Large magnificent house for sale in Observatory, Johannesburg South Africa
Asking Price R1 999 999 (negotiable)
(Approx price in US$ 140 000, EURO 120 000, UKPNDS 105 000 depending on actual exchange rate)
Owning a large house in an idylic setting
People who buy houses in Observatory find it idyllic and those people seldom move to other areas of Johannesburg.They start off with small children,
educate them via the excellent schools in the area, the children leave home , and their children come to visit their grandparents still in the original home.
The homes are large and executives invite friends for large lunch and dinner parties as the homes are built for entertainment.
This home has a total of 20 rooms between the main house and the outbuildings, making it ideal in this era of work from home to have an onsite office that is away from the family.
It has excellent internet connections both via fibre and LTE service providers.
The home is centrally situated to the Johannesburg CBD, Bedfordview, OR Tambo and is close to the major ring road around Johannesburg.
It is connected by a multitude of roads to the surrounds meaning virtually no traffic jams near the house.
A golf course is in the valley at ones doorstep.
The gardens are big, well established and filled with birds who roam the valley with its large houses and golf course.
It is a north facing home that is warmed in winter by the sun shining in through the windows and cool in summer
due to the shade of the large trees.
The Dream home
This is a large family home that is adjacent to the Observatory Golf Course.
It is on a large property overlooking the golf course
in a valley that is so quiet that all one hears when waking in the morning is the chirping of the birds.
It is situated in a valley bounded by two ranges of hills which keep most of the traffic out of the valley, with the golf course taking up most of the area of the valley with large houses on the bounding hills.
The house was built when the suburb was developed in the 1940's, is built of face brick and built in a high quality manner when vertical
walls were vertical.
The property runs between two roads, one in the front and one at the rear, with neighbours only on the sides in similar large properties.
The house was originally built by a medical doctor who had his consulting rooms in the lower level of the house.
Later those rooms were converted into a full movie cinema complete with a projection room so that the noise of the projector did not disturb the family watching the movie.
A full size snooker table (8 legs) was added in 1946 by Union Billiard which is still in service.
The buildings
The house has three separate bedrooms, two of which have built in cupboards.
There are 3 bathrooms and a guest toilet. The one bathroom is attached to the main bedroom.
One of the bathrooms has a large separate shower cubicle, built in cupboards and even a built in laundry basket.
One bathroom is halfway down stairs serving the family room on the bottom floor.
The entertainment area has a very large lounge with bay windows. It opens via sliding doors onto an entrance hall on the one side, and a large
dining room on the other side.
The entrance hall opens onto a large patio, the lounge, and onto passageways to the kitchen and another to the bedrooms.
There is a spacious kitchen fitted with a glass top stove and eye level double oven with numerous built in cupboards.
A pantry opens onto the kitchen fitted with large built in cupboards.
A scullery connects the kitchen to the backyard patio. The scullery has built in cupboards.
The backyard patio is usually used for ironing and also has built in cupboards.
The backyard courtyard is enclosed by high walls and connects the house to outside buildings. It has a large sunny area which can be used for
hanging washing.
The outbuildings comprise a very large double garage, a separate storeroom, a domestic bathroom, a single domestic bedroom, a laundry with
sinks and a double roomed domestic bedroom with sinks.
In the front of the house is a storeroom/changeroom for the swimming pool and a large covered patio below the upstairs patio.
There is a braai with firewood for your get-togethers with friends.
The area of the property is approximately 2211sq meters (23786 sq ft) and the area of the house and outbuildings is approx 600 sq meters (6400 sq ft)
Internet connectivity
The house has high speed fibre available at its front gate. A fibre connection can be ordered if needed.
An LTE wireless based service from RAIN(5G), MTN and Telkom is available in the valley and has been in use by the owners for the past years.
City Council services
The house has prepaid electricity supplied from the Municipality.
The city council also provide water, refuse collection, and sewerage services which are charged monthly
Monthly charges by the City Council are R1103 for rates, R1120 for sewerage, and R396 for refuse removal.
The municipal value of the property in R1,993,000
Swimming pool
The house has 50 kl swimming pool complete with pumps.
The pool is structurally sound and was painted about 15 years ago.
In recent times the pool has been used as a fishpond with goldfish who feed on insects that land in the pool.
The swimming pool area is paved and is fenced.
The owner is prepared to drain the pool and have it repainted and filled before transfer takes place if the buyer wants the pool re-instated.
Security
Observatory is a safe neighbourhood.
In twenty years of ownership we have only lost some garden tools and spanners from the garage.
The property has ten foot high fences on the boundaries with the roads in front and behind the property. The fences are topped with razor tape and
have been in place for about thirty years.
There is a tall electric gate that controls vehicle and pedestrian access to the property.
A few residents on the south side of the golf course have alarm services like ADT, and there is a community guarding service with hourly patrols
for those who want to join their service, but most properties manage without any external guarding services.
The property has burglar bars on the windows and the front door has a grate.
The backyard is enclosed with a high wall leading to the domestics outbuildings and garages and providing ample space for hanging laundry for drying.
The layout of the house is such that the bedrooms and 3 bathrooms are separated from the rest of the house by a doorway in the passage. The rooms are high off the ground and their bathrooms open onto the secure courtyard at the back of the house. The entertainment rooms and kitchen are separated from the
sleeping area.
Nearby schools
Observatory was established shorty after Johannesburg was founded and as a result is blessed to be close to some of the best schools
in Johannesburg, especially for those interested in sports.
King Edwards VII High school
Jeppe Boys High School
St Johns College
Roedene College
Sacred Heart Observatory
Queens High School
Athlone Boys and Girls High Schools
King Edward VII Preparatory School
Jeppe Preparatory School
Cyridene Primary School
Linksfield Primary School
and numerous others
Nearby shopping centres and malls
Eastgate shopping Center
Park Meadows shopping center
Bedfordview shopping center
Darras shopping center
Restaurants along Queen Street in Kensington
Lots of restaurants in Norwood
Excellent Uber Eats delivery from Restaurants from Norwood to Bedfordview
Excellent one hour delivery for groceries from Checkers, Pick n Pay and Woolworths.
Excellent delivery service for building supplies from Builders Warehouse
Traffic
Lies in the old part of Johannesburg where roads are planned and run on a grid layout taking pressure off traffic jams.
Close to the main freeways on the Eastern sided of Johannesburg.
Just five robots and you are on the N3,R21, or R24 at Gillooley's interchange.
Easy approach into Johannesburg CBD
Ten minutes travelling to OR Tambo International airport (traffic willing)
Asking Price R1 999 999 (negotiable)
(Approx price in US$ 140 000, EURO 120 000,,UKPNDS 105 000 depending on actual exchange rate)