Two suburbs in one postcode — and two different specifications to match

Upper slopes, lower flats

Claremont splits fairly cleanly along the mountain's slope. Upper Claremont, toward the Constantiaberg, holds larger Victorian and Edwardian houses and mid-century homes on quiet, tree-lined streets near Arderne Gardens — mature trees filtering the light much as they do in neighbouring Rondebosch. Lower Claremont, flatter and closer to the M5, is denser: townhouses, semis and low-to-mid-rise apartment blocks packed in around the Cavendish Square and Main Road commercial spine, with paved courtyards and shared boundary walls replacing the garden hedge.

How we specify for Claremont

The upper, freestanding houses get the same treatment as a Rondebosch villa under tree cover — sunscreen or venetian blinds tuned for filtered light and west-facing glare, without over-darkening a room the trees are already shading. The apartments and townhouses nearer Main Road are a different brief entirely: full-height glazing and balcony doors that take direct sun for most of the day, and openings that are often awkward to reach by hand, which is where motorisation earns its place rather than being an upsell. Where a block runs under a body corporate, we confirm what's permitted on a balcony or shared facade before quoting external hardware, rather than specifying an awning or external shutter that the building rules won't allow.