A Home With Integrity

Reclaimed materials and a loving touch restored a quaint, but derelict, heritage cottage to its former glory.

- Beatrice Moore-Nothnagel

Mount Pleasant in Port Elizabeth. But this optimism was nipped in the bud when her estate agent tried to put her off the purchase...

“She told me that the house was derelict and wouldn’t even be considered a ‘fixer-upper’ as it was beyond repair,” explains Dee. “The agent said the only option was to tear it down but since the house, which was built in 1932, was classified as a heritage home, even demolishing it wasn’t really an option as it was unlikely that permission would be granted to do so.”

Still, Dee couldn’t wait to see the property as she loves the area and the price was right. Mount Pleasant is also where she and her late husband Joel bought their first home together after getting married, so the area has sentimental value.

When viewing the house with her sons, Joshua and Samuel, Dee realised that the estate agent wasn’t exaggerating: there was a massive hole in the floor, the remaining floorboards were all rotten and you could see right through the roof in several places. The garden was a jungle. “My sons begged me to just leave, but I loved the place! It was quiet and beautiful; it just needed some TLC,” explains Dee.

The quaint Victorian home was built in a ‘wood and iron style’, comprising a timber frame with corrugated-iron sheeting on the exterior.

There are very few such examples in South Africa today. In addition, the plot is a spacious 1 000m² and it’s located high on the hill with a beautiful view over Sardinia Bay. Dee signed the offer to purchase immediately, despite everyone’s fore warnings, as she believed the house deserved to regain its integrity. 

A reclaimed dream