Since we began this renovation project in late 2020 we were adamant we didn’t want to live in the building site with all the dust, materials and tools. Instead, we built an off-grid camp on our property with a circular deck, a shed for cooking (and hooking up our solar power system) and a large bell tent.
You might have watched us do all this in our OFF GRID playlist but many people still ask us why we don’t live in the house – or maybe “why don’t you live in the house YET”. Well, let’s take you for a bit of a tour around inside upstairs and show you.
If you’re taking on a project like this and don’t want to feel like you’re doing it all alone, join us in the MAKE. DO. GROW. CLUB and surround yourself with other people just like us.
More info: https://www.makedogrow.com
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Quite a lot left to do !!!!!! ❤❤
Your life is like a nine piece puzzle except you have all nine pieces! (I feel much happier with the state of our studio and workshop after watching your tour)
For the house. Get your basics fixed first. In sequence
1 Watertight roof, windows, chimneys and doors.
2 internal structure alterations walls and floors
3 plumbing first fix
4 electrics first fix
5 fitting out.
I worry that you are working so hard getting the sub ground floor fixed up but that the building above is leaky and rotten and will ruin all your hard work and nice things. The sequence will also help you to buy things in order that they are needed. More efficient use of your funds.
I must add. I am also a veteran of old house rebuilds and learned the above lessons the hard way.
My question would be how has living in rural Portugal and growing your own food changed your cooking and eating habits?
Goodness me…..after all these videos watching you (what you've been doing) I just realised how much work you've put yourselves into. To be honest I got some "unfinished projects" not even close to yours, and they last forever (well,…… that is, what my better half says😂😂😂😂) (just for some years 😁😁😁😁) Enthusiasm that you got, is astonishing. I am, to be honest, older than both of you and I cannot, but to ask myself – What are your plans for opening that famous Champaign bottle and say – We have finished a big job? I mean, what time you plan to have those knitting hours looking through that window, or editing stuff……or…….whatever……..? I am guessing you plan to do that "full time job" for quiet some time. May God bless you both
I think you may be interested in the application of clay/limestone mix to walls particularly in wet areas see the following being done in New York state on Flock Finger Lakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k9dpcnSCxE&t=12s
It might be worth investing in a large green pop-up agricultural ‘shed’ to store all of your stuff whilst you work in the house- looks like a tunnel. Nothing worse than constantly moving stuff from A to B.
Nice to come across your new channel. We used to watch eco & beyond and enjoyed your journey in that. Now we can pop in here and see how things are going. Nice to catch up. Wishing you all the best with your big plans for this year! 😃
Overwhelming! How about just building another house?
I am glad to hear you will be republishing the demolition videos of your house! You are a both truly inspiring.
I am fascinated by your perseverance. Your retirement home will be heaven on earth.
Why start making wine when you still sleep in a construction site? I get the DIY and relaxed approach but this bathroom and sleeping accommodation would be my priority before I start making wine and grow mushrooms.
Don’t live in the house because it’s uninhabitable. I would never have guessed!
ooo who is this cutie)
Question… How have you managed with the planning permissions there? We lived off grid in Spain & renovated a Cortijo totally off grid & found it a bit of a nightmare with permissions & learning all that side of things
omg)) soft)) without the use))
Make sense!!!
Thank you for showing the first floor. Now I understand the tent and outside living. Wish you all the best 🇸🇪
you can use a portable diesel heater. They use very little electricity (fan, fuel pump) and they will warm this room nicely. However you will need to mount the exhaust outside.
Fantastic space! I can see the vision already. Love the exposed brick and the lime work done in the bathroom. You guys will get 'er done properly and likely sooner than you think.
Wouldn't things move much faster if you moved all of the 'stuff' offsite into a storage facility? Seems like moving in and around all of the clutter would make it hard to just focus on construction.
Wondering why you don't replace the windows first so that you can get some air in the place. Also, I thought there was a chimney – so why can't you fit a wood burning stove with a new chimney / flue, then the damp might dissipate ?
It all takes so much time, but well worth it.
😂
Thank you very much for your inspiring videos! Your humour is so wonderful…I cringed with laughter! Greetings from Switzerland and I'm looking forward to follow you on your journey🙂
Gee! such a lot to do. Looks like we are going to be entertained for years to come.
Kylie, you look strikingly beautiful in this clip. My husband and I enjoy the videos very much. All our best, Heather
Thanks
You two are the most disaplined people. A lot of people would have given up by now. You are doing a super job and I really enjoy watching you every week. Don't give up, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Can't wait to see it.
Would it be possible to take down the wall between the current kitchen and the room where the stairs will be? That way you could have a big open room with lots of light. But, with the structure of your house being stone that may not be possible. I look forward to following all of your progress!!
Some Elizabeth Arden will fix that potato!
I also had My Potters inside THE house but within à gewoon wees i placed iT in à sheddak outsider. Why. ITS à mes. Wet clay fingerspitzengefühl on Doors walls and à tracé of cob dust from Cothen and body from THE spot to everywhere. Also cob nerds to dry slowly. An oven nerds to be outsider to bake THE Potters. Shelvings….. I buigt à atelier and have had everythin in iT as à creatieve combi workspace.
I'm a new addict to your channel. Please, please, please: Get some strap-on knee pads!
Really enjoyed all the videos. Such a lovely house and plot you ended up with. House will look amazing when finished. I'm now planning to retire early this year, use the lump sum to buy a house near Alcoutim (cheaper than Vial Real de Santo Antonio) and rent my UK house as extra income. I like the idea of being able to pop over to Spain 🙂
Have you an email I can directly contact you on please, wish to ask something on a private platform xxx
Kylie you can't just brush past the fact you got a massive box of yarn for Christmas! We need an unboxing video!! 😍 and sneak peaks of what you've been knitting/crocheting please 🤩
Thanks for your vid 😇💟💟💟.
What made you love this property?
Must be a way to make paint, traditional way from milk or something. Paint the house, inside and out!
Great video guys. I know the weather hasn't been great as of late and winter is cold, wet and sometimes miserable.. But wine 🤣
Hopefully see you both soon 👍
Went through the same some years ago – trying to fix a house that was fully loaded with my crap… slowed me down completely and super annoying having limited access to the house AND my stuff… Solution = dual-shipping-container-workshoppy. Get 2 x 40 feet shipping containers set them up parallel with a 10meter gap, then build a roof over the lot to keep the harsh sun away = you have a lovely outdoor workshop + all you stuff is in a secure, dry storage (rodent free). A great lock-n-go option as the container doors are extremely secure. Probably the most usefully items I ever purchased. It has many extra uses, like temp parking lot when needed (hail storms, holidays, friends visiting etc etc), great BBQ spot in the rainy season, drying place for garden produce, you can extend the roof(s) on the outside of the containers for additional semi-dry storage for wood, more parking, etc etc – endless possibilities and not super expensive.
There are dangerous health consequences to living amongst mold.
hi, i might be wrong but it seems a little like you make it harder work for yourself,roof and windows first,weather tight always, then, knock of all the old render and yard brush all dust of all the walls and remove from the house,then water hose all the walls with a mist twice to kill the dust, then bang up a very quick first lime scratch coat with a long straight edge, so at least you have killded the dust, its hard work now bcos all your stuff is in your house and not outside in your out buldings or some temp storage build,your doing a great job, but i feel its a little arse about tit, for example having to use all them sheets, that could have ben a quick lime scratch-then no dust in the same time and probable similar cost
I've always thought you were a beautiful woman, especially because of your working skills but now that I saw that smile at the beginning, wow…
That was sunshine.
In the previous video you mentioned a heatpump. Are you also considering floor heating?
753 Sqft?!!! Oh my! That is tiny, but about the same as an average apt in NYC! I think I'd live in the tent ⛺️ too! Much more of an open feeling. When you live in a Mediterranean climate your outside most of the time anyway!
Still a lot to correct and improve.. time enough to do.. good luck.. 😮😮
if you've got oranges growing on a tree outside, it can't be that cold. You're speaking to somebody whose been putting up with negative temps up to -45 C.