The City of Roses, as Bloemfontein is often called, is situated right in the middle of SA and, as the country’s judicial capital, is the seat of the Supreme Court of Appeal as well as the Free State High Court.
“The heritage suburbs to the south of the city are also home to some of SA’s top schools as well as the University of the Free State and the Central University of Technology, so it is no wonder that the majority of homeowners in these areas are legal professionals, academics and executives with growing families, as well as medical personnel working at the Universitas Academic Hospital and the Netcare private hospital nearby”, says Jaco de Lange, the local Rawson Property Group franchisee.
“However, there is also strong demand for student apartments and shared houses in the areas around the university, and a growing demand for fixer-upper properties among younger buyers who like the idea of eventually raising a family in an older, more established area and are happy to buy a home that needs renovating or modernising if that makes it affordable for them to achieve their dream”.
“And the suburbs in the Bloemfontein area do offer a very wide range of properties to suit many different needs and budgets, with the result that they include many of the busiest parts of the city in terms of property sales.”
“Houses here“, he notes, “include three and four-bedroom fixer-uppers on large stands in the suburbs of Lourierpark and Wilgehof at prices from around R500 000 to R700 000, and many brand-new two and three bedroom homes in Vista Park, Lourierpark and Fauna at prices from around R600 000 to R850 000.”
“For single buyers, young couples, and investors seeking student flats, there are also literally dozens of sectional title units available at prices starting from R200 000 for bachelor flats close to the Central University of Technology in Willows, and from around R350 000 for two bedroom flats. New two bedroom units in Lourierpark and elsewhere are priced at R460 000 and upwards, while three bedroom flats in good condition start at around R550 000 and range up to around R750 000.”
De Lange says pre-owned houses in good condition are available in Fauna, Ehrlich Park and Uitsig at prices from around R900 000 to R1 million, which is the starting price for solid three bedroom, two bathroom family homes in Universitas, Fichardt Park, Gardenia Park and Generaal de Wet.
“New or renovated homes in all the above areas start at around R1 million, while prices for three bedroom homes in Pellissier and Fleurdal start at just under R1,2 million and those in Hospitaalpark and Langenhoven Park at around R1,25 million. The top end of this market is around R3,5 million, which will buy a luxury three bedroom home in Universitas with an indoor pool and four garages. Or, for those who enjoy a more ‘country’ lifestyle, Bainsvlei offers luxury homes on smallholdings at prices from around R2 million upwards.”
Investors seeking multi-bedroom homes that are within easy reach of the university and can be converted into accommodation for students can expect to pay around R1,5 million, he says, “but at the moment there are also many multi-unit properties for sale where someone else has already made the necessary alterations and investors can immediately start earning an income. These start at around R2 million and range up to around R3,5 million, depending on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and what furniture or equipment is included”.
There are at least seven primary schools in the southern suburbs, while the list of sought-after high schools include Grey College, Eunice Girls’ High, Bloemfontein South High, HTS Louis Botha, Fichardtpark High, Hoërskool Jim Fouche, Sand du Plessis Hoërskool and Castlebridge.
Shopping centres include the Fleurdal Mall, Twin Cities Mall, Mimosa Mall, Bloem Plaza, Pick ‘n Pay Hyper Centre and of course the Loch Logan Waterfront which also has an array of restaurants and entertainment venues, including a cinema complex.
Recreation and sports venues located to the south of the city centre include the Vodacom Park rugby stadium, the Mangaung Oval, the Sand du Plessis Theatre Complex, and Kings Park with its magnificent rose garden. Markets include Art in the Park on the first Saturday of every month, the Urban Flea Market in the Bloemfontein Zoo every last Friday evening of the month and the Boeremark in Langenhoven Park every Saturday.
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