Our South African Home

      Once arriving in South Africa, Black and Veatch set us up in temporary housing and scheduled a relocation company to shows us homes in the area.  Black and Veatch requires that you live inside a security gated community and there are several to pick from here.  But figuring out which homes are available and at what price is not so easy.  There are web pages that list a few homes but not all of them and the price can change dramatically day to day depending on who is calling to look at them.  The relocation company is not aware of all the homes available as each is represented by an Estate Agent who is not always open about what they have to show.  Then upon finding a home you have to get the owner to agree to the strict Black and Veatch lease which not all of them will do.  House hunting in South Africa is not as buyer/renter friendly as it is in the states where every home is well advertised and available.
      On our second day of house hunting we feel in love with our home.  Most of the homes in our community are Spanish style with a few contemporary and some traditional thrown in the mix.  Ours is a 2 story brick traditional with white trim.  It has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms in the main house along with living areas, a bar, a scullery, and an office.  The guest flat above the garage is a nice addition with it's own balcony and entrance.

The main floor has a beautiful wooden staircase in the entry.  Tile floor throughout with carpet in the lounge and bedrooms.  I love our open floor plan and no two homes seem to be alike here.   

The living room has a bay window that overlooks the front garden (what we call a yard or lawn in the US) and when sitting on the couch you can see right into the back garden through the sliding doors that really open up the house.

The dining room has a nice wood burning fire place that is two sided so those in the lounge can enjoy it as well.  Windows are everywhere and all of them open, leaving the house feeling very breezy and warm this winter when the sun shines in.

It's nice to sit on the couch in the lounge (what I call a family room in the US), watch some American TV and enjoy a fire on the cold African nights.

The bar is settled between the dining room and the kitchen and looks right into the back garden as well. To our surprise there is an underground wine cellar below the bar that you can only get to through a secret door.

Next up is the center of any house, the kitchen.  I love all the cabinets, counter space and the walk-in pantry is a plus.  One aspect of the kitchen I fell in love with is the sliding window over the counter that passes through to the outdoor patio.  It feels like an outdoor kitchen when open and you can be a part of the party while cooking.

Passing through the kitchen is the scullery.  Prior to moving to South Africa I had no idea what a scullery was but now that I have one, what a great invention I must say.  Basically it's a room that houses the washer, dryer, dish washer and kitchen sink.  Why not have all your dirty items out of the way.

 

The sliding doors which open onto the patio and braai (BBQ in Africa) enlarges 

your home to invite the outside in.

A covered patio is a must during the rainy season and it's nice to sit in the shade

 as I am sure to burn in this African sun.  

When looking for homes one Estate Agent said to me, "you don't really need a pool in South Africa, you can only use it 7 months out of the year".  I of course had to tell him that where I am from we are lucky to get 3 months of pool time, so I am not settling for a home without a pool.

I look forward to using the pool in a few months and hearing the sound of the fountain splash.  It was not easy to find a large pool in Africa as most of them I have seen are only slightly larger than a hot tub.

We have made our own back garden paradise for Adalyn with a jungle gym and trampoline.  If you are going to live outside most of the time, I figured we needed a few things to help entertain her. 

 Of course our new dog, Dolly enjoys it as well.

Adalyn's room also overlooks the pool on the first floor.  She is thrilled to have bunk beds and it has become a nightly ritual for her to jump off the ladder to us.

 Across the hall and past a bathroom is a guest bedroom which overlooks the front garden.  The bedrooms in our house have light switches in the rooms like in the US, something most African homes have outside the door as you enter/exit.  

Passing one more bathroom you make it to the front entry and up the stairs. At the top there is a door which leads you out onto the back balcony and in the opposite direction is the office.  Through the office and the double doors is the master suite.

Having a balcony on both sides of the master bedroom is great for letting light and a breeze in.  The back balcony is quite a bit larger and has a separate entrance.










The exposed beams are quite unique and are found in every bedroom, the kitchen and the office.
Through the door on the left is our traditional walk-in closet without cabinet doors as most homes in Africa have.

The master bathroom has a great double walk-in shower, but not enough cabinet space as you can see all of our items spread out on the counter.  Bathrooms in Africa do not have outlets, so extension cords are a must for blow drying your hair.

Out the front or back door and around to the garage side of the home is a staircase which leads you up to the guest flat. 

 Complete with it's own kitchen, bathroom and balcony, it think it will be quite nice for when guests visit as they can have their own space.  

Overall, I am very pleased with the house we found.  The back of the home faces the north therefore letting in tons of light and I am glad the owners built it that way, keeping it warm in the winter months without central heat.  We have settled in nicely, giving the home our own personal touch and look forward to making many memories here.  

Who's up for a visit?