At 102, Elaine Keesing is preparing to say goodbye to the only home she has ever owned, nearly seven decades after she and her late husband built the three-bedroom Perth house.
Keesing and her husband constructed the home in 1956, when the cost of building was around $3,080. The land on which it stood had cost between $50 and $100, according to a Times of India report.
The house has remained part of Keesing’s life for around 70 years, witnessing decades of memories and changes in the surrounding area.
A lifetime inside one cherished home
For Keesing, the property was more than a building. It was the family home she and her husband created together at a time when housing costs were dramatically different from today.
The couple’s decision to build their own home in the 1950s gave Keesing a place that would remain hers for most of her life.
After her husband’s death, she continued living in the house, making it the only home she has known throughout her long life.
From a $3,080 build to a life-changing sale
Seven decades after construction, the property has now been sold as Keesing prepares for aged care.
The sale marks an emotional turning point for the 102-year-old, bringing an end to her connection with the house that she and her husband built together.
The dramatic change in the value of property over generations also offers a glimpse into how Perth’s housing landscape has transformed since the 1950s.
Saying goodbye after seven decades
Leaving a longtime family home can be difficult at any age, but for Keesing the move represents the closing of an extraordinary chapter.
From its modest construction cost in 1956 to its eventual sale 70 years later, the house has been a constant presence through most of her life.
As she prepares for aged care, Keesing is leaving behind a home filled with memories — but also a remarkable piece of her personal history that began when she and her husband decided to build a three-bedroom house in Perth in 1956. #Perth #Australia #ElaineKeesing #AgedCare #HumanInterest #Home #LifeStory