Accommodation in Cape Town

Expats will find plenty of options for accommodation in Cape Town, and will need to put a finger on their priorities before choosing which area and housing type best suits their needs.

The city centre is relatively small with a number of vibrant neighbourhoods wedged in between natural phenomena like Table Mountain, Lions Head and Signal Hill. Residential sea-facing communities stretch out around the flanks and move into surrounding suburbs and family-friendly developments. Further away are the townships areas and the Cape Flats, remnants of apartheid-era segregation.

House prices are among the highest in the country, with the most expensive rates per square metre situated closer to the central business district and seaside neighbourhoods.

Rental costs fluctuate according to high season (December to February) and low season (May to August); thus expats moving to Cape Town during times when a torrent of tourists descend upon the Mother City may want to take a short lease until the more relaxed winter prices start to surface.

For those interested in renting property, furnished, semi-furnished and unfurnished housing is available in Cape Town, and is easy to find in all cases. Utilities are rarely included in rental prices, and have been exponentially increasing in cost in lieu of Cape Town's under-achieving energy production programmes.

On the upside, domestic help is extremely affordable in South Africa, and many expats spoil themselves with this small luxury.
 

Once expats have sorted out just what spacial requirements will suffice, how long of a commute to work they can stand, and whether they'd prefer to be in a quiet, leafy suburb or a colourful city district, the house hunting can begin.

There’s an abundance of real estate agencies in Cape Town and their services are free for both renters and buyers. In South Africa, property owners bear the burden of paying agents to find tenants or owners for their houses and flats. However agents often aren't as proactive as they could be and it may be necessary to carry out a large amount of legwork yourself. Still, these are great resources for finding out what accommodation is available on the market.

Otherwise, listings in the classifieds newsprint Cape Ads are released on Thursdays, or options are updated by the minute on online sites like Gumtree.co.za.