house
Over a century old house on a corner plot in the beautiful Riebeek Kasteel in the Swartland. Zoned for business or residential, it can be changed to the best buy in that area.
Oregon Pine window and door frames to give the charm of a area gone by. With a loft the same size as the house, this is a must see and renovate to see and get back the old way of life.
Features :
Interior Features : Fireplace, Ceiling Fan, Carpeted Floors
Lot Features : Lawn, Swimming Pool, Trees / Shrubs, Corner Lot, Fenced Yard, Garden Area
Exterior Finish : Brick
Extra Features : Covered Parking.
Background Information : Riebeek Kasteel & Riebeek West (The Riebeek Valley)
Introduction :
The valley and its twin towns, Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West, lie an hour northeast of Cape Town. The Riebeek Valley has to be one of the most picturesque spots in the Swartland. As Cape Town traffic has faded, you leave the N7 at Malmesbury. The Kasteelberg rises before you like a stone fortress. Drive over Bothmanskloof Pass, and there it is...
Lifestyle :
The valley became known for its eccentric artists, alternative lifestylers and genial locals. While village gossip and the ravaging summer heat are downsides, the balance of the year is great. It’s so beautiful, there’s very little crime, and the community spirit is excellent.
Riebeek Kasteel is the more elegant town, with a Eurocentric square surrounded by shops and restaurants. Yet Riebeek West has its own draw cards – large Victorian houses, and more peace and quiet. The Valley has a collection of restaurants, coffee-shops and bars which struggle to exist, and it still has the commercial disadvantage of being “on a back road”. No real commercial attractions exists and the Valley certainly do not have a population to support the hostelries that began to spring up.
For three centuries, the valley was the preserve of Afrikaans farmers. Fifteen years ago, things changed. The majority of the properties sold are not as holiday homes, but to people want to live in the Valley. Buyers are drawn by the scenic beauty, good schools, and the proximity to Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Tygervalley.
With the property boom and the olive festival has come a different type of settler. ‘It is no longer only the “artistic types” or retirees, but now includes the mainstream people & even more younger people who have made money and don’t need to be in the city.
There are no real opportunities for employment in the Riebeek Valley, so you have to be self-sufficient – work from home, commute, or have a private income. As more companies outsource and employ less, people may as well live in a beautiful place and do business with a computer.
Demograpics :
88% of the population speak Afrikaans while only 2.5% speak English. 78% of the population of the Riebeek Valley is coloured, 18% white and 4% black.
History :
The solitary mountain was ‘discovered’ in 1661 during an expedition into the hinterland led by Corporal Pieter Cruythoff, and named ‘Riebeeck’s Kasteel’ in honour of the governor and his Cape castle. Later, Willem van der Stel offered land in the area to colonists, and the farms Allesverloren and Kloovenberg were established.
Among the first farmers were Huguenots, who planted vineyards. Artisans including wagon makers joined the farming community in Riebeek Kasteel, while retired farmers settled in grander houses four kilometres away in Riebeek West.
Property Market :
The attraction of cheap property is no longer to be found as properties are as expensive as any in the better suburbs of Cape Town, and there is still very little infrastructure.
800m²-900m2 plots sell for R400 000;
Entry-level houses start at just under R1-million
The majority of properties sell between R1m- to R2m;
Top-end properties - over R4m.
Popularity peaked in 2004 . Property in Riebeek Kasteel is the most expensive in the Swartland district. Capital growth over the last year increased only 4% while cheaper areas were catching up fast (Malmesbury 11%, Darling 47%, & Porterville with a 37% capital growth). In Riebeek West (15.23%), the average price of property sold has risen from R557 750 to R680 351 over two years.
A handful of upmarket developments are taking root in the valley.
Average sale prices in the Swartland during the past year: Malmesbury (R623 000), Moorreesburg (R477 000), Riebeek West (R680 000), Riebeek Kasteel (R735 000), Porterville (R467 000), Darling (R618 000), Hopefield (R412 000), Citrusdal (R406 000), Clanwilliam (R530 000) and Piketberg (R427 000).
General information :
Restuarants :
According to the 2007 edition of Eat Out, there are no less than seven entries for the Riebeek Valley amongst South Africa's best 800 restaurants. The Barn, Bishops at the Riebeek Valley Hotel, Café Felix, Café Oppie Square, Cook and Gardener, Kasteelberg Inn and Bistro, Pleasant Pheasant.
- The Barn for views +27 22 448 1377
- Café Felix +27 22 448 1179
- Kasteelberg Bistro on Kasteel’s town square +27 22 448 1110
- L’Attitude for pizza +27 22 448 1440
For info on the olive festival and accommodation, visit
www.riebeekvalley.info
For valley information, see www.riebeekvalleyhandbook.co.za or call Riebeek Valley information at +27 22 448 1584, +27 22 461 2459 or Swartland Tourism +27 22 487 1133
(sources : (1) Property Professional / Catriona Ross (2) Property Scout)