At Home on The West Coast: Tips for Investing in a Holiday Home

Are you considering investing in a holiday home along the coast? Whether you’re looking for the perfect place for your family holidays or an additional source of rental income, there are incredible  opportunities waiting for you along South Africa’s West Coast – combining the joys of quiet, coastal living with the comfort of being just an hour or two’s drive outside of Cape Town.

Before you begin your holiday home hunting, there are a few things you should consider:

Distance from the city.

Where you choose to buy your holiday home will impact on whether it is a convenient weekend family getaway spot or more of a seasonal retreat to get away from the hustle and bustle.

The magnificent coastal fishing village of Yzerfontein is situated just 90km from Cape Town, which makes for a pleasant hour’s drive north of the Mother City through some of South Africa’s most scenic landscapes. The town is an ideal choice both for quick and easy weekend trips to the seaside or as an income-generating rental to tourists who will value its convenient location and idyllic lifestyle.

Just a short 20-minute drive further north lies Langebaan, the rare jewel of the West Coast, with its picturesque floral landscapes and crystalline blue oceans flanked by white sandy beaches. Thanks to its warm climate and unspoiled beaches, Langebaan is a popular choice for water sports enthusiasts, from kayakers to kite surfers, yachtsmen and fishermen. The mineral-rich waters of the Langebaan Lagoon attract a wide variety of birdlife including the local colony of flamingoes, which further add to the natural splendour of the region.

Slightly further along the coast lie the towns of Saldanha Bay, Paternoster and St. Helena Bay, roughly 150km outside of Cape Town, which trace their rich cultural heritage and architectural styles back to 15th-century Portuguese explorers on their quest to find safe passage at sea around the Cape of Good Hope.

The size of the property.

In general it is advisable to prioritise location over property size, i.e. rather find an ideally located house or plot with the necessary room to grow. Naturally, if you intend to use the property as a family holiday home, you’ll need to consider the size of your family and extended family who may join you on holiday, as well as whether the property is child and pet friendly.

The condition of the property.

As with any property purchase, you’ll want to perform a full inspection to evaluate the condition of the house, especially if it is situated in a remote wilderness area, as vegetation and damp can easily spread and cause potentially expensive damage. Ideally for a holiday home you want a property that is secure and easy to maintain, as the last thing you want to spend your holidays doing is catching up on maintenance!

For any additional information, get in touch with us on 041 581 1744 or email info@homeandhectare.com.