Freehold Homes in Auckland Park

Despite the fact that it houses a huge University of Johannesburg (UJ) campus and is mostly known now for the student flats built there in recent years, the suburb of Auckland Park still consists mostly (79%) of freehold homes.

And these are popular among academics working at UJ and the University of the Witwatersrand just down the road in Braamfontein, says Sotheby’s International Realty area specialist Willem Prinsloo, as well as medical personnel working at the nearby Helen Joseph and Milpark hospitals, senior SABC staff, and business executives with offices close by in Richmond or Parktown.

Auckland Park residents also have access to all the trendy restaurants and shops in neighbouring Melville, he says, and for those with families, the area also offers proximity to excellent schools. Apart from the renowned Auckland Park Preparatory, it is close to the German School and McAuley House as well as excellent public schools such as the Parktown Boys, Helpmekaar and Voorentoe high schools.

“Another consideration for homebuyers here is that the stands average 900 to 1000sqm, compared to an average 750sqm in Melville,” says Prinsloo, “and for those looking to accommodate large or extended families, the area also offers better value than Greenside and Emmarentia, but the same sort of character homes, many of them dating back to the 1920s, with wooden floors, pressed ceilings and stained glass door panels.”

According to property data company Lightstone, the average price paid for freehold homes in Auckland Park this year is R1,78m, compared to R1,66m last year, and there have been a few sales on ridge bordering Melville in the R2m to R2,5m range. The average price paid for freehold homes in Greenside this year is R2,67m.

*originally published in the Satruday Star 03 December 2014*