Estate Living Magazine Retirement Living - Issue 40 April 2019 | Page 8

P R O P E R T Y
&
I N V E S T M E N T
service levels have been further enhanced by the
appointment of a rules- and safety-conscious bosun.
These developments did not, however, distract
management from its key deliverables on infrastructure,
maintenance, environmental management and
security. New software is being introduced for asset
maintenance tracking, and security upgrades are
taking advantage of new technologies. Service
providers are included in Pecanwood’s strategic goals,
and the employment of specialist staff has improved the
quality of garden maintenance as well as the aesthetics
of the golf course.
The implementation of an environmental management
plan has seen noxious and exotic plants being identified
and removed, as well as the commencement of the
removal of barbel and carp from the estate’s internal
dams. Indigenous grasses are being introduced in
common areas and some of the golf course’s waste-
bunkers. Wildlife is thriving on the estate. To date, over
108 bird, eight mammal and three reptile species have
been identified by residents.
Catering for a new demographic
Over the last 22 years Pecanwood has evolved from
a golf estate, with the majority of members being
weekenders, to a lifestyle estate with a golf course where
over 60% of the members are full-time residents. The
profile of the individual resident has become younger,
attracted by a combination of factors, including
the proximity of the secure, high-quality estate to
Pecanwood College, supported by preschool and day
care facilities on the estate – and all within commuting
range of Pretoria, Midrand and the northern suburbs of
Johannesburg.
In recognition of this change, the HOA, board and
management have improved the swimming pools,
tennis courts and play areas dotted around the estate,
and the restaurants have become more family-focused.
Safe and sound, and a secure investment
Naturally, security is a key component of any estate,
and Pecanwood has spent over a million rand on
updating the gate access protocols and upgrading the
perimeter fence. Since its opening phases, Pecanwood
has become a mini-municipality that supplies residents
with all key services, except for refuse removal and
electricity. The estate prides itself on its environmental
plan, which includes composting plant material for reuse in the estate’s gardens
and common areas, and recycling grey water through its own on-site plant. The
HOA will be quick to tell you that Pecanwood is still evolving, and will continue to
do so. In step with this continuing journey, the board has ambitious plans for the
estate’s future – recognising that, in these uncertain times, one of any HOA’s key
responsibilities is to safeguard the estate’s assets and its home owners’ property
values.
Take a bow
The HOA’s board and management recognise that the attainment of excellence,
the successes achieved to date and the sustaining of these standards is an
ongoing task. A clear indication of the success of these initiatives can be found
in Pecanwood’s having received awards in the prestigious African Property
Awards in both categories in which it entered – including winning ‘Best Property
Consultancy Africa’ for the HOA’s estate management activities.
The outcome to date, in what is an ongoing process, is that Pecanwood’s home
owners can look forward with confidence to the rest of 2019 and beyond.
pecanwood.co.za