'Our Happy Home'

A sentimental purchase led to all sorts of surprises, but the Steyns have no regrets.

- By Elna van der Merwe. Photographs by Henrique Wilding

WHO LIVES HERE? Petrus and Nina Steyn with their kids, Jackie (7) and Petra Calldi (212)

WHERE Kenridge, Durbanville

SIZE 144m2

Why would you buy a house that's in such a sad state that your friends call it a dump? Infatuation, say the Steyns. They were immediately smitten by the 1 300m2 erf, the way light flooded into the house, the slate floors, the high and slanted ceilings, the spacious rooms and the fact that there is a primary school across the road.

It was our dream home. It didn't necessarily make financial sense to renovate the place but we fell in love with it. And that was that, says Petrus.

He and Nina had to look past the home's old wall-to-wall carpets, the cramped kitchen and wiring that was dangerous in some places.

Then a fire destroyed the kitchen before the transfer of the property was even finalised. And yet another unpleasant surprise awaited them shortly thereafter: the living room floor was starting to sag. Ultimately, it had to be excavated down to ground level before a new floor could be laid. And in the midst of all this, Petrus was studying for his final psychiatry exams and had to leave the project to Nina. She's a medical doctor but works on an ad hoc basis, so she was up for the challenge.

“I have very specific tastes and strong opinions about everything, says Nina, who also does artistic leather and linocut work. So it made sense for her to become the project manager, which saved them a lot of money.