Building a house from the ground up is exciting but there is far more to it than meets the eye.
Andy and Gill Dealtry, whose new home in Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate’s fourth phase, is slowly but surely taking shape.
Their journey until now has led them to discover many of the “finer points” of homebuilding for themselves.
Even Andy, who in his professional life has spent years building plants for automakers, has been struck by the intricacies of the process.
“If this was an industrial project, I would give you a date [for completion] and it will be done. But you can’t actually do that so easily with a domestic project,” he says.
“When you do industrial-type projects, you tend to do more planning. Domestic projects are a little more on the hoof.”
One area where the Dealtrys have been clearer on than most was plot selection as, Gill explains, they did not want other houses in their field of vision.
Their chosen stand, on the front where the road curves, meets this requirement to the tee.
An important consideration in the design was to future-proof it to some extent because, as Andy says, “We won’t always be as fit as we are now”.
That is one reason why they decided to build on a slightly flatter area.
“There is still enough slope to put a big garage there and extend that into a large basement workshop,” Andy points.
Securing the plot was only the beginning of a process that has been a real eye-opener for the couple.
Considering the position of the ground level or stairs is not as simple as it seems and having a change of heart is nothing out of the ordinary either.
For example, at one point they liked the idea of a wooden front door but switched to glass when they realised it would allow more light into the building.
Gill says the project has unfolded very well, even though she would have liked to have been able to make some decisions sooner.
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Now at the point of choosing sanware, joinery and tiles, they are finding that costs tend to add up quickly.
But despite the occasional “sharp intake of breath”, Andy believes homeowners should get what they really want.
It does, however, drive a secondary decision-making process where owners have to ask themselves if they really need a specific item or luxury.
“You can’t price it in pure brick-and-mortar either,” Andy points out.
“Some of the investment you’re making is in lifestyle. You need to put some cash against that.”
There are certain things “you really want and you will regret if you don’t have them”, Gill agrees.
The Dealtrys have been fortunate to draw on the expertise of their son Tom, who is in architect in Cape Town.
While Gqeberha architect Erik Voigt designed the initial home, Tom, in consultation with his parents, has added ideas of his own. He is also sharing his thoughts with interior designer Nelia Scholtz.
“Sometimes we say, ‘Nah, we don’t like that’. But in other things [Tom has suggested] we have benefited,” Gill says.
“One of the great things is that we are able to be here every day to see the house evolving and can change something if we want.”
Remax estate agent Alan Moore, who sold the Dealtrys their property, points out that being in the actual space can help homeowners make informed decisions.