They say that you never know what is around the corner and I would tend to agree as something rather huge has happened in Jax land! I have bought a house!!!! This was honestly the last thing I ever expected to do this year, in fact 2016 was meant to be the year where I would chill more and take some time out to go India to travel for a bit and not put so much pressure on myself. Life however had other plans for me and we landed up in a bit of a horrible situation which led us here! And here is not a bad place to be.
The housey which shall forever be named The Mouse House is a real little gem with loads of character and a viridescent green garden lined with a canopy of indigenous trees. My favourite thing about the house is that it has a perfect verandah overlooking all the magic. The Mouse House was built in 1967 and it sports some delicious terrazzo tiles which most people would rip out but which I absolutely adore #ihavethisthingwithfloors Riaan would say that the best part is that it is right by a forest and has two double garages and I would say that the best part is that it has soul and a wonderful energy which so many new builds are lacking these days. Riaan loves the 70’s vibe and I love the view. It has however also suffered from some pretty ridiculous design features which were so typical of that time, like compartmentalised spaces, a grotty kitchen and a less than spa like bathroom. Despite these, Riaan and I fell in love with the place the first time that our estate agent Simon Nicholson showed us the property. After lots of chatting and finding ourselves in a position where we needed to move we decided to take on this enormous project and refurb! It’s going to be one hell of a task and there are moments when I wonder what the heck we have done but I know that in the end it will be wonderful to create a space that is uniquely ours.
Whilst I have been all over the country over the past couple of weeks Riaan has started the process and I came home to a building site! The photos below are the before pics. Things are looking quite different today!!! I am going to blog about our progress and they will come in blog posts titled “The Mouse House” The next instalment will be the building site that is currently keeping us both up at night!
Huge thanks to Simon from Remax for just knowing our vibe!!! Simon was such a star and has helped us at every turn which is great for a first time buyer like myself! You can click here to join his Facebook page. He is a talented writer, an unbelievably inspiring person and a darned good estate agent who wont rip you off. He operates on the Dolphin Coast of Natal. I would also like to mention and thank my mortgage broker Arnold from Ilumina Capital. Arnold has had plenty of years in the banking industry and is a whizz with helping self employed individuals like myself deal with banks. He made my life so easy and is an absolute god-send!
PS I took all these pics of us with a self timer and a tripod! It’s not that easy to do. We took alot of photos to get a few where we don’t look like total chops!
PPS I was never a dog person. I was a cat person. And then I met Riaan and Panther Bear and now we are 3 and I love both of these boys madly.
PPPS One really never knows what is around the corner!!!
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Congrats Guys!! I can wait to see the progress and refurb. So exciting
Looks awesome Jacki! Congratulations!
LOVE it!!!!! (AMAZING FLOORS and loads of character!) May you be extremely blessed in your new home 🙂
You have to keep those tiles!!!
Congrats Jacqui on your new home, so exciting!!!! It’s really quaint and I have no doubt with your artistic talent you will transform it into your own. I just love the garden!!!! We are now living in York in the UK and the homes here are so small with really small gardens if any. We managed to find a quaint barn conversion 3 bedroom bungalow in the farming surroundings, we move in on Tuesday, I’m so excited. Good luck with your renovations looking forward to following your blog. Much love. Val Claus 💗
Jax, I’m so happy for you! Happy for you and Riaan! And Panther-Bear! And I’m so looking forward to following your progress with The Mouse House. I know, I have no doubt at all, you’re going to enhance its magic tenfold! Best of luck. Keep us posted. Huge love to you.
Wooooohoooooo!!!! Looks so rad! Well done guys, so glad to have been a part of the journey!!! Can’t wait to see how you guys make it yours. Big Loves.
Congrats Jax!!! Amazing news!! It’s the best feeling ever having a place you can really call ‘Home’!
awesome Jax, congratulations!!! looking forward to seeing your updates and following the refurbishments….how exciting!!! Lots of lovexx
I can see a lot of potential! Love it and can’t wait to see what it looks like with a bit of Jacki Flair!
Love it. The garden is amazing :). You can fix up the house to your liking over time, but to have an established garden like that …. woweeee
Awesome Jax, congratulations to you three and may you be blessed way beyond your expectations.
The most exciting thing to do! Breathing new life into an old soul. Enjoy Jax 😁
Great fit and potential! The images make it almost worth not touching! Must see you guys soon.
Congrats Jackie and Partner. Well Done. I see a lot of potential in this house. If can assist you with Lighting. Please Let Nadine Pillay to assist. Also Please would you contact me regarding another album for us and Rae (My Boss) would like to select the Pics. Thank u
what a piece of paradise….Can’t wait to see the transformation….ps…careful Mad Mel isn’t following your blog 😂
Yay!!! Such happy photos too Jax 😘
Your mouse house is a dream house. Congratulations Jacki.
So dang excited for you! Those floors made my heart beat a little faster, I’m going to have to drag William along to kick himself, you know what I mean haha. It’s a fantastic project, truly excited for you 3! PS So glad you are a dog and cat person now.
How exciting for you. Fun to decorate and make it your own personal haven. I loved seeing the happy photos of you both. Including doggy. Enjoy😘
Congratulations Jax, love your garden
Jax, the house is already gorgeous, with so much character. And the garden reminds me of the ‘secret garden’! I can see you whiling away the hours, pottering around this magical garden… The high ceilings are fab too! I’m keen to take on a house project too, and your blog will be a source of inspiration for me. I hope to visit your magical ‘mouse house’ one day…. xxx
WOW – What an exciting project and such a beautiful garden. Wishing you many happy hours with your renovations and making it yours. Congrats to you both and Panther Bear for his new home….. Look forward to following your progress.