[imagesource: Property24]

A new trend in South African real estate has young professionals who are on the lookout for their first homes shopping outside the city proper.

Instead, folks are opting to buy in underrated locations off the beaten track.

Houses in small towns in the Western Cape – such as Malmesbury, Wellington and Worcester, to name a few – are attracting an influx of prospective property owners, according to an article in BusinessTech.

So what’s the attraction?

Well, a rep for Pam Golding says that starter homes in these areas have several factors in their favour, primarily good bang for your buck:

“Apart from security and an appealing lifestyle, a key element of the attraction of relocating to small towns… is the proliferation of more affordable freehold homes on larger plots, ideal for young families with small children.”

To test this theory, we’ve honed in on the picturesque town of Wellington, situated in the Cape Winelands, to give you a taste of what’s on the market at two different price points.

Coming in at R2 370 000, this three-bedroom property in Wellington Central is located in a secure estate, within walking distance from the centre of the town:

It spans 230 metres square and features an open-plan kitchen, an enclosed garden, and a braai area, as well as two-and-a-half bathrooms and two parking bays:

With a spacious, airy design and a light, modern aesthetic, this home is the perfect blank canvas for families with children, seamlessly facilitating a blend of indoor- and outdoor- living:

A sense of community living is offset by light-touch low walls, which foster privacy without barricading you in:

It’s easy to see why people might prefer this roomy, idyllic option to cramped interiors and electric fences in Cape Town.

But let’s say money’s no object. What could possibly entice you to leave briny air and bustle behind for sleepy Wellington?

How about an equestrian country farmhouse, replete with stables? This R 24 200 000 property is located on a whopping 870 000 metre square plot, only 14 kilometres outside Wellington:

Nineteen stables, an office complex with spaces for a boardroom and a bar, and a broodmare barn make this property ideal for an owner with a penchant for hospitality industry investments; however, the enormous structure could easily be converted into an uber-luxurious family home.

Two four-bedroom properties, each with a separate swimming pool, currently comprise the farm’s residential infrastructure.

Two one-bedroom cottages and staff quarters are also included on the property.

An unobstructed panorama of the lush surroundings means that residents really would feel like the only people on Earth…that is, in paradise.

In that sense, why not?

[source:businesstech]