Want to live on a picturesque golf estate where you can rest easy even when you forget to lock your doors or remove the keys from your car’s ignition?
Fancy mingling with the famous and the beautiful for a couple of drinks after a round or two on one of the most beautifully manicured courses in the country?
If you have a cool R6 million and some change lying about, you too could settle in the Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate Two.
And if you want to go high-end, it will set you back as much as R50m, according to Sally Cameron of Pam Golding Properties Mt Edgecombe.
But you’ll have to wait in line if you want to join the well-heeled at this tranquil and family-friendly haven.
Located near the Gateway Theatre of Shopping and the nearby concentration of business parks, real estate doesn’t come any more prime than this.
It’s no wonder property owners don’t part easily with homes on this estate, ranked among the top 10 in the land.
“They definitely don’t sell them easily as there is nowhere else to find a better lifestyle and value, close to all amenities,” said Cameron.
She said the waiting list of people wanting to buy properties never diminishes.
“We have approximately 100 clients looking to buy on the estate at the moment, and some have been waiting for as long as nine months. They are prepared to wait this length of time for the right house and to secure a home on the estate.”
The majority of properties on the estate are freehold sites, with the balance made up by sectional titles.
Cameron said some of the “cheaper” properties fetched just over R2m, while the top- end homes could cost R50m or more.
“Setting them apart from the others would be their positioning, privacy, large and level ground, off-street parking, plenty of garages, and top-of-the-range finishes.”
Apart from the multimillion-rand price tag to secure one of the 900 plush properties on this estate, prospective buyers must factor the monthly levy, currently set at R1 600, and municipal rates charges averaging R4 200 a month, into their budget.
But for all the well-heeled, high-flying businessmen and world-famous sportsmen and women who call it home, splurging on these “safe” houses is not an issue.
Cameron said while the rolling green hills and valleys, the park like-setting with its water features and herds of buck roaming the fairways, is breathtaking, the biggest drawcard is the safety features.
“The most important factor is security; it gives residents peace of mind,” she said.
“Not worrying about burglar guards, alarms or break-ins and living on a well-run and maintained estate that ensures their investment is secure, is priceless.”
Terry Keller, manager of the 18-year-old estate, said he and his team were constantly looking at new ways to make the estate a highly desirable place to live.
“Our mission is to make this estate safe and environmentally friendly while ensuring the owners’ investments hold their value,” said Keller.
He said while it is intrinsically no different from other top estates in the country, the maintenance of very high standards and paying meticulous attention to access control gave them a differential.
The 2m palisade fencing, crowned with lines of electric fencing, that runs along the periphery, and guarded security booms have kept out unwanted guests.
Inside, security personnel maintain around-the-clock shifts to ensure all is well. “We keep up with the latest trends and regularly invest in security upgrades,” Keller said.
For those residents who enjoy a round of golf, Mt Edgecombe is heaven. The course cuts around the wetlands and eco-friendly areas where no development takes place.
“Our golf course is perfectly manicured, down to the last daisy,” Keller said.
He said the clubhouse, set on the edge of the Pani Dam between the 14th and 9th holes, is a popular meeting place for golfers and socialites.
Other amenities include tennis courts, bowling greens, three community centres with pools, and braai facilities.
But Richard Ballard from the University of KZN’s School of Built Environment and Development Studies believes gated complexes are an expression of the inequalities in South Africa.
“It is striking that some people can afford the finest living environment while others can barely eke out a living,” Ballard said.
About 10 years ago the government made a play for developments to include affordable houses alongside them but Ballard says there was a big uproar. “People in these complexes didn’t want to be living with low-cost houses alongside their homes. In an ideal city people would work to build the best living environment for all, not just a few. Also, they would be tolerant of different kinds of people.”
Ballard concedes: “It’s obviously not irrational for people with resources to want to live in a plush and safe environment.”
Sunday Tribune