Documenting my house builds
And so it begins – the real work of digging the trenches for the foundations.
The site was cleared and we managed to keep some of the veld that has been sitting on this ridge undisturbed for what could be decades. I can’t remember a fire in this area and I have been coming here since I was a kid in the 80’s.
As exciting as building a house on the coastline is, the flipside is that the intouched environment gets destroyed. Hopefully we can be sensitive to the pieces that remain.
Another decade another house!
Building a new house on the west coast of South Africa in a small beach town called Yzerfontein. Bought the plot in 2016 (10 years after I bought my first plot) and building in 2022 almost 11 years after I built my first house.
I have finally installed my fynbos roof garden – all the plants are water-wise. The garden base consists of a layer of dorken with sand filling the cups then a layer of great soil that Bruce Beyer and his team made for the project. I installed the irrigation system myself, which although quite a steep learning curve, wasn’t too tricky. It is now entirely automated. The garden has also added an insulation layer for the whole area, shielding the kitchen from the heat of summer.
Previously the slab would heat up during the day and then spend the night giving off heat to the house which would result in a very warm house.This insulation layer will also keep the heat from escaping the house in winter.
My courtyard has now also undergone a transformation – I have installed a veggie box. There are already some herbs and two Jasmine bushes. Hopefully I will have a fully functioning kitchen garden at my disposal soon.
I’ve moved in!
It feels surreal after all this time to actually be in my own space – this is also heightened by the fact that I have very little furniture so it’s a bit empty.
But I’m in! No more having to answer that “when are you moving in?” question, it is done. But like any marriage the next question is “so when you going to have a party” (replace ‘party’ with ‘baby’) – the answer is as soon as I get over my paranoia about my new floors (replace ‘new floors’ with ‘commitment issues’)
Next phase is the garden/pool/deck… but first I am going to unpack and sleep and work to try and pay for all this!
Now that I have a new house, unpacking all my old crap, I feel that I need to get rid of a lot of stuff. So a garage sale and charity is the next step.
But I’m in!
Spotlight Kitchens are still hard at work installing the kitchen and bedroom. I am now about 2 weeks from actually moving in. The stone is on the kitchen countertops, and most of the cabinets are constructed – the installation has been tricky, but it’s all going relatively smoothly.
I have employed the glass craftsman Simon Croft of Fusion who came around to template up the glass balustrade for my bedroom as well as the shower screens for both master and 2nd bathrooms – these should be ready in about 3 weeks.
(The gallery below is of some snaps off my phone so quality isn’t great)
Spotlight is hard at work installing the kitchen and bedroom cabinets. The carcasses are mostly in and it’s beginning to take shape.
The most challenging part of the process is now keeping contractors off the new floors. It’s a constant battle of getting one contractor not to damage another contractor’s work. The stress of this last stage is taking its toll.
Final paint touch ups also happening. This next week marks the arrival of the final sanitary ware items – a couple of weeks left and I’ll be sleeping here!
The home stretch at last. The floors are pretty much in – just a little section of the landing to finish.
I went with an oiled finish using a two component oil that has much better water resistant properties than the standard oil.
The painting is also almost done, there will just be a few areas that need to be touched up.
Spotlight delivered the first of the carcasses for all my cabinets and the installation begins tomorrow.
The move-in date is getting closer!
The most asked question of this whole project is “When will it be ready?”
The real answer is probably “Never”. I think a house is never really complete and you can spend the rest of time completing it.
That said, there does come a time when you have to get it to a state that you can actually live in it. And that time is hopefully just a few weeks away.
Zimbostrading is busy installing my oak floors – the 220mm wide boards look beautiful. I have yet another decision: to oil or to varnish. Each has it pros and cons. The oil brings a natural quality to the timber while the varnish is worry free in the kitchen and bathroom areas.
Spotlight Kitchens have also been working away at all my cupboards for both my kitchen and my bedroom and they are now almost ready to install. The stone worktops are being supplied by Canata.
I also decided to install underfloor heating. While the cost of installation is relatively cheap the running costs are high. I do think that it is a vital part of a comfortable home in Cape Town despite our unusually warm winter. Dynamis helped me out with the underfloor heating.
The painters have been working away on the walls and timber frames. The whole process is now about refining and ensuring that the house maintains its integrity and doesn’t get hidden by the wrong choice of finishes. This is is the most delicate part of the process and the most expensive.
I have resigned myself to the fact that I won’t have everything I want all at once. The garden, deck and pool will have to wait, but I have ensured that most of the interior will be complete so that when I move in I can comfortably live in the house.
The garage door is in, sewerage line is installed, the driveway is drying & interior plans are just about ready.
It’s been a long month since the last update. Many more decisions and not enough time to make them.
I spent a good portion of the last month deciding on tap fittings and after many hours and days and weeks trying to find the right fittings, a quick conversation and a mail with a work colleague led me to Vola. Designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1968 this range fits the form/function balance perfectly and seems to belong in my home.
You can also head on over to artsy.net to find out more and even get your hands on some of Arne’s pieces.
With the help of Martina at Still Bathrooms I have managed to sort most of my sanitary ware requirements out which is a huge relief.
Vola is not cheap but I think is well worth it – it comes in different colours and has water saving adjustments.
There is also a 360 degree view of the interior to stare at.
