement living. Offering a heavenly retirement lifestyle in a secure and tranquil setting, the village is a place of serenity, visually stimulation and sensual pleasure.
From excellent healthcare facilities to the imposing Helderberg Mountain peaks, from the state of the art security systems to incredible choice of past times, Helderberg Village has everything needed to live a leisurely yet actively retired lifestyle.
