What makes Claremont a great suburb?
Claremont is an established neighbourhood sought-after given the good-sized properties, excellent schools close by and easy access to shops, malls, restaurants, recreation areas like parks and trails and other amenities. It's also central and very easy to travel to the major transport routes both North and South making greater Cape Town easy to get to from here.
The typical Claremont buyer
The majority of buyers tend to be families looking for a suburban life that offers peaceful, safe and secure living and is relatively close to the parks, amenities, educational institutions and commercial districts.
Price overview of Claremont
There are several excellent schools in the area with the big five government fee-paying schools being Rondebosch Boys, Rustenberg Girls, SACS Boys, Wynberg Boys and Girls Campus of Schools and Westerford High. If private schooling is a key consideration then Bishops Boys, Herschel Girls, Western Province Prep, Springfield Convent School and Mickelfield Primary are some of the top private schools in the country. Many other options are available and there are strong and varied preprimary schools dotted around the wider neighbourhood. For shopping it's difficult to beat Cavendish Mall offering a large variety of shops, restaurants, movies and activities. Across the road is Stadium On Main with fun outings for families and friends including 10-pin bowling and Rush Indoor Extreme Trampolene Park. Kenilworth Centre is another good option for an all under one roof mall while Belvedere Square and Palmyra Junction offer smaller, more intimate local shopping experiences. Another option is 2nd Avenue in Harfield Village which has boutique stores and many great restaurants and bars. If you're looking to get outdoors, then Keurboom Park is one of the nicest parks in Cape Town. The views of Table Mountain from here are amazing and it adjoins the Rondebosch Boys and Western Province Cricket Club fields giving you a huge space to play and enjoy nature - a great spot for the kids or dog walks. Friday afternoons make for a lovely sunset and social occasion with many families out at the Western Province Cricket Clubhouse, make sure to bring a ball or frisbee! Other spots to visit which are not too far away are Newlands Forest where you can get onto Table Mountain with trails available for all levels of experience, Liesbeek River Gardens in Bishopscourt Village which is peaceful, serene and lovely for a picnic or kids party, Arderne Gardens with the finest collection of exotic trees in South Africa and lovely paths through the park, Kirstenbosch Gardens is a major checkbox on the tourist route but a regular must visit for locals as well and moving further south, the Constantia Wine Farms for good food, excellent wine and amazing scenery.
Popular in Claremont
Harfield Village and the area south of Queen Victoria Road in Claremont tends to offer smaller cottage, semi-detached or townhouse type of homes which would be considered and entry into the area from around R1,8m to R3m if you were buying and R14k to R16k to rent. The Lynfrae area of Claremont, which I would consider to be north of Queen Victoria Road to Keurboom Road and west of Selous Road to Palmyra Road, tends to have larger properties of 500sqm upwards with houses 160sqm and larger typically with 3 or more bedrooms, 2 or more bathrooms, a garden and garages. These will range in selling price from R4m to R6m depending on size, condition and location within the area. Having said this smaller, original properties or ones that have not been modernised or developed can be found for under R4m. Rentals could be anywhere from R25k to 40k per month. Lastly, the Belvedere East part of Claremont runs from Belvedere Road east to the M5 and from Imam Haron Road north to Avenue de Mist. Property sizes tend to be similar to those in Lynfrae and those that have been modernised or developed can achieve prices upwards of R4m, although prices tend to be lower than in Lynfrae both to buy and to rent.
My Claremont tip
Rentals are in strong demand right now with rental prices increasing. This is a good sign for investors. Original properties to come to market from time to time with the price reflecting this. These are good options for buyers who are able to develop the property and add value.