Fix my home

Below is the motivation to win a room refurbishment prize for a home

MOTIVATION: #FIX MY HOME

The kitchen will be next

Background:

It all started in 2005 when I bought my townhouse. I bought it from an old lady who was moving into an old-age care facility and had owned the townhouse for thirty years then (now 39 years old). The structure was still strong including most of the fitting but outdated. As a new and excited home owner, of course I started refurbishing starting with the master bedroom and the bathroom – which up to this day I’m still proud of. Slowly but surely, the other rooms followed (three bedrooms, lounge, dining area, kitchen and a granny flat (more like a helper’s quarters) – furniture, painting, etc. As a freelancer, it was not always good, sometime there’ll be money, sometimes not, but the work continued whenever the funds were available. That took about five years. At the time my son was at varsity, unfortunately for me, I was one of those single parents who unable to make provision for their kids’ education. I was a single mom, I had Tebogo when I was 17, needless to say – not planned. His dad owned a pair of Nikes (ran away)…

If there’s one thing that I’m proud of thought is that my garden is stunning! Every plant and grass in my garden is picked and planted by yours truly! My pride..

As the saying goes, “the kitchen will be next”, I kept fixing everything else and overlooking the kitchen…

Recession:

In 2010, things went haywire, the industry was (as any other business) hit by recession. I believe the small businesses and the freelancers where the most hard-hit. I could not afford to pay for anything including my bond repayments and could not carry on with the home refurbishments. Luckily my son was graduating in that year – one less issue, hallelujah! I had to come up with a plan or face losing my only investment – my HOME!

Plan:

Rent out property for a while and look for cheaper accommodation, while at that, maybe a change of scenery will do me good. So I started looking towards Durban, for the simple reason that I hated it, but I had to find out why I hated it. The only way to find out was to move there. Got the tenants. Got the accommodation. Packed my dog Oddy and cat Mini and we were off on a road trip to the unknown! By then of course Tebogo had a good job at Investec and was earning a salary, so I was comfortable leaving him behind to start a life of his own.

Cut a long story short:

Durban was difficult (dah!) and unpleasant. No work! So I found myself contacting my Joburg clients, but of course not telling them that I’m in Durban. They would call for work and ask to see me for a job, and I would insist on the next day. I would book a flight then, only get back to them about the time based on my travelling. So it became a “me living in Durban and working in Joburg” kinda scenario… Again, needless to say, taxing too mush (much). Until I committed to this job which required me to be there (here/Joburg for three months at a time) and I eventually had to make a decision that the Durban thing is not working and I needed to move back home.

Ooh! Ze dilemma (the dilemma):

The landlord could not hear of it! – that I was leaving the premises before my lease had expired. I tried to negotiate and make up forever, huh! Nothing came of it until the lawyers had to be involved to this stage. So being back in Jozi, I still could not afford to move back to my house. I lost my car (the cambelt (sp) expired, engine blew up, and it was too expensive for me to tow it to Joburg to be fixed (let alone). I had to sell it for below the market rate to an Indian (no disrespect intended) for waaaay less than the market rate. Landlord kept all of my life’s worth claiming landlord abuse (not sure if it’s the right term) – it’s been four years now. I had to start from scratch buying furniture, and making do with stuff donated by family – from the bed…

Yey! I see (ze) the light now…:

Back in Joburg, I have tenants in my house and things are getting better for me financially and all. I now have this semi-permanent job and I have a semi-stable salary. By 2013 end I feel that I could be ready to move back to my home, I‘m renting a room at Samantha’s in Glenhazel and I’m giving myself eight months (that’s when my tenants’ lease expires) to move back to Liddesdale. Plans in place, Oddy and Mini all excited! The time comes – can I say “FUCK!”. My place is a hell hole! The kitchen is the worst! The little (new) gas stove that I bought before moving out is retarded – in many ways. Only two plates of the four plates are functional. Oven is not working. The newly painted (as in 2010) ceiling is black from burn smoke, the walls are a disaster, the cupboards handles are hanging, the plugs are falling apart.

I’m actually crying as I write this. It hasn’t been easy, I fought all the way through to make it to this point (which is better from worst – not from where I left off). See pictures attached for my once lovely kitchen in waiting…

The kitchen is next:

At this stage, the kitchen is next come hail or high water, the kitchen is next! Since I moved back in October 2014, I have been getting quotations. I managed to get a blind in, new (black and white) floor tiles, a working fridge, an old washing machine (donated, hoping to fix it), a dryer (not working either, donated too), an unhealthy dishwasher, gas pipes hanging (not working, unsafe – see images attached)  electric wires hanging (not working, unsafe – see images attached). My outdated cupboards with rust, no stove (had to resort to buying a two plate stove just to make do). Thank goodness the only functional thing in my kitchen is my fridge.

2015:

At 48 years old, I have decided to go back to school full time this year, I will be studying Bachelor of Arts in Digital Marketing through Rosebank College. Thank goodness to my job, I can pay for my fees. But that means the kitchen is still next in line after my degree. At this rate I’m looking at 2018 to make that happen. I’m not even talking about fancy, just functional kitchen.

Please help me #Fix my home. The kitchen really has to be next, this time around.

Please wish me well.

Comments are always welcome.