Restful In Riebeek

The more dilapidated, the better. That’s the Caalsens’ philosophy when buying a home – and these seasoned renovators know how to recognise potential among the pitfalls.

- Marian van Wyk

Few things get Darryl and Amelia Caalsen’s fingers itching more than a neglected house that has stood empty for a long time – so it’s no wonder they fell in love with an old, dilapidated home with an overgrown garden when they spent a holiday in the Riebeek Valley in 2013.

“We seized the opportunity to live here,” says Amelia. Back then, the couple were living in England but now Darryl, a legal adviser, commutes between Cape Town and their home.

“We prefer to buy an old house so we can furnish it to our own taste,” explains Amelia. This mother-of-three is busy with their renovation projects full-time – the couple buy a house, move in, fix it up and sell it again. And these two have restored quite a few homes to their former glory: two in England and four in South Africa.

The Caalsens saw plenty of potential among the dated finishes and unsightly additions in this historic home that once belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church. Its high ceilings, wooden floors, charming wooden shutters and magnificent views of the Kasteelberg mountain at the back and the church and tall plane trees in front caught their attention.