Rose Cottage ~ A Labour of Love

Last year, we undertook a project that was a dream in the making for as long as we can remember.

My family and I wanted to build a small cottage on our property for my mom, who will be 80 next year, to retire in. She has never owned a home of her own and we wanted to build something really special as her “forever home”.

On 17 July 2022, the foundations were laid and the project was underway.

Unfortunately, we had endless problems with the builder we had hired for the job. We were let down on a weekly basis with no pitching for work and endless excuses that caused endless stress.

We eventually gave up with this builder and contracted everything out. The levelling of the floors throughout the cottage, the tiling, the windows, painting, wiring, built-in cupboards etc. Absolutely everything and every tiny detail.

I had promised my mom she would be in the cottage by Christmas 2022, so we were working on a tight deadline and a tight budget.

We all worked tirelessly, spending every spare minute and weekend working on Rose Cottage. We poured our heart and soul into this project.
My husband designed the entire layout of the cottage with the emphasis on everything being flat with no stairs and easy access for my mom to move around. He also did all the wiring and electrics himself. (He is a qualified electrician.)

My daughter designed the kitchen and chose all the finishings. I designed the bathroom and chose the finishings with attention to detail.

My mom moved in two weeks before our Christmas deadline.
To say she was/is overjoyed and beyond grateful for her new forever home is an understatement. She absolutely loves her home, and it is wonderful to have her so close by in her golden years.

The project ended up costing a lot more than we had planned and budgeted for but in the end, the results were exactly what we wanted.

The cottage has a lovely welcoming, warm atmosphere and we have received amazing compliments from family and friends who all think it is stunning.

We absolutely love it!

It was difficult choosing six ‘before’ and six ‘after’ pictures from hundreds of photos but I think what I have entered gives a good overall idea.

Many thanks for the opportunity to enter this competition and showcase this special project.