I have done a little research on a relative place to stay with me and my husband as well as our maid who has been working for us for almost a year. We had to look for a place close to Menlyn shopping centre since we were running our small business there. I found a very beautiful two-bedroom apartment on Facebook Marketplace that was to let by Feel-at-Home Properties.

The apartment is located in The Shades in Garsfontein east of the city centre of Pretoria. The leafy neighbourhood manages to maintain an impression of calm and tranquillity due mostly to the tree-lined avenues peppered with jacarandas, despite being close to major highways and only 3 kilometres from one of the largest shopping centres in Pretoria.

Garsfontein is a relatively new suburb by comparison with those more sedate suburbs that line the centre of the city. Houses here are large, and their gardens green and cultivated. The neighbourhood has a propensity for townhouses and cluster developments due to the recent boom. The sense of true suburbia predominates nonetheless. Some of the clusters are thatched, giving them a distinctly earthy and rural feel.

I loved the little piece of green that is a 3000 hectare Rietvlei Nature Reserve that lies just east of Irene, south of Pretoria, with plenty of game and within easy distance of Garsfontein.

The Shades 32 is a very neat 2-bedroom apartment in a safe and secure complex. The bedrooms have built-in-cupboards. The unit also has 2 bathrooms which are carpeted. One with a shower and one with a bath with ensuite in the main bedroom. The kitchen is modern with lots of built in cupboards, as well as, space for a dishwasher and a double door fridge. The lounge area is spacious and carpeted. It has a door that leads out onto a patio with its own built in braai area. The unit gives me the freedom to do it up just the way i want to, and yet the flexibility to change it around whenever i like.

The unit has a communal garden with parking space inside the complex which has one covered carport. Situated within a tranquil environment covered with vegetation and well managed giving residence a desired peace of mind.

Garsfontein is well organised – churches, private hospitals, and Menlyn shopping centre, its myriad shops and entertainment facilities are all close. Access to the N4 and N1 is effortless. Woodhill Golf Estate, an 18-hole championship course designed by Peter Matkovich. The architect also responsible for Spier, Leopard Rock and Silver Lakes, not only hosts the South African PGA Championship but also provides a distinct and challenging golfer’s game and is situated in Garsfontein.

I always have a feeling that an unfurnished apartment done up to your heart’s content will always be a home and gives you a greater feeling especially in a safe and secure complex. This place is worthy a stay with your family.