Main alterations

• The day after the Krugers took transfer, on Saturday 31 May, they tackled the kitchen. “At first we wanted to re-use the kitchen cupboards and just re-arrange them, but it didn’t work out that way and we had to abandon that plan,” says Sarita. So they ripped out the entire kitchen on the first day.

• A team of builders began breaking out walls on the Monday and three days later only a pillar remained between the braai room and kitchen.

• The electrical work and plumbing was then done.

• The facebrick walls in the braai room were plastered and the chimney was straightened.

• The braai room floor was raised to the same level as the kitchen floor.

• Then the pillar was removed – a steel girder was installed to carry the weight of the wall.

• New vinyl flooring was laid on 21 June.

• A private contractor installed the kitchen cabinets in two days.

• They then tackled the cornices and skirting boards, and painted the walls.

• The original TV wall unit was removed – the TV now stands on the lower oak cupboard; this was painted the same grey as the kitchen cupboards. The wall behind the TV was brightened up with wallpaper.