Built in 1903 this former ostrich palace is for sale at R6 million.
With its fresh air and mountain backdrop the relatively undiscovered town of Ladismith on the Garden Route in the Klein Karoo is attracting increased interest, says Masood Husain, area manager for Pam Golding Properties.
“Home buyers looking for a scenic and tranquil haven away from the big cities with a complete lifestyle change or on weekend getaways are finding appealing and affordable options here in Ladismith in the Western Cape,” he says.
Just 78km from Riversdale and the N2, 300km east of Cape Town and 100km west of Oudtshoorn, Ladismith is easily accessible on the N1 through Laingsburg or a good tarred road from the increasingly popular Route 62, a scenic road linking Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
“This is the perfect alternative and contrast to a coastal getaway, as the town is in picturesque, unspoilt countryside in the lap of the Swartberg Mountain range and at the foot of the famed Towerkop mountain, with the World Heritage Site and pass of outstanding beauty, Seweweekspoort is nearby, as well as Hoeko Valley, another scenic area where about 30 percent of South Africa’s apricot exports are grown,” says Husain.
Attractions include the low crime rate and friendly community life, and Ladismith remains a fertile, green oasis that produces everything from wine and brandy to fruit and cheese for world markets. Apart from the Ladismith Eco Festival, the town is also well known for its cycle races including the Seweweekspoort Bike Rally later in the year.
Husain says smallholdings and farms are where most enquiries are channelled from local and overseas buyers, mainly from the UK and Netherlands. There is a good selection of these properties, varying in size from 1.7 ha for a smallholding up to an 8 800 ha game farm, at prices ranging from R385 000 to R16.6 million. At present the strongest demand is in the R1.4/R1.5m price range.
Pam Golding Properties has a wide variety of farms available from game, apricot and mixed fruit, lucerne and olive farms, as well as livestock farms. City dwellers are mostly interested in lifestyle farms and smallholdings.
Vacant land ranges from about 600 m2 to close to 5 000 m2, priced between R120 000 and R500 000. Husain says these stands are ideally suited to private buyers who want to build their dream homes or city getaways, and the larger sites may be of interest to property developers. A 4 832 m2 plot next to the golf course and including part of a dam is for sale for R590 000.
“There is also growing interest in existing homes market in Ladismith, mainly in the R600 000 to R950 000 price range. We have everything from small townhouses to Edwardian/Victorian mansions and even a grand, sprawling ostrich palace. It was formerly owned by an ostrich baron and is well suited to use as a guesthouse. In between there are a variety of small, quaint cottages, suburban houses and relatively modern builds. Prices start from R340 000 for a unit in a cluster complex to R6 million for the ostrich palace. Generally these homes are used as permanent residences by owners or let for the long term,” says Husain.
Ladismith is essentially a small town where almost everything is within walking distance, and it has shops, schools and hospitals as well as other services and facilities. The Towerkop mountain dominates the town, and local folklore has it that a witch, flying overhead, struck the peak with her wand in anger and split it in two as it obstructed her passage over the mountain.
Surrounding towns include Barrydale and Calitzdorp, with the coastal town of Mossel Bay also within reach. Local activities include mountain biking and hiking, and there are a number of restaurants, historic guesthouses, mountain retreats, and wine estates. Attractions along the R62 include Ronnie’s Sex Shop, which is a pub popular among locals and travellers.
Call Masood Husain on 028 5511783 or email masood.husain@pamgolding.co.za.
