The renovation

The asbestos roof and its rotten purlins had to go first, and for this Marc enlisted professional assistance (see expert box). He and a helper, who had some roofing experience, put up a new aluminium Safintra roof. The two men spent many hours on the front lawn, making the new trusses themselves.

Marc tackled all the other issues that come with a 1954 beach house himself, often with the help of his dad Brian and a single hired helper,

Mzo Nontshege. The walls, for example, were problematic. “The house didn’t have much brickwork,” Marc explains. “Most of the non-loadbearing walls were concrete shuttered with old, barbed wire and they had started to crack badly.”

The plasterwork was done with beach sand and had to be removed on all the interior and exterior walls – a mammoth, laborious task.

“Mzo and I worked side by side. I would use my new SDS drill with impacting capability like a mini jack hammer, and Mzo would follow in my wake with a bolster chisel and a four-pound hammer – and then we would swap just to trick ourselves into thinking we’re getting a break.”

The old plaster chips were put to good use as a filler for the 500mm gap left where the wooden floorboards were removed.

“You know, I’m not a builder like my dad. I quit tech after six months of construction management because I hated it,” Marc says. “But I loved every moment of this project – all the DIY.”

Marc rubs his neck when he describes how he installed all the ceilings. “My neck was sore for weeks after doing them! I sometimes look back and see what we did, and I ask myself: did we really do that huge overhaul?” Marc reminisces. “I didn’t think it would turn out like this. It’s all thanks to Kim’s eye for style and finishes!”