We bought an old house on a large plot in Durbanville Central a few years ago. We decided to turn an old existing outside room and bathroom into a flat which we can rent out for an extra income, seeing that it is on one side of the plot and is very private from the rest of the house.

The flat covers a small area because we used most of the existing foundation and walls of the existing building but decided to add a loft area for extra space.

We mostly used recycled building materials from the existing house, things we bought from Marketplace and auctions, and got from family’s backyards! Only the cupboard doors, tiles and shower panel were bought brand-new (but we also hunted for the best prices!).

Everything was done ourselves (well, mostly my husband Drikus, but I supervised and helped with the painting!), and we got help installing the kitchen cupboards. Drikus did the plumbing (with help from my dad) and electrical work, built the staircase, did the screed floor and roof installation, and did all of the finishing touches.

The result is a 40 square modern loft apartment with a lovely outside braai area, grass with a lemon tree, and a carport with its own separate entrance. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this project, but we couldn’t be happier!