LOOKING FOR RENTAL accommodation can be frustrating, addictive and exciting. But can it lead to true love?
Eight years ago, South African native Denise Swanepoel was in search of a room in Dublin but when she turned down a bed in Kimmage, events took a wholly different turn.
Vaughn, the Cork man advertising for a housemate, called her up a couple of weeks later – not to ask why to refused the room but to see if she would go out with him.
They married last month.
Denise sent our sister site, Daft.ie, this note to share their story.
I just wanted to write a short note, to let you know that through your website, I met my husband! Back in Feb 2005 I was looking for a flat share and found an ad on daft.ie for a place in Kimmage. To my delight the lovely young gentleman asked me for a date (once he knew I wasn’t taking the room) and eight years later we are now married!
Obviously, we wanted to know more. Why didn’t she take the room? Was it because she fancied him? Why weren’t we invited to the wedding? etc.
Denise explained the reason why she didn’t take the original room in the Kimmage house share:
“It was something stupid, the deposit and rent came out before I got paid so I would have needed three times the money I had. Seriously, now it was the best thing ever. If I had taken it, you don’t go in there thinking…”
Although the staff at Daft.ie were not invited to the wedding in a South African vineyard (fancy!), their presence was felt.
“When we were getting our rings made, the jewellers asked what we wanted engraved on them. We don’t really have any sayings or anything but over the years, we’ve told people our story and they always thing it’s cute.
“So we decided to mark how we’ve met. In case we forget some day, we have daft.ie 28 Feb 05 engraved on the inside of the rings.”
And they really do – here’s the proof:
So what now for Denise and Vaughn?
Fresh from a honeymoon in Zanzibar, the couple are back on Daft.ie. Not like that. They are preparing to move to Vaughn’s home city and are looking for a short-term rental, as well as the perfect house to purchase.
Good luck guys! Also, does this make the site’s founders – Eamon and Brian Fallon – Ireland’s answer to Cilla Black?