You may have had a tough time moving house before – but we bet you’ve never had to endure a move like 76-year-old Jeni and Tony Risi’s.
When Jeni and Tony placed a deposit on an apartment in Brisbane Housing Company’s Arbor Sherwood retirement village in 2018 before returning home to Johannesburg, they had no idea what was in store for them. In the middle of their move preparations in 2020, as they were just about to sell their home and dog-sitting business, COVID-19 hit, closing South Africa and sending the value of the rand tumbling.
When they finally managed to sell up in May this year – a month before settlement – their next hurdle was getting to Australia. Miraculously, they snagged a direct flight to Brisbane and hotel quarantine for around $7000 each, and flew out on the fifth of July… a day before the South African riots broke out, shutting down core services including finances and shipping.
While Jeni and Tony arrived safe and sound, their furniture was stranded in Joburg and their funds frozen. Luckily, friends and family offered them a place to stay until their money arrived, and they were finally able to move in to their new home on 31 August.
BHC set them up with some furniture while they waited for their own to make the long trip from South Africa, and the couple says the company has gone “over and beyond” in supporting them on their long and arduous journey – staying in touch through WhatsApp, sending newsletters and cheery messages, offering flexibility with their settlement date.
Oh, and their goods are scheduled to arrive at the end of this month… but Jeni and Tony say they’ll believe it when they see it.
