Why, after looking at retirement villages from Knysna to Hout Bay, did we decide to spend the rest of our life in our home town of Somerset West? And why were we prepared to take the plunge when we signed the deed of sale on 2 April 2013 for the one and only house on the huge piece of vacant land that was to be The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village?
- Having known Okkie Potgieter and his Westacre Group for many years, we trusted him and his team. If there was one person who would make a success of this new development, it would be him.
- We were excited about the layout of the village and all the amenities which were planned for the immediate future as well as those to be added as the village grew over the next few years.
- The high quality of security that was already in place together with what was planned for the village as a whole, was a huge plus to us, taking into account the expected and alarming increase in the crime rate in South Africa.
- The quality of workmanship in the house that was shown to us was outstanding and one of the trademarks in all the developments done over the years by Okkie and his team in Somerset West.
- The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Centre was to be developed in conjunction with the CPOA (Cape Peninsula Organisation for the Aged), which had more than 60 years’ experience in the operating and managing of retirement institutions. The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village was to become the flagship of the CPOA.
- We were not prepared to give up our holistic support systems in Somerset West – our church, doctors, dentist, pharmacy, attorneys, postal service, restaurants, supermarkets and many others.
- Somerset West, situated in one of the most beautiful parts of our country, is close to Cape Town and its theatres and, international airport, the beautiful winelands of the Cape, some of the best restaurants in the country, and a few minutes away from the seaside and some of the best golf courses in South Africa.
- The closeness of a brand new shopping centre within 100 metres from the main entrance – with Woolworths, Checkers, a health shop, a pet shop, a liquor shop, a pizza place, ATMs, an optometrist, a beauty and hair salon, etc. – is a huge advantage to all residents who can now do their shopping on foot, instead of driving to town (and at the same time getting their daily exercise).
It was a not only a new beginning for us when the deed of transfer for our new house in The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Centre was registered on 15 July 2013, but also a new beginning for the developer and The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Centre, which grew from the sale of their first freehold house to us. Five years down the line (as on 31 July 2018) the development comprises:
- 71 completed houses
- 19 apartments and
- 106 residents living happily here, with the following facilities available to them:
- A 5-star clubhouse with a lounge, dining room, pub, library, reading room, board room, gym and chapel.
- A fully operational small health care centre, with a new 22-bed care centre under construction, due for completion early in 2019.
- A laundry.
- A croquet pitch.
- A host of different social activities throughout the year, including not only indoor activities such as happy hour, bridge, canasta, and bingo, but also outings to shows, wine farms, etc.
To read more about The Somerset Lifestyle and Retirement Village, click here.
Author: Marius Kritzinger
