Lonehill has many great things going for it. Have you ever been to the Lonehill Koppies? I had lived in Joburg for a year before figuring out that not 5 minutes from our house there was this cool nature reserve right in between shopping malls and residential areas which I believe some naturalists bill as one of Joburg's prime bird watching spots. There is more.
More on Retired Person’s Visa, Financial Requirements for Permanent Residence, and Purchasing Property in South Africa
Reader questions and answers around South African visa requirements for retired persons. All you need to know about financial requirements for permanent residence and purchasing property in South Africa.
Who Was the Infamous William Nicol?
If you live anywhere in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, you'll be familiar with William Nicol Drive. But who is this William Nicol the street is named after? I might not normally have been so interested - tons of street names in the world are named after people you've never heard about - but I spent so much damn TIME on William Nicol that I needed to know.
Expat Alert: Beautiful Johannesburg House for Rent!
I'm not usually in the business of playing realtor (or estate agent, as they are called in South Africa) and advertising homes for rent, but I'm making an exception for this particular one. It's in the Beverley subdivision in Lonehill, a place I know fairly well as I took Sunshine to numerous playdates in the same neighborhood during our Johannesburg years.
Unsuitable Home
When you’re abroad, your house or apartment is even more important for you and your family than in your home country. It may feel like the only refuge you have in this strange and foreign place that is Johannesburg. And a gain in a beautiful home you feel comfortable in can make up for the losses you may have to suffer, like leaving family and friends behind.
Finding a House in Johannesburg: Part 2
Joburg is a BIG city with many suburbs and neighborhoods. Finding the right one can be intimidating. It's hard to know where to start. As promised previously in Finding a House in Johannesburg: Part 1, I will now give you a list of suburbs to choose from. But first, have a look at my map. I would have loved to see a simple map like this before moving to South Africa.
Finding a House in Johannesburg: Part 1
In this first post of a two-part series, I'll focus on the questions you should be asking yourself as you prepare to find a place to live in Johannesburg (or anywhere in South Africa, for that matter). Should you look for your house close to work or close to the kids' school? Should you only look in security estates? Where will I get the most house for the price?
Living Under the $#!&pipe
I’m only so wholesome as to disguise my spelling because I can’t remember if I signed away my rights to foul language under whatever agreement I must have entered with Blogger, and I don’t want to be reprimanded. I hate to be reprimanded. Or banned, that would be even worse, as my ...
Gardening in South Africa
South Africa is a gardener's dream. It's warm most of the year, but not oppressively so, which gives you the perfect weather year-round to get out there and swing your shovel. The only snag I've found with that is that people probably think I'm weird. Labor is so cheap here that almost everyone has a gardener doing this kind of work for them. In any case, here are some tips.
Where to Live: Dainfern or Dainfern Valley?
For most expats in Johannesburg, the choice of where to live seems to come down to either Dainfern or Dainfern Valley, so I'll focus this post on those two. Don't expect an easy-to-view decision chart outlining pros and cons. Rather, I'll do what I always do, which is just ramble on, and hopefully you can build your own decision tree from my observations...