Building a Deck | OFF GRID in Bulgaria #6
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
- #offgrid #building #bulgaria
This week we break ground on our first construction at our off grid property in rural Bulgaria and look back at our first month running on Solar Power.
We're Phil and Kayleigh, a husband and wife living in rural Bulgaria with our two children, Alex and Ember. It's always been our dream to live a more self-sustainable life off grid. So, we've sold all our belongings, escaped the rental rat race and bought a plot of land. Complete with a derelict house and 3 barns, we hope to create our new life mortgage free. We've faced lots of hurdles already, so hang on tight as we show you highs and lows of moving abroad and starting again.
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Music from Epidemic Sounds
A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment on our latest video 😊
We've really enjoyed reading and responding - it's amazing to know our videos are being watched in countries all over the world 🌎🌍
We're continuing with the deck build at the moment as the temperatures have been below 30 lately 🎉
See you in two weeks time!
The Udens x
Addicted already lol , Yoir solar tech skills blew me away , probably cost more than the property ! Mental. Are you guys on facebook, so many questions, mainly citizenship etc, , hope you have time to get back to us,, Debbie & George Scotlamd , ( might have to contract you to hook up solar Haha! ) cheers.
@@GW-kg3dc Hi guys, thanks for your kind words! Our entire property including fees cost is just over £6000 two years ago. 🙂Yes, we are on Facebook but more regularly post on Instagram. Our next video is out tonight at 5pm GMT time 👍☺️ Please feel free to ask us questions - if we can't answer them in detail now, we will be sure to add them in an upcoming video. We learnt so much through watching other people's journeys and hope our videos will do the same for others.
So pleased Alex is enjoying School, and catching the bus on his own too! such a grown up boy!!!
Thanks Vicky 🙂
I'm so glad Alex is loving school, a very big step for him. You're right to take your time with your renovations, don't rush anything you don't have to. Worth the wait in the long run.
Slow and steady ☺️ Thank you, we want to do the work properly and for us the process is just as important as the end result. 🛠️
15:36 "It's quite labor intensive, so i put my kid up to it" xD I love it!
🤣 it did come across a bit like that I suppose 😂 he did want to help though I promise 😁👍
@@OffGridWithTheUdens It's good! He has to learn the value of working!
So happy I found your channel. I've been binge watching you! Love your humor. My husband and I are full time RVers in the U.S. I can appreciate the difficulty living in your RV in the high heat and the cold too. Keep pushing forward but do it at your pace not ours. Love your family, Alex is an amazing boy. You have much to be proud of.
Thank you very much. We love the bloopers too, always good to end a video with a few laughs 😁. Yes RV living can be tough but it's a small sacrifice to be able to live out our dreams. Thanks for watching and for the kind words. 😁
We've just started watching you, we love what you're doing and we're so jealous. Your little boy is brilliant, what an amazing childhood he's having 😊
That's really kind of you thank you. We see our family as a little team and he is certainly a big part of that 🙂❤️
16:07 I always make a fire and place the bottom of the posts in the fire for 3 or 5 mins. Quick, easy and free of charge.
That's great when you do not have huge wildfire risks in your area. We have strict rules here. Therefore, this was our only option.
Very positive video. I look forward to the next one!
Thank you - we're very grateful to be here 🇧🇬☺️
Love these videos - amazing Alex, so brave getting the bus. Seems a lifetime ago I watched you grow in mummy's tummy in those class sizes of 25 to 30 😅. 6 sounds a perfect size class. You are all doing amazing. Keep up the hard work, it most definitely is paying off. X
Thank you so much. Yes Alex is taking to school like a duck to water. Thank you for the kind words 😁👍
Well done guys we are enjoying following your amazing adventure. Dean and Yvonne.
Aw thank you for following along ❤️🇧🇬
Can't get my head around all that electrical stuff, you're very accomplished to do all that yourself. Thanks for the update 😀
Thank you very much. Many hours learning and researching ⚡☺️
You are really crazy People, but you know exactly what you Do. And perfectly prepared. The stand for solar panels, adjustable to a solar horizon is something very smart, that i am going to implement in my homestead.
Thank you People, enjoy Bulgarian land and nature!
There is a quote from a book called Alice in Wonderland
"Have I gone mad? I'm afraid so.
You're entirely Bonkers.
But I will tell you a secret,
All the best people are."
It's good to be a little crazy at times 😊 Good luck with your solar project!
Hey, i am new to the channel and just binged all of your videos, I am from Bulgaria, but i live in London for 5 years now. I miss Bulgaria sometimes, and only manage to visit my parents in the summer. Is sad to see that foreigners appreciate our country more than the natives themselves 😢 And i am happy that young people like you move to the villages, otherwise they will completely dissolve. We have over 70 abandoned villages already since the soviet union fell in 1989. Is really sad. I noticed you focus mainly on the land and work involved but could you pls maybe show us around the village , the center of the village… maybe Alex’s school and classroom… would be very interesting for me as a bulgarian to see how an english child adapts to life there 😊
I myself had British friends from Birmingham years ago when i was in high school in Bulgaria it was so much fun. Also would be fun to see the nearest town , cus i know u had video about the market,, but would be nice to see the architecture, center etc.. I have traveled with my family quite a lot around Bulgaria but I can’t recognise what region you’re in to be honest.. never been there, looks so beautiful. Also a vlog about a day in life taking care of a baby while living in a caravan off grid, and how you manage, would be very interesting 😊 Also do you know if there is any other British people living in your area or even village?
Thanks so much for the positive comment. We certainly do love it here, and we feel it's important to be a part of the community, as you say younger life keeps the villages alive.
It's a fine line for us with regard to documenting everything as we obviously like to keep our location fairly vague. But we will do some videos on local towns and nature spots etc when Kayleigh is able to do a bit more walking. Sadly Filming schools can also be very tricky in today's world for obvious reasons so I'm not sure I could film anywhere near the school. But we will get Alex to do a bit to camera here and there to update everyone on his progress. We are in the Haskovo region down in the south east. We're also planning a day in the life video at some point soon. Thanks for watching we really appreciate it. 👍
Wow! Well done Phil and Kayleigh! Looking forward to seeing everything come together..... very inspirational 👏
Thanks so much, it means a lot to all of us. 😁
What a great, informative video! Have you thought about including a pond on your land? Water is the main preoccupation with growing anything in Bulgaria, and especially Southern Bulgaria. It will also attract a whole lot of birds and amphibians who will take care of any attacks on your fruits and vegetables. And you'll be able to use it in a pinch. There's a great channel showing water pond creation (in Canada but still..) called Stefano Ianiro, if you are interested.
Also, don't hesitate to ask the locals about building techniques as many still remember them. There's a village in the Rhodope mountains called Kosovo where a few Bulgarians restored houses in the traditional way, you may go make a tour once you are able to travel a bit more.
Good luck and I'm glad Alex is enjoying himself at school ❤
Thank you for such a positive comment. Yes we most definitely will be planning a pond. I'm also currently looking into the possibility of creating drainage swales to hold the water in the ground. This has been our first summer here and I'm shocked at how dry everything has got, it's a stark contrast to when we have been here in winter and spring.
Water is my top priority for the land and garden. We certainly will check out Kosovo too, we're very keen on traditional building styles 😁👍
@@OffGridWithTheUdens yes, drainage and slowing down the water is essential. In late winter and spring the rains will come and the more you manage to slow down the water and retain it on your property's ground and around, the less the dry summers will impact you. Even in the desert some projects manage to slow down the water and bring back greenery, let alone in a Subtropical climate. There's a lot of information online and geodesic surveys assistance possible through the government and local authorities, which will help in your endeavours 👍.
Anyway, I wish you luck. There's a huge potential in your place and you definitely have the energy to achieve it.
I really enjoyed this vlog. Thankyou. can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for the comment. So pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. 😁
After watching this week's video I can see that a lot of work was needed for the end result, well done. It puts my bit of decking in the shade😂 great to see Alex is enjoying his school time.
Thanks very much for taking the time to comment. We're hoping to get our decking in the shade - sometime before winter 🤣🫣
Best TH-cam Off Grid Family. Keep them coming Udens :)
Wow not sure we can agree, but that's very kind of you- thank you ❤😊
Agreed
Big hugs to Alex for the school bus..top lad! Love you guys ❤
So proud of him ☺️❤️
The videos are great. Very entertaining and informative. It's fantastic that Alex is settling in so well with school etc. Good luck.
Thanks Chris! 👍
Very nice video, you Brits are creative and nice people. Hopefully all goes well with your new home Bulgaria. We also learn from you and English skills and terminology haha. Wishing you all the best. I love watching the Brit small community videos in Bulgaria and warms my heart you chose Bulgaria. Hopefully, you enjoy your lovely house and garden when you become old, but work in the house never ends unfortunately 😂 I don't mind you becoming the new Bulgarians 🤣
Thank you for your kind words 😊 Yes, there are many Brits over here. It's lovely to be part of such a wonderful Bulgarian community. 🇧🇬❤️
You've summed up my sentiments perfectly. It really brings me joy to see people choose Bulgaria to be their new home and love the process of settling in and integrating.
@@kspasova1 thank you for taking the time to comment - we really do love it here 😊
@@kspasova1 I would like to return the compliment, I love Bulgaria and the people, that is why I have bought a small property and am planning to retire in your lovely country
@@eddiebirch2067 You are more than welcome. Happy to have you around and hope your retirement in Bulgaria brings you everything you hope it would.
Binge watching it all. keep it up.
Thanks very much! 👍😊
A pdf ( with a charge obviously) of your solar set up would be amazingly helpful. Components, how to connect the generator,,cable core thickness ,, etc. 😢 The Uden,s guide to off grid power lol x
We've had a few people ask about that actually. It would take a bit of time to put it together and we are keen to crack on with the work ahead of us, the editing for the videos is the extra we can manage at the moment. 👍
Absolutely wonderful that Alex is enjoying his Bulgarian school - having worked abroad as a teacher I know the UK education system is highly rated by many, but teaching within it (back there now) I often wander why/how it has that reputation!! So it sounds great that Alex has had such a wonderful experience of being home educated and he is so fully involved with your project but is also getting the benefit of meeting bulgarian children his age too - with the likelihood that that is going to result in him learning Bulgarian really quickly from them..... Nice work - great to watch your progress (and a speedy recovery still wished for 'mom' - sorry I'm rubbish remembering names!)
Thank you Daisy ❤️ Kayleigh is getting there with her recovery but still struggles with the pain. The school system is very different to England but we hope that we can give him a well rounded education ☺️💡
Great vid guys, loving the shawadawady burning…. Need to try that trick when we are back next year…. And phil editing is brill, loving the cardboard editing room… take care guys 🎉
Hope your adventures are going well 🌍 I'm applying for a patent on the cardboard editing suite - watch this space 🤣🤣
Absolutely love these vids.. ❤
Thank you so much, it means a lot to all of us 😁🥰
What a lovely family. ❤
Thank you 😊 together, we're a good team ❤️
you guys are doing a great job,Alex will learn how to speak Bulgi very fast and teach you at home,
Yes that is our hope 😍🇧🇬
Loving your channel, I love Bulgaria so much, I used to own an apartment in Bansko for 12 years but we sold it 7 years ago, although we still go back to Bulgaria a couple of times a year. Looking forward to your future viddies. Subbed you guys 👍 Lee
Thanks for the sub Lee 👍 We haven't managed to visit Bansko region but if you have any recommendations for when we do we'd love to hear them 😊
@OffGridWithTheUdens Oooft where do I begin? So much to see and do in and around Bansko, the mountains, the thermal spas... the food... etc. I would say go for a weekend break just before or after summer, go to Banya and enjoy some beautiful thermal spas... family friendly too, so relaxing. Plenty of apartments to rent in Bansko to use as a base... a 2 bed place is easily £100 a week to rent or less. Where abouts are you guys?
Amazing teamwork amazing video well done 👍
☺️👏 we enjoy working together. Thank you for following along!
Just found you guys.will be watching.👍
Thanks so much, great to have you along for the ride😁
Subscribed! Interesting offgrid living 👍
Thanks so much! 😊👍
It's almost Sunday.. I'm waiting for your next video..impatiently 😅
😊don't worry - it will be up on Sunday
Good that you put subtitles for Bulgarian viewers and also happy that you’re having more views recently. I’d suggest you to go for some traditional methods of house building - stone laying, mud plastering and so on. I’ve seen a guy near Garbovo (if I am not mistaking) who gives lessons on how to do stone works for building walls
Really looking forward to learning and experimenting with different building techniques. Thanks for taking the time to comment - we appreciate it! 🇧🇬❤️
The cow 🐄 😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣 Had us in stitches! 🐮🐮🐮
The videos are great.
😊
Thanks very much - we appreciate you taking the time to comment 😊
Great vid guys loving your updates and cant wait to see them every fortnight, phil you don’t fancy nipping over do you ? i need my garden done again and i don’t trust anyone else lol love to you all and keep up the great work, by the way editing is on point and i was feeling the funk !!! 💕
Thank you so much for the comment mate. Glad you enjoyed the funk 😂
U R GREAT
We think you are great for watching 😁🤣
Just found you guys and loving the chanel... 😊
Thanks so much! Next video is out Sunday 😍👏
I admire your bravery. What’s the heating plan for winter in the caravan? How will you stop the water freezing?
Another amazing video! Love watching you guys and all that you achieve! So happy that Alex is enjoying school, what a little star. Can't wait for the next!xxx
Thanks for watching along - he really is a little star. It's not easy moving abroad but he is handling it the best he can ❤
Fogstar were amazing when I messaged them about if it was wind turbine-compatible system. Answered within 24 hours. It is by the way wind turbine compatible which here in the UK is far much better for us and maybe in the future with the winter coming could be an added addition in Bulgaria .....????? Just a thought. We are going to try and sort something out here in Eastbourne with a wind turbine.
Their customer service is second to none-they know their products inside out which is alot more helpful than someone reading a specs sheet out at you!
Yes we have contemplated a wind turbine but the solar works great for us for now ☀️☀️
Just found Yr channel so far so good from bristol u.k
Thanks Peter ☺️ next upload is tomorrow!
Hi Guys !! I’m loving you videos, really looking forward to watching you building your dreams . Where about in Bulgaria are you ? X
Hi ☺️👋 Thanks - we're looking forward to the journey ahead! We are in the South of Bulgaria, Haskovo Region.
@@OffGridWithTheUdens I have a place in Levka , I’m coming over for a couple of weeks from the 11/10 , be nice to meet up if you have time x Spud
Love watching your posts .. stay safe
Thank you ☺️🇧🇬❤️
Hey good progress! By the way, I have a banana tree in my yard and it is staying there all year around and this summer it blooms for first time! Of course I don’t expect to pick up bananas any time soon , but I’ve heard about people who got small bananas even here! Also this year we planted an olive tree and we got some olives xd
Well if it grows into a functional banana plant then that will be the most amazing Lidl middle aisle purchase we've ever had! 😁🛒🍌
@@OffGridWithTheUdens hahaha good luck with that xd maybe if you keep it indoor during the winter , who knows 🤷🏼
Couldn't help but noticing you digging the holes with the auger , you didn't have your safety boots on mate. After hearing you talk about your long term plans and your eco mindset, have you thought about building with rammed earth ?, Google it or TH-cam it.....let me know what you think because it is a concept that I was thinking of using in Bulgaria too
We've got lots of plans and ideas 💡 lots of different methods available but all depends on location and availability of materials in the area of construction.
Thanks for following along! 🇧🇬
I'm enjoying your videos, however it may be beneficial if you could number each individual video, so those who have only just started watching, can go back to the beginning. Forgive me for the intrusion, but I'm really an old fogie approaching his sevent eighth birthday at the end of this month. Good luck to you all.
You're as young as you feel! Thanks for the suggestion - we will look into it. For now, I think there's the option to sort the videos by oldest to newest. I'll let you know once we've sorted something ☺️🇧🇬❤️
@@OffGridWithTheUdens. Thankyou for your reply. My interest stems from the fact I live in Bansko, near Blagoevgrad, and have done so for the past seven and a half years. I wish you good luck with your project, and I think you are right to take your time with any renovations, the job you're doing now will be your priority and it looks like you know what you're doing with wood work and electricity, and also future planning.
It's great to hear that your Alex has gone to pre-school., he'll pick up the language very quickly, he is a sharp cookie !!
Good luck.
hi i enjoy watching your vides we are thinking of buying land and house so watching your journey is good any advice that might help me thank you
Thanks for the comment. We have a Q&A video which might be of interest to you. Appreciate you following our journey 😁
Is the tortoise the one mentioned on Face Book missing from Brodrick Road Eastbourne? 🤣🤣
😜 it wasn't carrying a suitcase but I'm guessing if it takes its' home around with him he wouldn't need to!
😊👍❤️
45 minutes to go! ☺️🇧🇬❤️
Well done with everything. What is the size of your batteries. Is it a rack of batteries.
Hi Tom, thanks for the question. We detail our whole solar set up here: th-cam.com/video/I9qti6VsDYY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=g7PVhs0Ek5VpPG0M let us know if you want to know anything else 👍😊
Hi mate love your videos good luck with your new adventure, how do you do software updates on Fogstar batteries I've got 5 of them everything works fine but sometimes it jumps to 2 cycles in one day even though it only charges once a day I think I need to update this software
Great question - I believe software updates come via email direct from Fogstar but drop them an email or call as they will be able to sort for you I'm sure 👍
Hi guys, I was on holiday in Bulgaria many years ago,just as an example you could purchase a bottle of good wine at the daily outdoor market for 35p hard to believe I know, the government was just transitioning at the time from communism to democratic,I was in a resort called drusber the spelling isn't t right sorry. Do you have any worries regarding what's happening in Ukraine. I'm guessing Bulgaria is still a very poor country and the gypsies are given a really hard time. Just started watching your channel so good luck for the future.
Haha yes the 35p bottle of wine days are certainly over. Bulgaria, much like everywhere else is struggling as the price of everything is constantly on the rise.
We have absolutely no concerns about the war in Ukraine... I think the UK is under a far greater threat than Bulgaria is. I would say the country is very much on the rise and I think it depends on the area you're in. Thanks for the comment. 👍
@@OffGridWithTheUdens Thank you for your reply🎃💀
Hi there👋🙂 what Are the cost of materials like over there, like wood brick insulation and concrete,?
Materials are cheaper than England, however the quality is also different. We will be covering this in a future video 👍
Hi, we emailed you but not sure if you've seen it? Cheers
Hi Ivan. Apologies - it went to our junk box! Just replied. 👍
What is the name of the electrical system u use
Hi thanks for the question. We use a GroWatt Inverter, Fogstar Energy Battery and Canadian Solar Solar Panels. ☀️⚡
Why you ned a Deck, Focus en your propiti 1:59
Great question - watch to the end and all is explained ☺️🇧🇬
Great video guys like how you are all just getting on with it what village are you in or area if you don't want to give village 😊
Was the solar system expensive to install including parts ?
@@jeanettebarns1024 we are in the Haskovo region down south of Bulgaria 🇧🇬 Great question - we will do a cost breakdown in the near future and share it with you all 👍😊