Cape Town - When you buy a house, the only thing the seller gives you is a set of keys to your new home.
But a German couple who bought a Bantry Bay home for a record price of R290 million, had a Porsche Cayenne and an Aston Martin DB9 thrown into the deal. The record sale was made by Dogon Property Group estate agent Adrien Epstein, who described the entire sale as “exciting”.
“I felt exhilarated. The seller and purchaser were very upbeat about the transaction and the entire negotiation and closing of the deal was done in an exciting and co-operative manner by all parties.”
He said the sale of the property took two days last month, and the couple would be using it as a holiday pad.
“They were not planning on buying such an expensive property, but they fell in love with it. It has spectacular views and it is a spectacular home.”
The luxury home stands on 5 000m² land and has four family bedrooms, three guest bedrooms, two staff bedrooms and a wrap-around swimming pool.
Epstein said that the seller wanted to make sure that the property was not disturbed so he bought the plots next to it.
The plots that flank it are around 1 000m² each, so allowing the sea-and-mountain-facing home to stand out.
Epstein said that the closest record sale he made as an agent was R50m.
He said that after the sale was made they had to celebrate, so he, his team, the buyers and Dogon chief executives Denise Dogon and Jacky Atlas, along with mutual friends, partied in the home.
The award-winning house was built two years ago. It was designed by architects SAOTA and has had one owner.
Its accolades include the most popular vote category in the international 2016 Architizer A+ Award for private houses over 500m², as well as the 2016 Lafarge Artevia Decorative Concrete Awards, in the category: House with a view.
“It has 360° views at the top of Bantry Bay overlooking the Atlantic Seaboard and Clifton.
It has won international architectural awards and is the highest price ever achieved for a house in South Africa and on the continent of Africa.”
SAOTA’s director, Philip Olmesdahl, who led the project team, said the key to the design was balancing “exposure to the 360° views with the need for privacy, and respecting Table Mountain”.
Tamaryn Fourie, senior associate at SAOTA said that the site of the home bordered a national park, and it was decided to restrict the main building to two storeys.
“The contours of the steep and visible site were respected in the design, with sensitive massing and minimal excavating.
“The break from natural ground is softened by inclined shaped walls planted with indigenous flora. While the lower levels are securely rooted in this planted plinth, the top levels appear delicate and almost weightless, as they are supported by pre- and post-tensioned beams and minimal steel columns.
“Floating above the glazing, the zinc roof adds a final plane hovering just above the national park boundary.”
The home boasts a horseshoe layout that maximises the vista views and offers a centrally located kitchen.
“It is a house for all seasons and moods of climate and landscape.
“An extended covered canopy reaches right to the end of the site framing views of Clifton, the Twelve Apostles and Lion’s Head,” she said.
Cape Argus