Manhattan Place #1017, Cape Town - March 2002
(click any picture to get enlargement)
We searched the Cape Town area for a piece of property meeting the following
characteristics, some of which we developed after our search had begun:
- Communal building (not stand-alone) for security and maintenance reasons
- Swimming pool, parking bay and well-maintained building
- Loft-style to make it feel open and spacious (iron beams and bricks is best)
- View of either the Water/Harbor or Table Mountain
- Within 15 minutes walk of Nicole's downtown workplace (can walk if required)
- Capability for two bedrooms (might have periodic guest)
- Keep under R1,000,000 ($85,000)
- Cabable of changing or fixing up so we can add "our own flavor"
We had given up on our search
since so many places either excited one or the other of us; none of the places
excited both of us. One of the realtors called and said that a unit had
just come up for sale that seemed to meet our requirements and was in the
building that we liked the most. We decided to have a look
....
View of Manhattan Place
in downtown Cape Town
(brown building in middle)
#1017 is on top floor and is the 2nd brown unit from the left (hotel is on right)
Lobby entry area with 24-hour security guard
(parking on first 2 floors)
Left: 9th-floor courtyard pool (salt-water based!)
1017's front door and bathroom/stairs windows
(taken from pool area)
Left: Entry area & stairs
Top: View upon entry, over dining area
Kitchen & dining area with bath#1 behind (this area
offers us a "challenge")
Stairs up (bath#2 on right)
View as entering 2nd-floor
(sorry for darkness).
Used as living area; we might use as bedroom.
Bright 2nd-floor windows
2nd-floor layout
View of 3rd-floor left
(used as bedroom; we might use as study)
View of 3rd-floor right
(some wall bricks are painted white; we hope to remove the paint)
This is the panoramic view from the first & second floor outside
balconies.
Selling Price: R750,000; with major modifications required in the kitchen.
Overall we liked the layout
(1500 sq feet), the "industrial feel" (iron/bricks) and especially the
sunny views. We decided to make an offer and it was accepted!
The loft will take some creative work
to fix up, furnish, and enhance over the next few years. Hopefully we (or
the realtor) will find renters to live in the place while we are not
around. Luckily, with the relatively low price, even if it sits empty for
part of the year, it will not hurt us too badly.