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If you’re spending thousands of rands a month on accommodation while doing business in Joburg, some careful re-strategising can turn an unavoidable business expense into a savvy investment opportunity.
Frequent business travellers to Johannesburg will tell you that the cost of flying is negligible when compared to accommodation costs if they’re booking into a hotel. The average rate for a night’s stay in a mid-level Kempton Park hotel near OR Tambo is around R1,500. So, if you’re in town for five days, that’s R7,500 – excluding meals.
A savvier approach might be to buy an investment property close to an airport or a Gautrain station and, while you’re not using it yourself, rent or Airbnb it to make an income. When you are in town, you could ‘rent’ it to yourself and log it as a business travel expense.
The market in Gauteng for properties close to major transport routes remains robust, according to Bradd Bendall, general manager, real estate operations, for Pam Golding Properties.
‘There is increasing demand for sectional title apartments that are conveniently located for easy commutes to avoid traffic congestion and combat rising fuel costs, or in mixed-use developments that provide numerous amenities. And in these locations, it is still possible to acquire property priced from R700,000 for sectional title apartments, and from R1.8 million or R2 million for freestanding homes – including cluster homes,’ he says.
NEAR OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Serengeti Estates
Serengeti Estates, at one of Johannesburg’s most desirable addresses – Glenmarais, Kempton Park – launched its Whistling Thorns Apartments last year, with prices starting at R1.69 million.
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The 188 apartments are located on five hectares on the second fairway of Serengeti’s 18-hole golf course, and laid out over three individual unit blocks. There are three apartment options: three-bedroom units of 139 square metres, facing the golf course; two- and three-bedroom apartments of up to 120 square metres, or 12 luxury apartments spread out over two floors of the third block.
‘The Whistling Thorns is ideal for singles and professionals desiring a lock-up-and-go lifestyle, as well as young families. For investors, our goal
is to ensure that they are able to realise excellent returns,’ comments John Hart, property director. A three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Whistling Thorns fetches a monthly rental of around R20,000.
Blue Gill Estate
Blue Gill Estate is another well-established, sought-after estate in Glenmarais, where you can find cluster homes with covered patios, braai areas and
splash pools for prices starting at R1.65 million.
Most units have wooden or tiled floors, and open-plan kitchen-lounge, additionally the security is excellent. This estate features beautiful trees and birdlife, and there is a dam on the property. It is within a couple of kilometres of shopping centres, schools and medical facilities.
‘There are a number of tenants in this complex, and this high rental demand is attracting investors,’ says Jalme Joubert, estate agent at Aida. A three-bedroom, two-bathroom cluster home here fetches a monthly rental upwards of R12,600.
Kildare Estate
Kildare Estate is a small, well-managed cluster development in Terenure, Kempton Park, 14 kilometres northwest of OR Tambo. It has 205 cluster houses, all with modern finishes, and boasts high-end security.
‘A three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit sells for just over R1 million, and you could get a rental of R10,000 per month, so it is a good investment,’ says
Mike Okafor, agent for Momentum International Realty.
NEAR LANSERIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Waterfall Country Estate
Waterfall Country Estate is one of the most prestigious estates in Midrand due not only to its proximity to Lanseria, but also the boom of corporate developments in the area, along with Mall of Africa shopping centre. ‘Since more corporates have moved into Midrand, the market has been very dynamic for us,’ says Jessica Hofmeyr, Century Property Developments’ executive for sales, rental and operations. ‘Rentals average around R38,000 a month.’
Facilities include a clubhouse with restaurant, deli, lounges and gym with heated pool, chipping and putting greens, bowling green and tennis courts, and fibre.
Helderfontein Estate
Another exciting Century Property development worth watching is Helderfontein Estate in Fourways – the next phase of which will be launched early next year.
The Kikuyu
The Kikuyu is the latest upmarket apartment development in Waterfall. These fibre-ready apartments include a Scandinavian-style kitchen, eco-friendly appliances, and a balcony for outdoor entertaining, and they come standard with solar-supplemented electricity, and prepaid water and electricity meters.
A one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit is priced at R849,900, and a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit is R1.449 million.
Ellipse
Ellipse, in the heart of Waterfall City, is a new high-rise luxury apartment complex spread across four towers, namely Galileo, Cassini, Newton and Kepler.
Each ultramodern apartment features high ceilings and airy windows that bestow unparalleled vistas of the Gauteng skyline. The choice includes one-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom en-suite apartments, and three-bedroom duplex en-suite penthouses that include a private rooftop garden, Jacuzzi and heated pool. Every convenience, including a wellness club, gym, business centre, pool, children’s play centre, coffee shop and spa, is provided onsite at The Luna Club. Apartments range from R1.49 million to R12 million, and sales opened in November. ‘The build starts early in 2019, and will take about two years,’ says Kent Gush of Kent Gush Properties.
Cedar Lakes
A mere 15 kilometres from Lanseria, Cedar Lakes in Fourways boasts nine lakes, walkways, an excellent clubhouse and restaurant, soccer field, tennis courts and cricket pitch. A two-bedroom townhouse sells for around R2.2 million, and you can fetch upwards of R20,000 a month in rental.
IN BETWEEN AIRPORTS
Sandton Gate
Ground has been broken on the R3 billion Sandton Gate, a mixed-use precinct situated on William Nicol Drive only five minutes from the Sandton CBD, and on both the Gautrain and BRT bus routes. It will consist of modern residential apartments, ranging from two- or three-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom penthouses, seamlessly connected to commercial and retail spaces via pedestrian walkways.
Owing to the magnitude of the development, and to ensure that access into the precinct is seamless from all directions, new intersections will be introduced on William Nicol, between Mattie and Sandton Drive, to deal with the ingress and egress traffic at the precinct.
‘People like being within the Sandton area because it’s the richest square mile in Africa, but you don’t necessarily want to be in the middle of the congestion. We’re developing a pedestrian-friendly live-work-play precinct right on its doorstep, which will integrate commercial, retail and residential, making it unparalleled to other mixed-use precincts,’ says Abland marketing and leasing director Grant Silverman.
