The Villa

Part of the view from the Villa's main deck

Before The Villa, the Farm

Froggy Farm was an actual farm that was bought from the Hugo family by Luiz Miller in 1931.  Luiz Miller's family were the founders of Maskew Miller, a well known stationery firm in Cape Town.   In the 1970's, after his daughter Doris retired (Dorries Drive is named for her), the area was developed as a suburb of Simon's Town (the spelling had changed from Simonstown to Simon's Town sometime in the past 30 years).

The Villa

The villa was built in 2009/2010, and was bought by Russell and Barbara Moore, in 2012.

Several improvements were executed, such as an apartment over the garage and a complete change to the kitchen to allow a grand view up the mountain, plus lots more.

 

The Main Features of the Villa

Beautiful moonlight on the Bay

Here is a summary of the main features - more explanation and photos follow further on.

Security:

There is a very effective and high tech security system in place.   This includes a 10-strand, high power electric fence, security lighting and cameras linked to a computer, outside beams, and indoor movement detectors - all are linked to a phone app for easy off-site monitoring.

The area subscribes to having a dedicated armed response car, and there are number plate recognition cameras at various points in Dorries Drive.

Independent Solar Powered Energy Supply:  

We installed a very successful solar photo-voltaic system that generates and stores electricity.   The batteries are capable of storing up to 12kWH.    During the day even when overcast, electricity is solar generated for daytime use, and the batteries are charged for overnight and load shedding usage.

We find that we spend a monthly average of R500 on electricity purchased from COCT. 

The system is fully compliant with City of Cape Town regulations.

Rainwater harvesting:

In addition to 8,000 litres storage on the upper level, with a state of the art purification system, there are two additional tanks providing 2,000l of water for topping up the pool and for garden watering.

Extra fast and reliable Wi-Fi

We installed high speed fibre to the villa.    We have a wireless internet backup in case of the fibre being damaged and going down.   

The fibre is very fast and reliable, and the wi-fi distributing signal throughout the villa property is a very technologically advanced system, installed by Intesec.  

The additional wireless backup, which would integrate seamlessly should fibre go down, has never been needed since we installed the fibre and wifi system in early 2020. 

 

The Funicular Lift, Video Intercom and Security Entrance

There is a short driveway up to the double garage.  Next to the garage doors is a security gate which may be opened by a key or activated by a key-code on the panel provided.   Between the two doors is a video intercom with receiver panels in the apartment (above the garage), the front door foyer, and the kitchen.   

One may identify the person calling visually and the security door may then be released to allow entry to the stairs and up to the front door.  Alternatively, one may go down to fetch visitors using the funicular, accessed from the garage.   

This is perfect for those who have trouble with stairs, or for transporting luggage, shopping, etc.   It is particularly useful in wet weather.

The funicular lift stops on both the first and second floors.  

The funicular stationery at the garage level.

Waterwise, Indigenous Garden:

Along the back and around the pool decking we have installed Astroturf, which is remarkably easy to care for and yet pretty to look at.  

Even a local mongoose loves the "grass".   He pops in and out from time to time.

99% of the plants and flowers are indigenous to the area.   A simple irrigation system with timers is installed.   

Accommodation Summary:

The house comprises various levels:

Upper Level, Lower Level, Garage, Apartment and Basements

Upper Level:    

Approximately 310 sq.m.

• Main bedroom with sliding doors to small balcony has American shutters.  Dressing area and full bathroom.
• Second bedroom, full bathroom and sliding door exit (American shutters) to pathway down to pool.
• Guest toilet.
• Large open plan lounge and dining area interleading to the deck.  Superb for entertaining.  Funicular foyer off lounge area.
• Protected large deck and balcony, with built in barbecue & chimney, surrounded by clear tempered glass balustrades for uninterrupted views.
• Beautiful kitchen, 90 cm gas hob with electric oven and built in SMEG 60cm combo oven and microwave.  Gorgeous views to mountain through glass skylight and doors.  Large island with salad prep bowl and all other built in units feature mostly drawer storage rather than inconvenient cupboards.
• Scullery has pull out grocery, built in Miele dishwasher, and Franke fittings, as well as additional hot water cylinder under the counter for instant hot water.  
• TV room has a view up the mountain and sliding door to back courtyard.  Latest DSTV satellite installation as well as wifi or LAN connected.  
• Back courtyard has walled area for retractible washlines, plus various pots and beds and a sliding door to the stand next door.  A great wildlife area with sunbirds, sugarbirds, white-eyes etc visiting.

Lower Level:    

Approximately 205 sq. m.               

Front door leads to a Foyer containing funicular doorway, doorway to stairs up to next level, laundry and passage to downstairs rooms.

Utility Room has storage cabinets and equipped as a laundry.

Solar battery storage room contains batteries and solar equipment.
Study or additional bedroom, with large shower bathroom opposite.  Study has lovely views and sliding doors to balcony.  Sheerweave roller blinds.
Main Guest suite - a very large room with full bathroom (spa bath), gorgeous views, large sliding glass doors and American shutters.
Second (or third) guest room has sliding glass doors, curtains, and a good sized shower bathroom.
At the end of the passageway is a large and convenient storage area.
A balcony runs along the whole front of the first floor, and there are a few steps to the pool area.

The pool area is neat and is partially decked, partially Astroturf.   The garden is easy to maintain.

The Garage and Apartment:  

Approximately 40 sq m each

The bachelor apartment has an open living area, sleeping area, a kitchen and TV area.   The flat is wired to receive full DSTV Extra View, and also wired into the villa wi-fi system.   It has its own hot water system and a small shower bathroom.   The front door is equipped with an additional security door.

The garage is a large double garage and has automated doors and access to the funicular lift.

Basements:  

Two basements of approximately 15 sq m each

DESCRIPTIONS AND PHOTO GALLERY

The Upper Level of the Villa

All bedrooms have excellent views.  The variety of colours and weathers makes for spectacular sunsets and sunrises. 

Cape Hangklip at sunset from the Main Bedroom upstairs

Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets over the Bay

THE LIVING & DINING ROOMS

As one enters the top floor level from the funicular vestibule, one is greeted by a huge expanse of glass, through which a spectacular view of the Bay is to be had, across to the Hottentots Holland mountains and the Helderberg.   To the right, across the water, Cape Hangklip is to be seen, and Seal Island directly ahead.

The living rooms are spacious and airy and filled with light

From a corner of the lounge towards the main deck - the glass windows slide back on both sides to open up and connect the lounge and deck areas.

Looking from he lounge towards the kitchen.

A video experience of the main living areas...

THE DECK

The deck is well designed to be sheltered from the midday sun and also from any winds.   It is a favorite place to soak up the sun in the rocking lounger, or to read out of doors, shaded from the sun.

With sliding doors opened.

The dining room is between the kitchen and the deck...most convenient for entertaining.

View from lounge towards kitchen

THE KITCHEN & SCULLERY

Views of the mountain as well as the sea...

Every evening and through the night, porcupines make their way across just above the house, en route to foraging expeditions.  See more below.

The kitchen is attractive, with excellently designed work spaces and storage.
The hob is fitted with a gas supply.

Past the round corner cupboard is a scullery with dishwasher, space for two double door fridges or fridge and freezer, and a tea & coffee nook.  Beyond these is the TV room.

A fitted 60cm oven, plus space for a 90cm stove with large oven and gas hob.

The prep bowl is conveniently placed in the island.  

The appliance garage seen on the left has a roll up door, perfect for housing toaster, beater, electric can opener, etc.  Two pull out bins provide for refuse and recycling.

Washing up dishes with a lovely mountain view!

THE TV ROOM

(Coffee and tea nook), fridges and scullery Linking kitchen to TV room through scullery.

A small cast iron wood burning stove keeps the room toasty warm in winter.

Lots of room for sofas etc., opposite the TV.

THE COURTYARD, TERRACED GARDEN & WILDLIFE

Behind the villa is South African National Parks territory.  Between the house and a drainage cutting about 20m above us, SANParks cuts back foliage at the beginning of summer to create a fire break.

In spring this area is filled with glorious color as thousand of pink watsonia burst into bloom, and the wildlife flourish…sunbirds, sugar birds, grysbok, porcupines, mongoose etc.  

Sunbirds and sugar birds flock to our nectar feeders

We cleared the stand of all alien vegetation, terraced it, and replanted it using fynbos common to our area, as well as a few small trees that will gradually grow over the coming years.  The weeping boerbean in particular, flowers spectacularly each spring and into summer.

Shows the ramp from the sliding gate, and the terraces at the top of the steep stand.

Each evening the porcupines go out to forage for food.  They are omnivores, and love tubers.  We put out vegetable peelings, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables and fruit offerings, and watch them each evening.

A porcupine coming to look for food at dusk in summer.

At the height of summer's long days we see them even in the last daylight, despite their being nocturnal.

Little grysbok (small mountain antelope), mongoose, field mice and other creatures also eat what they can find.  We have a water tray for them too.

Baboons are kept under control by the local baboon monitors.  The tribes are tracked using wireless signals from collars, and kept away from homes as far as possible.   

We are very aware of them, and very careful to keep doors and windows closed if they are in the vicinity as they are very destructive inside dwelling, looking for food.

Most of our windows are designed to give air flow but are baboon proof.

Other Viewings from the Villa

In season, southern right whales are often seen both cavorting in the bay and hugging little coves.  Schools of dolphins are often seen, creating a white foam trail across the bay, and sometimes pods of orcas.  

Owls

Occasionally at night we hear the hoo hoo of a spotted eagle owl.  He visits from time to time and perches on our roof or chimney, looking for prey.  

The owl house was attached to our chimney -we removed it as the red winged starlings took it over.

Whales, Dolphins and sailboats

While writing this I was delighted to look up and see a whale joyously breeching just off Froggy Pond.   We watched for quite a time, enjoying the sighting.

We often see orcas or dolphins in pods making their way into the bay in the morning and out again in the afternoon.

The Guest Suites - Level 1

Entrance foyer showing front door and, on left, the funicular door.

Off the entrance hall, a passage (left) leads to the study and two en suite bedrooms, while the doorway on the right is the utility room

Study or additional bedroom

The first room to the left is the study, which could also be used as a bedroom.

The study exits onto a patio and has a view of the sea.

Opposite the study is a spare bathroom with shower.

The passage leads to a small library, with the main guest suite leading off to the left.

THE MAIN GUEST SUITE

The room is large, with American shutters and glass sliding doors to the outside patio.

Main Guest bedroom views

The bathroom has a spa bath...

and a shower...

etc.

SECOND GUEST SUITE

The second guest suite is further along the passage, and is a charming room, also with a lovely sea view, quick access to the pool, and a shower bathroom.

The bedroom also has a lovely view.

The shower bathroom for 2nd guest suite.

UTILITY ROOM

The room has a small kitchenette for making tea and coffee, etc., but the main function is to be a laundry, and today also houses some of the wall-mounted equipment required for our solar energy system, which can be seen further on.

There is a washing machine and tumble dryer.

THE POOL AREA

Between the garage level and the guest bedroom level is the pool garden.

Below the smaller guest suite, there is a small, private, garden area

Outside the study, steps lead down to the pool (pool cover on during drought).

Seen from outside the 2nd guest suite.

The Apartment above the garage

The bachelor apartment above the garage is reached via steps from either the garage or the driveway.    It is large, and has

• a security door in addition to the main door
• full wifi connectivity to the main fibre internet service
• extraview TV with full premium DSTV
• control panel fraud-visual visitor access
• control panel for alarm system

From the sitting room area towards the bedroom section with shower bathroom on the right at back.

Dressing table and TV

Part of the kitchen area.

SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM - INSTALLED 2019

Power defence!  We have a solar hot water system as a separate installation, and cooking is done using gas (with an electric oven).

The downstairs additional bathroom (opposite the study) has its own electrically operated hot water system that can be switched on when needed, and which has a timer system for saving power.

As a result of our solar power generating installation, for which we are fully approved and certified, we only spend an average of perhaps R500 per month on electricity.   During any load shedding, the batteries take over powering some plugs and appliances, TV, internet, fridges, etc., but high draw appliances such as the oven are not able to be operated.   

Our system was designed to be sufficient to cope with occasional bouts of overcast weather, and comprises an array of photovoltaic panels on our roof, a large battery bank (lithium ion), two inverters and the various other items as specified by the City of Cape Town - we were inspected and awarded the required certification.

Batteries and "Sunny Island" unit, in separate room downstairs

Inverters and other equipment in the Utility Room

Now that load shedding appears to be a fact of life, we are pleased to be self sufficient and able to operate our whole house from the solar panels.  At night we run off batteries.   For work from home purposes, this is the ideal solution, coupled with our fibre/wi-fi installation.

The system is linked to a weather site and is managed by the installers.  During the load shedding periods and considering weather patterns, settings are adjusted.  

Lighting

As part of the project to be largely power self-sufficient, we had all lights replaced with LED fittings and bulbs, which has made a huge difference to our power usage.

Rainwater Harvesting

Becoming Waterwise and partly independent

Since 2015, average rainfall in our greater Cape Town area in the Western Cape, has dipped to less than 381mm (15 inches) per year from a historic average of roughly 762mm (30 inches) per year.

By 2018 Cape Town was in the grip of a disastrous drought, with little or no help from national government.

We installed 10,000 litres of rainwater storage capacity, with a purification plant and system.

8 x 1,000 litre tanks reside on the upper level, out of sight, complete with a full filtration and purification system.   

The system is maintained regularly, the UV light checked and etc.   The tanks are connected and each day the water is circulated to keep it fresh.







There are two x 1,000 litre tanks down at the pool, and these are used for pool maintenance, and also can be pumped up to the upper water system if the level falls low.   We are able to switch to municipal water at any time.

This is the filtration and purification system, with the door open.  There is also a second, backup pressure pump.

We find that with careful water usage during restrictions we were able to use only rainwater throughout the drought period. The garden is indigenous and very water wise.