Sandown, Blouberg

This is one of the larger apartments in the development, and one of the easiest to live in.

You are on the ground floor at 155-156 square metres, with three bedrooms, a full family bathroom and an en suite off the main. The layout is open plan across the living, dining and kitchen area, with the bedrooms set back off it, so the social side of the home stays together while the sleeping side stays quiet.

Two vehicles, no negotiation

You get a garage of your own and, on top of that, a separate exclusive use parking bay. In a complex where most apartments have one bay, that is two vehicles properly accommodated without anyone ever having to use visitors' parking. If you have a teenager about to start driving, or you and your partner both need a car for work, that difference is not a nice to have. It is the reason you stop arguing about parking.

The garage does more than shelter a car. Between the salt air off Blouberg and the summer south easter, enclosed parking is worth considerably more here than the price difference suggests. It also gives you the secure storage for bicycles, boards and boxes that apartment living usually forces you to give up.

Why ground floor units go first

You park inside and walk in. No lift, no stairs, no shared corridor between your car and your kitchen. Anyone who has carried a month's shopping up three flights already understands the appeal.

It is also worth thinking about from a resale point of view. Ground floor units with direct access suit downsizers and buyers with mobility considerations as well as they suit families, which means you are buying into the widest possible pool of future buyers. That is the kind of thing that quietly protects your value when it comes time to sell.

There is a private garden area, which is a rare thing to find attached to an apartment at this price in Blouberg. Somewhere for the dog bowl of a braai, a bit of outdoor space for small children, or just a place to sit outside that is yours alone rather than shared with the complex.

What comes with it

Each unit is handed over with a filled 9 kilogram gas bottle. Solar geysers throughout. Water and electricity run on prepaid meters, so you control what you spend and there are no surprise recoveries at the end of the month. The complex is access controlled with a guard at the entrance and CCTV coverage.

Cats are welcome, subject to the complex rules. No dogs.

The cost side

The price of R3 050 000 is VAT inclusive. There is no transfer duty and no transfer fees payable, and there is no connection of services fee.

For a first time buyer, that removes the biggest cash hurdle standing between an offer and a set of keys. For anyone relocating with the budget already stretched across the move itself, it means fewer unpleasant surprises along the way. And for an investor, it means more of your capital goes into the asset rather than into transaction costs, which shows up in your return from the first month.

Where you are

Sandown sits in the established Blouberg and Parklands North corridor, one of the fastest growing and most sought after pockets in Cape Town. You are minutes from Sandown Retail Crossing, Table Bay Mall, Parklands College Secondary Faculty, the Wood Drive Lifestyle Centre with its padel courts, and the Blouberg beachfront.

Owners join the Parklands Homeowners Association.

Quick answers

How big is the apartment? 155 156 square metres.
Which floor is it on? Ground floor, with direct access from the garage.
What parking is included? A garage plus a separate exclusive use parking bay.
How many bedrooms and bathrooms? Three bedrooms, a full family bathroom and an en suite off the main.
Is transfer duty payable? No.
Is the price VAT inclusive? Yes, and there is no connection of services fee.
Are pets allowed? Cats are welcome, subject to the complex rules. No dogs.
Is there outdoor space? Yes, a private garden area.

Book a viewing. Ground floor units at this size do not stay available for long.