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 phenomenon 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 black townships and poor coloured areas, remnants of self-segregation still remaining from the apartheid era.

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

Rental costs fluctuate according to high (December - February) and low season (May - 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 programs.

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.

An abundance of real estate agents operate in all areas of the city and expats will be ecstatic to hear that their services are free of charge - both for those interested in renting and buying. In South Africa property owners bear the burden of paying agents to find tenants or owners for their houses and flats.

That being said, agents aren't often the most proactive resources, 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 Cape Ads are released on Thursdays or options are updated by the minute on online sites like Gumtree.co.za.