Kirstenhof residents of a by-gone era fondly remember the pleasures of watching old classics in the open air from their cars. And those living in the Constantia Valley at the time need not have travelled far, since the now demolished Sea Breeze Drive-In was located right on their doorsteps.
This quiet Cape Town suburb sits in a prime location within the Constantia Valley, in full view of the Silvermine mountains to the South, the Constantiaberg to the West, and Table Mountain to the North. The area is particularly attractive to young families with children since it not only provides wide open green spaces for recreation, it also boasts easy access to the False Bay coastline with safe swimming and surfing beaches.
Another benefit to residents here is the reputed English medium Kirstenhof Primary School, that has become one of the suburb’s most valued assets. Conveniently situated along the M3 highway, it is also within close proximity to Bergvliet, Westlake, and Tokai where a number of private residential estates have been developed over the past 10 years.
The quaint story of this leafy Constantia Valley suburb has its origins on a farm where four generations of the Kirsten family resided, that has subsequently been transformed into the desirable green suburb it is today. Residents fondly remember the natural environment to have been in pristine condition, where herds of dairy cattle used to move through pastures along Pollsmoor Road, and where birds and buck were known to co-habit in harmony. Today, some of the remaining wetland areas make for popular walks along green-belts frequented by residents with young families and dogs.
Some agents have memories of property prices in this area to have ranged from R25 000 upward a mere fifteen years ago, and say that during the property boom prices here escalated in value to around the R2 million mark. They say that new retail developments in the area have boosted not only their lifestyle but possibly the value of homes in the long term. An increasing number of commercial properties has provided new retail and entertainment facilities, that combined with the massive revamp of the local Blue Route Mall, bode well for serving local residents for many years into the future.
Kirstenhof was also one of the first Constantia Valley suburbs to have introduced new townhouse and other sectional scheme property developments in the early 90’s. Some were built in central positions along the Main Road, where values have markedly increased over time. This has also contributed to the area now having a 22% sectional scheme component, 3% estate and 75% freehold.
Lighstone’s report for the past three months shows average freehold prices standing at R1.5-million, and sectional scheme at R983 000, reflecting a marked increase from the past twelve months of R1.360-million and R551 000 respectively. Also noted are the sales of the past three months where five of the 12 freehold sales values stood at R1.9-million, and two of the three sectional scheme properties at R1.1-million. This suburb is located approximately 30 minutes out of the city, and Cape Town International Airport.
