Most of the holiday accommodation in St Francis Bay is already fully booked for the end of the year and the Eastern Cape town is poised for a bumper season.
So says John Cooper, broker for the local Chas Everitt International franchise who notes that luxury homes in the town are typically the accommodation of choice at rentals of R1500 to R4000 a day.
And this year’s bookings are on a par with the 2007 season, he says, although the average duration of stay has shortened. Stays of 14 to 18 days are the maximum holidaymakers are willing to book at present, compared to a month or more previously.
“There is an upside though. With schools having broken up at the beginning of December and only resuming in the middle of January, most holiday homes will be hosting two batches of tenants this year and the town will be getting ‘double exposure’ to potential homebuyers.”
At the gateway to the Garden Route, St Francis has plenty of attractions and distractions for holidaymakers. A picturesque beach as well as a number of nature and game reserves are within easy reach as is the Kromme River which is navigable for 15km.
Golfers can get their fix at two local courses and other activities include fishing, tennis and bowls. There is also a new shopping centre, Plover Place.
As for the local residential market, Cooper says it is robust, with a lot of cash buyers coming to the fore and purchasing homes for R4m and more. Retirees also make up a large percentage of the buyer mix and favour the gracious whitewash and thatch canal-facing homes that St Francis is known for.
Vacant stands are not really selling well, he says, due to the current high cost of construction and materials compared to the cost of buying an existing home.
ISSUED BY CHAS EVERITT
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
JOHN COOPER ON
042 294 0921 OR VISIT