In a town brimming with luxury real estate, it’s not easy to find one property that stands out from the rest, but the Villa Agusta in Plettenberg Bay really is in a class of its own.
So says John Fuller, owner of the local Chas Everitt International franchise, which has just been mandated to market the opulent ‘superhome’ for R80m. “This area has been a favourite playground of SA’s most affluent people and the international polo set for many years,” he notes, “and there are many lavish mansions here, especially in suburbs such as Beachy Head, Keurbooms, Lookout Hill and Whale Rock.
“However, the 1600sqm Villa Agusta in exclusive Roodefontein definitely raises the bar on luxury and will be marketed to a global audience of potential buyers through our affiliation to Leading Real Estate Companies of the World© and the Luxury Portfolio International network.
Designed by Argentinean master architect Marcello Murchio and completed in 2006, Villa Agusta is set on 21ha of the original Roodefontein farm, just below the Roodefontein Dam and bordering the Plettenberg Bay Country Club golf course, which is a proclaimed nature reserve.
This private estate also contains the original Roodefontein farmhouse, which has been upgraded and turned into a magnificent guest house; 24 international-standard stables and equestrian facilities; a tennis court; staff accommodation and various outbuildings. It is also completely self-sufficient as regards the supply of water from an Artesian well and various boreholes.
The main residence features a spectacular double-volume entrance hall and enormous lounge with a central open fireplace; eight 4m-tall double doors sourced from the former Government House in Mumbai; handmade windows and shutters; bespoke iron balustrades copied from the famous Alvear Palace hotel in Buenos Aires and imported Spanish roof tiles.
The upscale flooring materials include Travertine with Brazilian teak insertions in the living areas, Italian tiles on the pool terrace and slate in the kitchen, and other luxury features include underfloor heating in all the bathrooms; a central air-conditioning system; a Finnish-design water reticulation and heating system and a tunnelled driveway that connects the main entrance portico to the “Africa” guest suite and triple garage.
The kitchen and stately dining room are to be found on the ground floor of the east wing, while the west wing houses a library, private office, gymnasium and steam room. On the second storey there are four more sumptuous bedroom suites, including a master suite with double dressing rooms and bathrooms that leads out to a wrap-around terrace with views of the gardens and the golf course beyond.
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom guest house, which was extended and upgraded in 2004, has an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area leading to a stylish covered veranda, and its own office, gym and sauna, as well as a games room, billiards room with bar, pool and double garage.
Fuller says the serene country setting also ensures owners of the utmost privacy – even though the estate is just a few kilometres from central Plettenberg Bay, with its Blue Flag beaches and a cosmopolitan array of restaurants and boutiques.
It is also within easy reach of the upgraded local airport, which offers almost daily flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town and has boosted the popularity of the town among foreign owners who visit between October and March each year to enjoy the wonderful local climate, scenery and natural attractions.
