I'm in one of the world's top grape destinations,
where the local wines are as spectacular as the scenery,
and the property prices are surprisingly low.
I'm in the Winelands of South Africa.
Geoff and Helen are seeking a retirees' playground
to enjoy themselves in.
Originally childhood sweethearts, now reunited after 30 years apart,
will a house of fun in the sun
allow them to catch up on those lost years?
Amazing!
Or will their house hunting search all end in tears?
I'm not that keen.
No?
Geoff and Helen Molyneaux from Suffolk have taken early retirement
to return to their adolescence.
Having split up at 19,
but rediscovered each other after 30 years,
they want a place with the space to catch up.
With four children and three grandchildren between them,
they want their new pad abroad to be a holiday home for all the family.
When they're not enjoying it, they hope to rent it out.
With a love of travel, wine and loud music,
they plan to embark on their second youth here...
..in South Africa's Winelands.
Nestled in the south-west of the country,
the Winelands is a popular destination all year round.
The Mediterranean climate makes it welcoming
for both vines and visitors,
and it's considered to be one of the world's top five grape destinations.
Numerous wine routes are on offer here, including the world's longest.
The coast beneath the Winelands also offers
lots of activities for those seeking a livelier pace of life.
Watersports, including snorkelling,
surfing, and scuba-diving, are available.
With all this, plus incredible mountain landscapes
and bids for the Olympics and Grand Prix in the offing,
it's no wonder property prices are on the up.
In some parts of the Winelands,
prices are up by 35% in the last year.
Geoff and Helen have a flexible budget of Â£150,000
to find their teenagers' tree house abroad.
Now, you're childhood sweethearts,
but you've only been married three years. So what's your story?
Well, we went to the same school.
We were boyfriend and girlfriend part of the time between 15 and 18,
and then we went our separate ways.
And then we met up at a fete, believe it or not.
It's history from there on, really.
What do you think South Africa can offer?
Well, it's going to get us away from the cold winters in England.
I have two sons who live in Malawi,
so it would be a good opportunity to visit them there.
Why have you chosen to focus on the Winelands?
Obviously, a glass of red or white every now and then!
Yes, the red or white!
But the scenery here is absolutely spectacular.
Are you wine experts yet, or is that another reason to be here?
Not experts, but bluffers, let's say.
We know the difference between red and white!
So let's talk about the house. What is on your wish-list?
Well, we don't mind if it's an apartment or a villa.
We'd quite like a view.
It doesn't matter if it's a sea or mountain view.
And we wanted some outside space and we also wanted a secure area
to store a car if we needed to store a car here.
OK, well, you sound prepared.
It's a very hot market here, so if you fall in love with something
you must be ready to take the plunge and put down a deposit.
I've got four lined up, so let's get cracking.
Oh, great!
A youthful vigour for house-hunting is great,
but with a very grown-up list of what they're looking for,
will I be able to meet all their expectations?
Our first destination is Somerset West.
Known for its residential village feel,
Somerset West is the capital of the area known as Helderberg Basin.
Situated along one of the more famous wine routes,
this is a great place for a holiday home with rental potential
as around 18,000 tourists come here each year.
It's also just four miles from the enormous False Bay
and half-an-hour from Cape Town.
This is a largely wealthy area, with more millionaires here
than anywhere else in South Africa.
I know you're both wine lovers.
Love it.
How about living on Chardonnay Street?
Sounds great!
It's great, yeah!
It's hidden behind this garage here.
Looks great.
So, let me show you. Follow me.
This house has three bedrooms,
a separate apartment that can be rented out, and costs Â£135,500.
Into the front door.
First, let me take you into the kitchen.
This is divided into your dining room...
Oh, that's a nice dining space, isn't it?
Very nice and light.
..and your kitchen.
It's quite modern, isn't it?
Yeah.
It's all very functional.
Didn't expect it to be as modern.
From the outside it looks older, but this is obviously a new kitchen.
It's a '70s build. But it's recently been renovated.
So, down this corridor you've got four bedrooms.
Four?!
Four bedrooms. There's your bathroom.
That's big.
And the master bedroom is in here.
Complete with en suite bathroom.
Oh, it's useful to have an en suite, isn't it?
Oh, that's fabulous, to have an extra bathroom...
..to yourselves, isn't it?
It's great.
The good thing about this bedroom is the fact that you've got
such a pretty balcony off it, so come and have a look.
So you can imagine having a table and chairs out here,
wake up in the morning, coffee and breakfast - check out the view.
Is that Table Mountain over there?
That is indeed Table Mountain.
Here are your Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards.
And just to the left you've got False Bay.
So you really can see an awful lot here.
You can see for miles, can't you?
Yeah. >
Beautiful.
OK, so shall we go down here?
Have a look into the garden.
Let's have a look at the swimming pool.
Were you expecting to find this?
Wow! No!
Amazing. Didn't expect a swimming pool.
Definitely a big surprise.
That's lovely.
I'm gonna give you guys some time to think this first house through
and I will wait for you out the front.
Thanks very much.
Thanks, Victoria.
The house's exterior is rendered.
If Geoff and Helen wanted to remove this, it would cost around Â£5,000.
This house has a lot of what Helen and Geoff asked for.
I think the more they've seen, the more they've really warmed to it.
But I can't tell at this early stage
whether it could be the one to make them part with their cash.
Amazed, really, that it's such a big property.
Four bedrooms and the pool.
I could swim several lengths of it without a lot of trouble!
So, you said there was quite a lot to think about
with this house, all in all.
Amazing!
Quite surprised? >
Very surprised!
Pleasantly surprised, aren't you?
Yes, definitely.
Fantastic, so we're doing really well for the first house?
First house, yes!
Excellent!
'I'm over the moon that our first house has whet their property,
'or is it their Chardonnay appetites?
'Let's see if we can keep the house-hunting juices flowing
'with the next house.
'Carrying on the search, I thought I'd take Geoff and Helen
'to the Winelands capital of Paarl.
'With 75,000 inhabitants, this is the largest town in the region.
'The name Paarl derives from the rocks
'which sit atop the mountain dominating one side of the town.
'When the sun shines on them, it's said they resemble a black pearl.
'Houses here are largely traditional in style,
'sitting on oak-lined avenues.
'Prices are a little higher than in many other places,
'as this is considered to be a desirable area to live in.
'I wanted to show Geoff and Helen this next house
'as its traditional setting and style
'offers them something quite different from the last one.'
OK, so, Geoff,
this next house is Victorian.
Oh, it looks nice.
Actually, the facade's much better than the last one.
'This house has four bedrooms, a pool and a price tag of Â£143,500.
As soon as you come in the creaky front door,
you notice all the original features.
You've got one bedroom there. That's another bedroom.
And all of the wood everywhere, with the beams and the floorboards.
Oh, yes, everywhere.
And that's a third bedroom with its own bathroom there.
So, what's your general feel for this house?
Very rustic.
It is!
Yes, it's beautiful.
Do you like this old-fashioned style?
I like the rustic style, personally.
What do you think of the wood, Geoff?
Well, I think it's got character, I must admit.
But I'm not that impressed by wood myself, but...
I really like the wooden floors, actually.
Let's have a look at the rest of it,
see if we can convince you on this house yet.
So, across the living room.
Now, all of this section is part of a modern extension.
Oh, this is nice.
Yeah. You've got your kitchen, sitting room...
Everything very handy. Very social.
I like the twin levels as well.
Down the steps you like, Geoff.
And you see the rest of the modern extension.
This room here, essential in all South African houses.
You've got your own indoor braai, or barbecue room.
I think this would be my room.
I love loud music and I could put my speakers up in here
and it wouldn't disturb Helen at all.
This area is what the current owners are using as their master bedroom.
There's an area to have a dressing-table.
You could almost have a sofa up here too.
Oh, it's massive.
It is massive.
It's huge, isn't it?!
The best thing about being up on this level
is being able to take in that view over the rooftops, jacaranda trees.
They're absolutely beautiful at this time of year, aren't they?
And those mountains, I just love those mountains.
One of the neighbours runs a B&B
and she's expressed an interest in renting space in this house,
giving them the no-hassles income they're looking for.
This has certainly given us a dilemma,
because I really liked the first house.
But coming here, you know, I'm very tempted with this one.
I like that big area at the top,
which would give us a lot of options in terms of having that for ourselves
and perhaps renting out the bottom bit.
OK, so, are you still in a dilemma
or are things any clearer between the first two?
This one's really, sort of, set us thinking
because it's so rustic and lots of character about it.
So, two out of two, and no clear favourites so far?
Afraid not.
'With Geoff having warmed to this house,
'I'm thrilled that Helen and Geoff's youthful enthusiasm
'appears to be escalating with each property.
'With two more houses up my property sleeve,
'will they be dancing with more house-hunting delight...
I'm getting a really good feeling about this place!
'..or will it be tantrums before teatime
'in the South African property market?
We love this location.
Not too happy about this apartment.
I'm taking a tour of the Cape wine lands in South Africa,
looking for a holiday home for retired couple,
Helen and Geoff Molyneaux from Suffolk.
And it's surprising what you can find here
with their budget of Â£150,000.
'Childhood sweethearts Geoff and Helen Molyneaux are two properties
'into searching for their holiday home with rental potential.
'With more places to show them,
'I wonder if their youthful enthusiasm can keep up the pace?'
Continuing the search, I wanted to take Geoff and Helen
to the famous Gordon's Bay.
This town is where the wine lands meet the coast.
Being around an hour from Cape Town and sitting beside the sea,
Gordon's Bay is an increasingly popular place to be.
With the sea on your doorstep,
water-based activities are high on the list of things to do
and attract a wealth of water-worshippers from far and wide.
Being on the edge of the wine lands,
there's also another kind of liquid to familiarise yourself with.
Prices ARE high in Gordon's Bay,
with fantastic investment opportunities available.
Houses with views tend to start at around Â£200,000.
OK, so this is the next house I've got to show you.
Wow, I've been waiting to see a thatched house, actually.
It's really traditional.
You're a fan of the thatched look?
Yes, I really like it.
This thatched cottage has three bedrooms, a large garden
and costs a reasonable Â£106,000.
OK, so, this house, very different again.
It's very nice. I like it all.
I like the roof, the bamboo in the roof and the neutral colours.
Very nice. It's got a lot of character about it.
Let's have a look at the rest.
OK.
OK, so, down the corridor here,
the kitchen is a little on the small side...
Oh, yes.
..but for a holiday home it's all you need.
A galley kitchen, really, isn't it?
A lovely view from the window.
It's still got a nice view. Can you handle that kitchen, Geoff?
Most certainly. It's no problem, you know.
Well, Helen can manage!
This would be your master bedroom with en suite.
Oh, that's great.
I'm getting a really good feeling about this place. Quite excited.
Excellent. OK, so upstairs you've got a very youthful mezzanine level
which they've just got kitted out as an office.
You have one bedroom there, and your third bedroom is here.
OK. >
It looks very roomy. Very nice.
Is the good feeling you had downstairs growing?
Yes, I'm certainly very, very happy with this place. It's very nice.
Is it rubbing off on Geoff?
Anything that rubs off on Helen goes with me as well!
Oh, good! Outside on your terrace, a little place to sit out in.
No swimming pool with this house.
Maybe that's one job that you wouldn't mind doing in time.
Well, we certainly would do it. It's important for us.
There's space and it would be important for the rentals as well.
OK, so you've clearly been sold on this one.
I'm really quite positive. We've just got to convince Geoff now!
OK, well, I'm gonna step away from you both
and give you a chance to convince him.
I'll see you in a few minutes at the front.
OK. Thank you.
With a large garden, there is plenty of space for a pool.
Prices start from around Â£5,000,
which would still bring Geoff and Helen in under budget.
I really like this place.
I think the rooms are just what we want.
We can come here...
And also, it'd be a very good renter. I love the view.
I love the space. I think we could just go straight into this.
So, Geoff, have you come round to Helen's line of thinking?
I think I have, actually. I think the whole thing is what we want, really.
Looking at the outside and the inside,
it ticks all the boxes, really.
So, is this the best one so far?
Yes, it's the best one so far. It's a runner!
Fantastic!
'Helen seems to have managed to persuade Geoff around to her way of thinking.
'I wonder if what I've got to show them next will give them
'both something else to think about?
'Staying around Gordon's Bay, I wanted to try and tempt
'both Geoff and Helen with an unusual property option.
'The harbour at Gordon's Bay,
plus all the bars and restaurants, make this a magnet for tourists.
'Bikini Beach also offers its own seaside charm,
'with the coast attracting water sports buffs and marine adventurers.
'Having so far looked at HOMES with rental potential,
'I wanted to show Geoff and Helen these next properties
'as the rental potential is the key factor.
'Typically, a two-bedroom apartment in this area can be rented
for up to Â£100 a day in the summer.'
OK, now I've got something to show you
that is right on the beachfront here.
Wow.
Excellent.
Now, being such a fantastic location
means you're not gonna get AS much for your money,
so it's an apartment we're gonna look at now.
So... Yes, OK.
And, if you just see, up there,
above that row of restaurants is where we're gonna look at.
'This apartment is not much to look at from the outside. But the inside,
'plus its proximity to the beach, make it a great investment.
'It has open-plan living and a price tag of Â£135,000.'
OK, so, there's not an awful lot of rooms to see with this apartment.
But have a look in here first.
You've got two bedrooms, both pretty good sizes as well.
The rest of your space is all open-plan.
Yes, that's nice.
It really takes in the most of the view.
It's all about this window, isn't it?
Just letting in all of this view.
Absolutely lovely.
You can really see in the heart of things, you've got
loads going on on your doorstep.
Enjoying the view, you can only do it from the inside.
There isn't a balcony or any outside space.
Obviously, you haven't got far to go for a quick dip,
but does that put you off this one a bit?
It does a bit, because we both like the outside.
But by the same token, this has a brilliant location.
It's a question of trade-off between price and this location.
Now, I do have something else that I could show you around here.
It does have that all-important outside space for you.
And it's slightly bigger as well.
But the only problem is, the price is bigger.
It is over your budget, OK?
OK.
It's on the market for Â£161,000.
That's OK. That's OK.
I mean, we love this location. I'm not too happy about this apartment,
but if we could have some outside space and it's got that wow factor
then I think we'd go for it.
One final temptation?
Definitely!
Come on then, I'll show it to you.
Thank you.
'Seeing as the first apartment's lack of outside space didn't appeal,
'perhaps the next apartment will combine
'all the factors they're looking for.'
So, we're similar proximity to the coast, which is fantastic.
Yes.
And you can see it's slightly more attractive
from the outside, isn't it?
Certainly.
Much more modern, isn't it? Very attractive.
'This apartment has great rental potential, is easy on the eye,
'has a balcony, three bedrooms and costs Â£161,000.
'I thought I'd leave them to look around this one alone
'to give them a chance to take everything in.'
OK, so, in you go.
Thank you.
I'll get your thoughts afterwards.
Lovely and bright.
Yes, definitely.
Very bright and very modern.
Oh, look at this.
That's a fabulous kitchen, isn't it?
Fantastic kitchen.
I do like that.
That's certainly got that wow factor.
Yes.
'With two bedrooms, two bathrooms and modern, open-plan living space,
'I was confident they would like this apartment.
'There was also the missing link lacking in the last apartment.'
Oh, let's see what's out here.
This is beautiful.
Wow, look at that view!
That's fabulous!
I know.
Have you seen anything like it?
So close to the beach as well.
It's great. Oh, I love it.
Incredible.
I love it!
Love it.
And a braai. Great. Fabulous.
I can see myself living here as well.
Can I interrupt? How did you get on looking around the apartment?
I think it's fabulous. Really is brilliant, this.
Everything that we could want, I think.
Yes, it's so fresh and clean and modern.
The view is absolutely fantastic.
This apartment, to rent it out with a view like that...
And so well done inside.
I don't want to rent it out, I want it for myself!
You want to live here! >
Yeah!
So...
what about we go out of here now,
sit down, catch our breath and decide what'll be the next move? OK?
Yes, and maybe...
Definitely.
Let's go.
OK, thank you.
'With five different properties viewed and
'two emerging as the front-runners,
'I wanted to give Geoff and Helen some space to mull things over.
After time to relax, I was curious to know what they'd decided.'
So, you've both had time to catch your breath
and think things through.
What are your final thoughts then?
This one on the beach has definitely got the wow factor.
Yeah, it does, doesn't it? >
We love it.
What about the thatched cottage?
You both really liked that one as well.
Yes, we do like the cottage,
but we thought the view from the apartment was fantastic.
Excellent location.
Kind of special, isn't it?
Yes. We both really fell in love with it.
It really is something else.
We'd like to put in an offer for it and go from there, really.
Fantastic! So, what figure are you talking?
Well, we said Â£150,000 would be our top limit,
but if we got all the furniture in as well, we'd go to 153.
Well, we can but try. Let's see what we can do.
I'll phone the agent for you.
See what she says.
DIALLING TONE
'Hello? Heidi speaking.'
Hello, Heidi, it's Victoria.
Well, I'm with Helen and Geoff at the moment.
'Right?'
And they are extremely keen on the beach apartment.
'Super.'
And they'd very much like to put in an offer.
'After some time spent deliberating,
'the owner came back and did not accept Geoff and Helen's offer.
'He felt that a property like this,
'in a location like this, could command the full asking price.'
So, how do you feel?
Well, we've still got the cottage to think more about.
I think that was our top limit for that particular property
and we'll go back to thinking about the cottage.
Best of luck going back to have a rethink about that cottage.
Let me know what the outcome is. I'd be really keen to know.
We certainly will.
The Cape wine lands have a variety of houses on the market to suit any taste,
so it's little wonder that more people than ever before
are discovering the investment opportunities here.
Meaning the property market is as hot as a South African summer.
I hope you've enjoyed sampling what's on offer in this region
and I'll see you next time.