Betty's Bay and Kleinmond focus

Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond, two coastal villages in the Overstrand region of the Cape Whale Coast, about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, are some of the last places where you can still buy coastal homes from just R1.3 million.

Colin Michelson, Seeff Betty’s Bay agent says these village are still fairly unspoilt and offer a stunning coastline and white sandy beaches. The close proximity to Cape Town and Hermanus, is a big draw-card for holiday makers and those looking for a seaside home at an affordable price.

The Overstrand lies in the beautiful Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO Biosphere with fynbos as far as the eye can see. Besides the scenic mountains, unspoilt fynbos and white sandy beaches, the towns offer clear, unpolluted skies, little traffic and relative security.

These are also prime whale spotting locations and you can find a diverse range of water creatures, from whales and dolphins to the penguin colony at Stoney Point, one of only four mainland colonies in the country, diverse bird life, the Cape mongoose, tortoises and even small buck in the area.

Along with this, you can hike, mountain bike, surf, swim or crayfish (with a permit only), or just relax in the tranquil surroundings. Both villages offer basic amenities. Kleinmond, the bigger of the two and just a few minutes’ drive from Betty’s Bay, offer much more including schools, shopping, services, doctors and so on.

In nearby Hermanus, you will find a bigger town with much more including the new Whalecoast regional mall, private schools, hospitals, top class restaurants and tourist routes, boat charters and the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde Wine Valley.

Michelson says that as the smaller of the villages, Betty’s Bay offers a laid-back lifestyle with no street lights. It is home to many well-known artists, writers, and musicians and classes can be had in all the arts, including a chocolate making class given by a local Belgian chocolatier who has a factory in the village.

In neighbouring Kleinmond, you will find two government primary schools and two private highs schools. Mike Tribelhorn and Pam Smith, agents for Seeff note further that there is also a fully-fledged gymnasium, restaurant on the beach front, Harbour Road tourist destination populated by craft, fabric, entertainment and restaurants overlooking the harbour, whale watching, a 9-hole golf course with sea views from every fairway, a hiking club, bowls, tennis, jukskei, canoeing, white water rafting, cycling, a chess club, bird watching and popular fishing spots.

Shopping and retail include a Super Spar, OK Mini Market and Pep Stores. Kleinmond also has an active harbour and many commercial fishermen make their living along the Hangklip coastline.

At the nearby Arabella Hotel and Spa, you will find a luxury holiday resort and 18-hole championship golf course overlooking the Bot River estuary where you can also invest in a luxury private villa.

Kleinmond and Betty’s Bay offer an excellent choice of property, attracting buyers from across the country and an increase in foreign buyer investment in the area. Aside from a rise in permanent residents, retirement and holiday home buyers are increasing in the villages.

Betty’s Bay price range from R200,000 for vacant land, R1.4m for small holiday cottages and R3.5m upwards for a beach front home. Seeff sold two top class seafront properties for R4 million and R4.2 million respectively over the last year and there has been an increase in buyers from the UK, Germany and other Northern European countries.

Kleinmond prices range from R1.3 million to R2.3million for a spacious three-bedroomed home with a flat and swimming pool while a top end 8-bedroomed self-catering guest house located in Klein Berlyn is on the market for R5.95m.

Contact Seeff Betty’s Bay, Colin Michelson (083 354 7773) and Kleinmond, Mike Tribelhorn and Pam Smith (082 553 2914) for more information or visit www.seeff.com.