Welcome to Welkom. South Africa's youngest town has much to offer, including a variety of economic activities and a way of life that is much loved by its residents. Interestingly, the town's traffic flow system, which is comprised almost entirely of traffic circles rather than stop streets or traffic lights, is admired around the world for its ingenuity. For this reason, Welkom is sometimes colloquially referred to as Circle City.
Welkom offers the best of both worlds in terms of being both an economic hub within the Free State and an extremely picturesque and well designed place to live. It is one of the few cities in the world that was completely preplanned prior to any construction taking place, and as a result, every suburb has shopping and commercial hubs, ensuring that residents never have to go far to get their hands on whatever they might need. Thanks to the abundance of parks, gardens and trees within Welkom, it has earned a reputation of being one of South Africa's prettiest cities.
The town was founded in 1947 in response to the discovery of gold in the vicinity, and was officially declared a city on 14 February 1968. Today, Welkom is home to a wide variety of industries including commerce, agriculture and mining. Over and above this, there is a long list of features which make it a great place to call home. This list includes some great schools, an assortment of shopping centres, great medical facilities and some great things to do. Keen golfers can visit Oppenheimer Park Golf Club, while those who prefer a bit more of an adrenaline rush can head just out of Welkom to find the Phakisa Freeway, which is a mecca for petrolheads and those with a need for speed. A variety of museums and monuments pay tribute to Welkom's mining origins.
In terms of the property market, Welkom is a part of South Africa in which freehold houses reign supreme, with more than 85% of current market stock being freehold properties. With that said, Jawitz' listings also include sectional title properties in Welkom, so there is something to meet everyone's needs. More than half of Welkom's property owners have owned their homes for more than a decade, which showcases the stability that life in Welkom has to offer. Adding to this stability is the fact that the majority of people who have recently purchased property in Welkom fall into the "mature" and "middle aged" categories according to Lightstone data.
The price of freehold properties in Welkom has shown a decline since the start of 2020, and three-bedroom houses in various areas of this city can be bought for as little as R550 000. Such properties typically offer close proximity to schools and other amenities, and boast features such as modern kitchens, open-plan lounges and dining rooms, well-maintained gardens and alarm systems. In addition, families can buy luxurious three and four-bedroom homes in Welkom in the R1 500 000 ballpark, and in this price bracket, you can expect to find homes with features such as sophisticated entertainment areas and immaculately landscaped gardens.
Those in the market for sectional title properties will be pleased that Welkom's real estate market offers two-bedroom flats from as little as R350 000 and three-bedroom flats from just R450 000.
With affordable real estate, world-class city planning and picturesque surroundings, it's no surprise that Welkom makes its new residents feel welcome. Jawitz Properties offers a wide variety of homes for sale and to rent in Welkom. Contact one of our Real Agents today and allow us to be your partner in buying, selling or renting property in Welkom.