BRYANSTON - A LIFESTYLE SUBURB
Category News
Bryanston is regarded as a countryside that has morphed into a town. Gone are many of the gracious homes of yesteryear on Bryanston acres (4000m²). In their place, contemporary high-end clusters on 1000m² subdivided stands have sprung up.
Named after a village and church in North Dorset in England, Bryanston was first established as an area in 1949. Some 20 years later, it became a suburb of Sandton bringing with it tarred roads and municipal services.
When the ANC government took over in 1994, the municipal boundaries were revised and Sandton merged with Johannesburg to form part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Today Bryanston is an exclusive, wealthy residential suburb of many gated communities close to Sandton with easy access to the highways and some of best schools in the country.
Ian Powell, Jawitz Properties’ agent who specialises in free-hold properties in the eastern and western parts of Bryanston, says most of the original Bryanston properties are too big and too expensive to maintain, and so subdivision makes sense. Subdividing down to 1000 m² per stand is permitted allowing four homes on a 4000 m² stand - apart from those on the arterial routes where greater density is permitted. However, lack of services particularly the shortage of power has brought development to a virtual standstill.
A new substation has been built and once the cables are laid and power provided, we anticipate an escalation in demand. Having said that, there has been a slight improvement in the last six months as more power has been made available. But nevertheless, despite approval from the Council for subdivision, the shortage of power continues to cause a backlog, fuelling demand. The latest year-on-year unit figures from Lightstone show a decline of over 20% in new unit sales on volume which can be attributed to various factors including the inadequate power supply, he says.
Existing subdivided clusters priced between R3m and R5m with four bedrooms en-suite, study, staff accommodation and a swimming pool are selling extremely well and are sold within two weeks. To date, there are more buyers than sellers.
The demographic is shifting. Traditionally the older, more conservative executives lived in Bryanston. As they reached retirement age their properties became too expensive or too cumbersome to maintain and many chose to move into smaller, more manageable properties. The demand now comes from the emerging middle to upper class. “Our show days and visits to the website show that 75% of buyers fall within this group. They do their homework and know what they want,” he says.
Every property has its value, and when reasonably priced, they sell quickly, especially older houses on half an acre. By comparison, the estates are more expensive.
Higher up the scale, in the R10m and above bracket, owners tend not to be in a hurry to sell. They have the means to sit it out until they get their price. Some even move to the coast and have a caretaker living in the house.
“Compared to Sandton, Bryanston still offers better value. It remains a leafy suburb and provides an unsurpassed quality lifestyle,” says Powell.
Author: Jawitz Website
