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MARCH 2016
MagazineYour Unique Lifestyle
FROM THEESTATE MANAGER
RULES ON PETSIN THE ESTATE
THE ESTATE CLUBHOUSE UNDERWAY
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Disclaimer: This Newsletter is produced especially for residents/owners of The Hills to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by KS Studio on behalf of Trafalgar Property Management (Pty) Ltd. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, Trafalgar Property Management (Pty) Ltd and/or the Publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.
CONTENTSIMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS
FROM THE ESTATE MANAGER
ESTATE RULES
RULES ON PETS IN THE ESTATE
LANDSCAPING
SECURITY
FUN WALK
THE ESTATE CLUBHOUSE
NEW APARTMENTS
ATTERBURY ROAD UPGRADE
BUILDING YOUR NEW HOME
AN INDIGENOUS GARDEN...
GOING GREEN
03 040507081012151618202325
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IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS
Estate ManagerWynand De Sousa 071 674 3095 [email protected]
Environmental OfficerHannes De Wet 082 551 6015 [email protected]
Security ManagerJaco van Wyk 072 258 2239 [email protected]
Main Gate079 079 4711
Levy EnquiriesBianca van Niekerk 011 214 5200 [email protected]
Netcare Pretoria East Hospital 012 422 2300 (Antivenom)
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FROM THEESTATE MANAGER
Welcome to the very first issue of The Hills’ Newsletter. The intention of the newsletter is to keep everyone connected, provide helpful information and to invite you to join upcoming events and activities. I hope you will find something of value in every issue and will share it with your friends and family.
The plan is to publish an issue every quarter and the occasional
shorter issue in between, evidently the newsletter will be sent out monthly once the Estate is more developed. To all the owners of stands that are under construction or new owners busy with their building plans - good luck! This is not an easy journey, but once construction is complete I believe it will be well worth it.
Feel free to write your comments or share your news with our new community by e-mailing: [email protected]
Wynand de Sousa
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ESTATE RULES
• The maximum speed limit within the Estate is 30 km per hour.
• No refuse may be left on the street except on those days scheduled for removal by the service provider. All refuse must be stored neatly in a closed bin to avoid the proliferation of flies.
• The use of petrol lawnmowers is prohibited at the following times: - Saturday before 07h00 and after 16h00. - Sundays and public holidays. • Every homeowner has a responsibility to the Estate community as a whole to maintain the area between the road curb and the boundary of his property, commonly referred to as the sidewalk.
• Boats, trailers, caravans and horseboxes must be concealed inside garages or screened from the street and neighbours.
For the safety and harmony of our community - a reminder of the Estate Rules:
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RULES ON PETSIN THE ESTATE
• Domestic animals are limited to 2 dogs and 2 cats per stand or unit. All pets must wear a collar with a tag indicating the name, telephone number and address of its owner.
• Members of a stand situated in the Game Reserve will have to obtain special consent from The Hills HOA for any domestic animals, which he/she /it wishes to keep on the said stand.
• Dogs must be kept in a suitable enclosure to prevent them from straying off the member’s property.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times in the common areas and are under no circumstances allowed to swim in the dams.
• Pets owners must ensure that cyclists, walkers, joggers, pedestrians, wild game as well other pets are not attacked or harassed by their animals. In addition, pet owners must ensure that no nuisance or disturbance is caused to fellow residents at any time of the day or night.
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LANDSCAPING The landscaping and especially the trees, due to their size, go a long way to determining the overall aesthetic ambience of an Estate. With our indigenous landscaping policy we hope to reinforce the uniquely South African nature of this Estate, not to mention the numerous additional advantages of planting indigenous trees; namely:
• The birdlife is significantly increased through the planting of indigenous trees that have berries for food, or thorns for protection from birds of prey.• Frost resistance is another benefit of indigenous trees as they tend to be extremely hardy and are well adapted to our climate. • Water is always a scarce commodity and indigenous trees require significantly less water than their exotic counterparts, and have little or no effect on our fragile water table. They are also far more likely to survive a drought.
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1111 SECURITYSecurity in our Estate is a shared responsibility and starts at home.
DO YOUR PARTWe all value feeling safe in our home. If we are to maintain our high-level of security we require the co-operation of every resident to adhere to strict individual compliance with requirements, and to be vigilant at all times. Residents are urged to report any suspicious or unlawful occurrence to security immediately.
YOUR ATTITUDE COUNTSResidents need to display a positive and supportive attitude towards the security staff whom we depend on to keep us safe. The loyalty and good attitude of the people they are employed to protect, will in turn be reciprocated.
VISITORS TO THE ESTATEIt is crucial that residents make sure their visitors adhere to the security protocol and treat security personnel in a co-operative and courteous manner.
SECURITY MANAGER: TEL 072 258 2239
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FUN WALK
AND
Thank you to The Hills residents, Century, Remax, Redford House and those who assisted them with the wonderful Fun Walk and Picnic event on 19 February 2016. What a perfect community event it was!
Picnic
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If you have visited the Estate recently you would have noticed the construction of the new Estate Clubhouse. The Clubhouse will feature a restaurant, a full gym with studio, cardio and weights section, outdoor swimming pool, tennis court and a kid’s play area. The Clubhouse is positioned to overlook the dam and will form the social hub of the development.
Construction is progressing well and is scheduled to be completed on 31 August 2016 with handover to the HOA and residents shortly thereafter. Look out for the Roof Wetting invite where we’ll be showing off the building to residents.
THE ESTATE CLUBHOUSE UNDERWAY
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NEW APARTMENTS IN THE HILLS • The Hills offers many different lifestyle opportunities. Included within the Estate is a phase of 190 luxury apartments that will be located around the sports field of the school. Construction of this phase will start in April and completion is expected by March 2017.
• These units will come in a variety of different designs from spacious three, two and one-bedroom layouts with the finest upmarket finishes and fittings. The apartments will be positioned as to allow optimal views from each unit, and will boast ample parking for residents and their guests.
• Residents will have their own Clubhouse consisting of a multi-purpose space overlooking the sports field, braai facilities, children’s play parks and even outdoor gym equipment.
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• Century Property Developments is responsible for the extension of Atterbury Road along Mooikloof Estate boundary towards The Hills. The new link will include a new bridge across the Zwawelpoort Spruit, the construction of a portion of the K147, a provincial road, and the extension of Royal Albatross Road from the Estate clubhouse towards the new link. With the new link a new gatehouse and boundary wall on the western side of the Estate will be constructed along the K147 road reserve.
• The construction cost is in excess of R60-million. All approvals except for the Water Use Licence (WUL) to cross the Zwawelpoort Spruit have been obtained including all the necessary EIA authorizations. The WUL is expected in April. The tender process
has been completed and a contractor will be appointed as soon as the WUL has been obtained. It is expected that construction will commence in April and the road will be open to traffic by the end of 2016 or early 2017.
• In addition to the Atterbury Road link, Century will be contributing to the upgrade of the Atterbury and De Villebois Mareuil intersection.
• In the future, the K147 will be extended towards Garsfontein Road as well as Lynwood Road, resulting in residents having the choice between Garsfontein, Atterbury and Lynwood Roads to drive to Pretoria (N1/N4). The extension of the K147 is a condition for future phases planned by Century on the western side of the K147.
ATTERBURY ROAD UPGRADE
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BUILDING YOURNEW HOMEBuilding is a huge investment in capital, time and emotional energy and it is absolutely worth taking the time to get things right the first time.
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THE FIRST STEP IS KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT.
Make inspiration boards, they will make it much easier to explain the look and feel you are aiming for. With Pinterest inspiration boards have never been so easy! Make a different board for each area of the house. Once you have pinned all your favourites take a step back and study them all together. You will start to see a theme running through your selections which will give your home its character. Also take time to think about details such as storage and where it should be, light sources, types of lighting, even the position of light switches. Be specific about how you plan to use each space.
THE NEXT STEP IS MAKING SURE YOUR IDEAS FIT IN YOUR BUDGET.
Size is an important consideration when building your first home. If you are building a larger home you can obviously expect to
pay more in bond repayments, rates and maintenance. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to build so small that it leaves you without options for redesign or expansions later. Really think about the spaces you’ll need and what you can afford when planning your house and you won’t have regrets later on.
When you are planning to build your first home, you should allocate a half to two-thirds of what you can actually afford towards building it. It is rare for a house to come in at or under budget.
Try to decide on all major finishes in the concept stage and collect samples to compare with others as you continue assembling elements. A limited palette of complimentary materials will give your design good continuity and stronger visual impact. Choose the same taps for all your bathrooms and use the same floor finishes throughout the house. Continuity will make your house feel well designed, and buying in bulk is a good opportunity to negotiate a bette price.
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Selecting the right professionals to help you see your project through is essential in ensuring your dream home doesn’t become a nightmare.
When choosing your contractor visit two or three building projects that they have worked on to see the quality of work and to find out from the people how the they were treated.
Work with an interior designer and architect in the concept stage to get expert opinions on your ideas – they will assist in making sure all spaces work and flow well before the building begins. This is an investment well worth making if you want to get it right the first time and obtain a polished look!
Make sure your building contract is very detailed including specifics of every fitting and finish choice, the electrics and plumbing plans down to the position of every light switch and plug point, and labour for every aspect of the job. This is your final opportunity to check that your budget
is on target. If you have planned well there shouldn’t be too many surprises. And don’t be afraid to hold off on breaking ground until you are happy with all quotes and your final design.
Important: Read your
contracts in detail before
signing them!
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Good choice! The advantages of indigenous plants are that that they:• Can eventually maintain themselves even in poor soils.• Are evergreen.• Attract birds and wildlife.• Are a source of medicinal treatments.• Are an important habitat for natural fauna.
One of the most important advantages of planting indigenous however, is water saving. Save yourself money and contribute towards overcoming South Africa’s critical shortage of water. There are many benefits to using indigenous plants for gardening because these plants have developed especially to cope with the dry local conditions and are more hardy.
SO YOU’VE DECIDED ON AN INDIGENOUS GARDEN… TIP
Take photos of plants that appeal to you and check their
names using online tools such as iSpot or invest in the Botanical Society’s wildflower guide for
your area. Armed with a name you can check whether they are really indigenous to your area and you can search for them at
a nursery or specialist grower.
Click to visit specialist websites for more tips 1 2 3
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No two gardens are alike; take note of what kind of soil and environmental conditions you have, so that when you go to a nursery the experts can point you in the right direction. Also keep an eye on nature reserves and strips of indigenous veld in your area. The plants that grow there should do well in your garden.
When choosing a plant, check its mature height and spread. Some trees and shrubs grow to a considerable height, or spread widely, and if planted unwisely they can block out light from the house, obstruct paths and driveways or crowd other plants in the garden. :
When planning an indigenous garden, do not attempt a too formal layout. On the whole, indigenous plants benefit the most when planted to give the appearance of an area of natural wild growth.
For those who have little time for gardening, a major advantage of an in digenous garden is that it is almost maintenance free. Provided plants are kept free from insect infestation, the soil is well mulched and shrubs are lightly pruned each year, almost no garden work is required.
Indigenous Garden Cont
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It’s worth spending some time on considering how to make your home more environmentally friendly. Take a look at http://mygreenhome.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Guide-to-Energy-Labels-for-appliance-theme-2-June-2014.pdf to understand energy labels on building products and appliances that you can use in your home. Choosing wisely will offer significant cost and energy savings without compromising performance.
With the recent focus on water conservation you may consider installing a rainwater harvesting system while building your home to collect rainwater from roofs and then storing it in a tank.
The collected water can then be used for purposes such as toilets and sprinkler systems. Don’t underestimate the importance of the right lighting. LED and CFL cost more upfront but use less energy and lasts longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, resulting in significant cost savings in the long run.
Insulation is also an important consideration when looking to save energy. Heating and cooling accounts for 50% of your home’s energy consumption. Proper insulation will not only reduce your energy consumption but will bring down your electricity bills substantially.
GOING GREEN – OF COURSE!
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