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If ever there was a place to live, it was Val de Vie Evergreen.
Dating back to 1783, Abraham Andries le Roux became the first owner of the farm Kliprug that was eventually developed and named Val de Vie; translated into French it means ‘Valley of Life. Val de Vie Estate is often regarded as the largest and most valuable luxury estate in South Africa. In a bid to extend the already diversified product offering, the estate has now entered into a promising partnership with Evergreen Lifestyle to launch a retirement node called Val de Vie Evergreen.
The idea of Val de Vie started almost 30 years ago when a certain Martin Venter had a vivid dream of creating a place in the Winelands that he and his family could call home. Today, the estate is home to a wide selection of predominantly high net worth families, mainly moving from other parts of the country to Cape Town. They are attracted to the flexible lifestyle that promises safety, security and is tailored to their every need.
Val de Vie is generally regarded as the safest estate in the country, having been awarded the Safest House in Africa award at the International Property Awards in 2014, and more than 60% of those living on the estate are young and established families, with children under the age of 12. The addition of a retirement node is therefore seen as the missing piece to the Val de Vie puzzle, says Venter. Now the CEO of the estate, he is the first to claim that this new retirement development will be the most desirable on the continent.
Strategically positioned in the centre of the estate, the retirement village allows extended families to live together and enjoy the farm-style country living lifestyle while adding tremendous value and convenience. It also reinforces Val de Vie’s commitment to offer something for everyone.
 
  
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As well as offering the comfort and convenience of being close to family living on the estate, Val de Vie is ideally situated in the heart of the Cape Winelands. Rich in history and forming part of a larger World Heritage Site, the sought-after locations of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are on its doorstep. Cape Town International Airport and the Central Business District of the Mother City are within an easy commute, and there are also a number of schools, hospitals and shopping centres in close proximity. From a buyer’s point of view this is very important and beneficial.
A total of 600 homes will make up the retirement node, 400 of which will be exclusive, freestanding houses and the remaining 200 luxury apartments. Homes range from two-bedroom, twobathroom single-garage units to three-bedroom, two-bathroom double-garage stands. Stands vary in size between 340 and 411 m² and start at an affordable R 3.1 million.
The estate as a whole is modelled on French Provençal and Cape Vernacular styles, and the retirement node will follow the same architecural direction. There are 12 different home layouts and designs to choose from, and retirees can expect standard Val de Vie finishes in all homes. These include light and air conditioning, double glazing, Hans Grohe taps, Smeg freestanding oven and gas hob, LED lights, Vodacom high-speed fibre connection, and engineered stone tops. Built-in braais and fireplaces as well as underfloor heating are optional additions, and the estate is also in the midst of the first stage of their water sustainability programme. To be completed in 2018, the private Water Purification Plant purifies groundwater and supplies residents of the estate with water for household consumption.
As with everything on the estate, luxury and lifestyle are key, and this retirement node moves away from the ‘old people’s nursing home’ ideology, which placed a big emphasis on healthcare. Instead, this retirement village provides a lifestyle built around a 5 000 square metre Lifestyle Centre, where people can meet and mingle and create fond memories.
Seniors wanting to purchase here are guaranteed privacy as well as a great social environment with a library, gym and game rooms available for use as well as plenty of green spaces. Residents will also have access to the rest of the Val de Vie 1 000 hectare estate, including a 42km mountainbiking and running trail, dog parks, nature reserves with indigenous animals, pristine polo fields and stables, the L’Huguenot wine cellar, Pearl Valley Golf Club with an awardwinning Jack Nicklaus Signature course, equestrian arenas, and outdoor rock pool. There is also a fitness centre, a 25m indoor pool, squash courts, floodlit tennis courts, a soccer field, cricket nets and an on-site Camelot spa.
Discreet and continuous care is still essential and comes as standard as is part of the Evergreen promise. Evergreen Lifestyle operates on a life-right basis and therefore the purchaser is protected through the many benefits of this model. The life-right purchaser enjoys the advantage of a pristine estate that is maintained to the highest standards. The focus is placed on the security and wellbeing of each and every resident, and the Lifestyle and care centre for when residents require specialised care. It will have 80 assisted living and frail care beds, and home-based care will also available. A 24-hour emergency device will also be installed in every unit.
The on-site estate agents are receiving daily queries and have already sold half of the first phase of the retirement village, and this is testament to the fact that senior folk are attracted by the strong Val de Vie and Evergreen brands, which jointly embody a safe and secure lifestyle for one and all.
Val de Vie Evergreen shows that the next chapter of your life doesn’t have to be a boring or a downplayed one. It can instead be a relaxed, social and carefree one. Val de Vie has always been proud to offer its residents country living at its best. Add to that independence, vitality and health plus financial security and you have the perfect recipe for retirement success.
