Maura and Kris have two bedrooms available to rent in their charmingly decorated home, where they live in Observatory, a quiet neighbourhood within easy driving of the centre of town. My girlfriend Olivia and I stayed for two months in a very spacious, well equipped bedroom that was separated from the other bedrooms by the main corridor, leading to a beautiful living room, well-stocked kitchen, and shared bathroom.
The photos are very accurate - and it was a beautiful place to stay. On-street parking is safe and easy, and once you know where not to walk/not to do, you can live life completely normally in Cape Town. We had no negative experiences (crime/threats) over the two months that we stayed here, in part due to the sage advice given to us by Maura and Kris.
Our room was well lit, and the desk was perfect for the work at home that we needed to do. A very comfy mattress and plenty of storage rounded out our room. We slept very well, considering that we worked very early till very late and the room was quite bright in the mornings, but the new blackout curtains that K&M have installed will only guarantee that in the future.
There is a whole fridge/freezer and additional storage set aside for the two rental bedrooms to share, and kitchen implements/spices/seasonings are in plentiful supply. Outside, there is another toilet/shower block that is perfect when the other one is in use. In the concreted outside space, there are plenty of well kept plants, a lemon tree, and a braai that you can use. Upstairs, there is a nice terrace with sofas, for watching the sunset - though it can be quite breezy.
Amenities/Utilities
Cape Town and the Western Cape are experiencing a harsh drought - and everyone needs to save water. Showers are kept short, and you shower into a tub to save the water for using to flush the toilet. It was very easy to adapt to this. Kris and Maura have an ingenious rainwater capture system, and use the water from this to drink. We did the same, and had no issues.
Electricity is divvied up at the end of the month, and is very cheap - ~£17 per room. One issue we did not prepare for was Load Shedding - a perennial problem in SA, with a series of scheduled power outages in each region throughout the day, affecting everything in the area. Bring a head torch, or maybe an electric lantern - and plan accordingly.
The internet is fast, though if all 6 people are in the house and video-calling their family/streaming movies it can get a bit slow. Still, it works just fine for all day to day use.
People:
The most important part. Kris and Maura are, above all, extremely decent people. They were consistently concerned for our welfare, but not overbearingly so. Tips on what not to do and where to go were given appropriately. You are living in their house, so you have to respect their schedules and routines, and they will respect yours. As a couple we were both working long hours, and Kris and Maura were very understanding and helpful, lending/giving to us bits and pieces throughout the stay. It is our only regret that we did not get to spend more time all together as a house, but we will stay in touch.
There's not much more to say - it is a wonderful place to call home.