The housing stock
What we are usually working with
Rondebosch runs from Victorian and Edwardian semis and detached villas through to 1930s bungalows, with a heavy overlay of student and staff rental around the university. The houses are generally well built and generously proportioned. What they are not is modern: small separate rooms, one bathroom, and services that have been patched rather than replaced for eighty years.
The local catch
Over sixty years old means heritage protection
Under section 34 of the National Heritage Resources Act, any structure older than 60 years needs a permit before it is altered or demolished, and most of Rondebosch qualifies. That is not a reason not to renovate, it is a reason to establish the position before you pay for a full drawing set. We will tell you at survey stage whether your house falls under it and what that realistically means for the design.
In Rondebosch
Nothing on this list is unique to Rondebosch, but the mix is. These are the jobs that actually come up on this patch.
- Sympathetic renovation of Victorian and Edwardian homes
- Opening up the back of the house into kitchen and living space
- Rising damp in solid walls with no original damp-proof course
- Full rewires and re-plumbs alongside cosmetic work
- Converting outbuildings and garages into flatlets
Most relevant here
Also building nearby
Next step
Eddie will come out, walk it with you and tell you honestly what it takes. No charge for the first visit.