After 37 years (so far) on the tools as a carpenter & Joiner my professional advice is: Do nothing without advice from the very best professionals. You really want to avoid making alterations after you've finished an area as it will cost you dear in many ways. Make decisions on paper/drawings/plans as opposed to "On the hoof." Try and turn a chore into a pleasurable experience by buying the right tools (consider a used 2 ton 360 excavator?), and meticulous planning. If you feel overwhelmed, do not stop, just pick up a broom or something and do small, brainless jobs to completion then repeat until you feel better. You have a belter of a place there!!!
@@EightAcreHaven You're very welcome! I'm subbed now and look forward to your project. My son is just about to start earning properly in the Merchant Navy and wants to do similar. We've been looking at derelict plots on Anglesey. I'm from Bangor originally but we live in Deganwy, Conwy now, so we're kinda neighbours!!!
As someone who started on this road in west Wales about 50 years back, welcome and good luck! I will only offer 2 bits of advice before you get your teeth into the project. 1: Really learn the land, and make iterative plans, before you commit to large works. 2: Invest in machinery early - with ground water drainage, foul water systems and other services, a smallish digger is essential (ideally coupled with a dumper, or tractor/trailer combo). The digger we opted for was an ancient JCB, but on your slopes I suspect a small tracked 360 degrees machine may work better. Good luck - looking forward to following your progress!
Welcome to West Wales, although Rees sounds as though he comes from this area. I bought my condemned smallholding 50 years ago and am still doing it up! I was young and fit then, and you have taken on a lot. Get a digger in and scrape the walkways, taking off the years of muck will make everything much easier and safer, and will be easier to drain and dry out a bit. Good luck.
Looks very exciting - a couple of points I've not seen raised: - It seems you don't have exclusive use of your lane to the house so I suspect you may be competing with tractor usage too. I lived in north Wales with that arrangement and gradually the rutting became quite challenging - so keep in with the farmer(s). - make sure you are on top of the council tax charges. If you do convert the cowshed as well as the house you may find you have two lots of rates to pay. To my mind the cowshed looks like useful storage space. Also I'd go for slating the roofs throughout. Much more aesthetically satisfying.
Ah funny your video should pop up. I had checked this property out online and thought it was a stunning place. I'm not in the position to buy so glad I get to follow your journey. Pop lwc! 🙂
I love that you’ve decided to take this journey. I follow quite a few farm restoration channels, and you 2 are unique. I live in the American Midwest and Western Wales looks very familiar. A lot of new TH-camrs are uncomfortable with being on camera. I hope you guys fight through it
Thank you - I've heard tell that many Welsh emigrants in the 1850s settled in the Midwest because it reminded them so much of Wales ❤️ - I understand that the Wisconsin constitution was translated into Cymraeg due to he number of Welsh first language people who settled. Lovely to have you join us.
I think I might have seen that house for sale a couple years ago. Well done I think you’ve got an amazing future ahead of you I look forward to sharing your journey. I’ve just subscribed😊
I'm so excited for you, this is an amazing opportunity. Grab it and remember it's a journey. Smell the roses along the way. You are so blessed to be able to do it. Many people would love to do something like this. Blessings on your new journey, I'm excited to see what you do! ❤
Thank you - your good wishes are appreciated 😁and advice welcomed, yes, smelling the roses along the way will become very important on the difficult days!
That looks like a lovely find. I run a small sawmill and traditional timber framing company here in mid Wales. Make contact if you need any Oak trusses, framing etc making for the project. Cheers Elwyn
What a beautiful property. Looking forward to your start. I have been performing historic restoration of 18th and 19th century homes, log buildings and have built period style homes since the 1960's. Your stone builds look strong and straight. That's a great plus for your project I'll be watching for your next video.
Im looking forward to seeing these buildings being brought back to life. I'm a huge fan of stone buildings and I love the 2 story one on the right. A slate roof would be nice but they are so expensive. A colorbond dark grey similar to what is already on them would be cheaper and make them look contemporary but im more old school when it comes to old buildings. Im looking forward to seeing them cleared of vegetation, reroofed, repointed and restored to a livable state. Good luck with this journey that you'll be taking for quite a while. I'm sure the end results will be worth it as the country side looks quiet and im sure it's full of wildlife as well. Im a 58 yo country boy now living in Strathalbyn SA Australia in new build and loving it plus my veg garden our the back.
Hello and congratulations on your project property, it’s a big one!!! Oh yes, I’ve liked and subscribed, I would hardly know where to start but the barn sounds good to me!
What a lot of work, but what a lovely place. I have once been in the neighbourhood on a vacation: beautiifull Wales. I think this old farm deserves it to be restored
Exactly what we're after. Three and a half more years of the grind until our son goes to university, then we're heading to somewhere hopefully similar to yours in the West Country. Step off of the insane money-go-round and shift for ourselves. Congratulations and good luck!
New sub here. Good cheer for the new year ! One thing I noticed when I built my house in the woods were wild blueberries and gooseberries that I left some of when I cleared. 😊
As eight subscriber I am looking forward to following you on an exciting adventure. There's a lot of work ahead of you. Ups and downs. But you sound very committed and thus will make it. Greetings from rural Germany!
Very exciting project with lots of potential, just expect it to take at least twice as long and cost twice as much as you are currently thinking! Good Luck!
This would absolutely have been our dream ,me and the wife but at 77yrs thats not going to happen,but will enjoy watching your journey,,can i ask if the long lane access has any issues as the surrounding farmers will be using it too by the looks of it ,and your little dogs are gorgeous, thank you for sharing your story Rick and Eileen
Looks and sounds fab! Before starting with the groundwork, i would suggest clearing the land from unwanted greenery (brambles!) to get a proper view on the terrain.
Yay I just found your channel and can’t wait to follow along! As far as your roofs go I’d stay with metal for the barns and save the slate for the main house eventually 🥰
@@EightAcreHavenyep.... Cost effective and speedy compromise.... Always best to ignore the purists.....who are neither DOING nor PAYING for the job......!!!
Can't wait to see the progression of these beautiful old properties. Please whatever you do slate them. It will last longer than tin, more durable and will look how they were intended too all those moons ago. Good luck 👍
Although, of course, I'm sure you meant to say 'although slate is hugely more expensive, much slower to achieve, and enormously more heavy work.... please try to slate if at all possible'.... .. or, 'slate in the future'...!?!? .... always be pragmatic and budget conscious in these situations......!?!? ... I'm sure that's what you meant.....!!!?
@@andymccabe6712no i am pretty sure i said what i meant. Having just restored a 200 year old barn and having to slate the roof i am fully aware of the costs. Why buy an old barn to put a tin roof on? To have the best in life, you have to pay for the best.
Exciting project. I would go for Passivhaus Plus where you won't need a boiler (to also need annual service!) Best sewage system is earth closet / compost 'bogs' and put French drains of scalpings and finish off with shingle top layer to keep moisture away from walls. Sink a borehole for your own water supply. Using proper breathable lime plaster means opting for chalk or lime based paints. Regarding windows either have Xenon or Krypton gas filled units and have triple glazing on the cold North walls. Oak frames will last many years and not require paint, though you can colour stain with something like Sikens or Osmo. Could also consider Western Red Cedar which will give lighter frames and just have oak sills. Strongly consider a double height conservatory on the house which can double up as greenhouse so you can have veg growing right outside the kitchen door. Rocket mass heating will use FAR less wood to run than conventional woodburner (burns wood at 1,200⁰C) and you can heat water around it too so major benefit there. Perhaps copper guttering & downpipes for maintenance free / longevity benefits too. Dry lining external walls with Aerogel remembering you lose most heat through the walls (35%) and have underfloor heating to free up more wall space for furniture! Finally plant goat willow around your pond to give early pollinators a good food source, but not near buildings to damage foundations.
Thank you for taking the time to share this guidance - greatly appreciated. Very much like the thought of rocket mass heating and under floor heating - been putting the long hours in researching 🤓
@@MegJones7 Could leave some! Of the 300 variety of British bees, many are solitary and come out of hibernation early March and virtually no food for them ( especially if people persist in cutting dandelions and daisies for that immaculate lawn.😤
@@richardfiennes3616yes the goal willow is covered in bees here early spring. So much so that they mostly ignore my fruit trees 😂 Not a pretty tree really but important in moderation.
@@EightAcreHaven Hi Rhys & Jo, Indeed, research is key! Save money buying septic 'onion' tank with the 'earth closet' system. Great to use and you will always have fertiliser for plants. It will cost a FORTUNE to bring electricity to the property, and money saved can go towards the best solar / battery storage system, meaning you are not at the mercy of energy companies, nor possibly needing a health damaging ring main. You can then supplement with good oil lamps. You are both about to embark on the most exciting project of your lives!
Looks like al amazing plot & potential to a be a beautiful house , wish you all the best, good luck & look forward to seeing some update videos of the process .
How deep are your pockets? Do you love being cold and damp all the time - and how much mildew are you prepared to fight daily in your caravan? How old are you - (as in - what you are signing on for will take tremendous, physical hard work) ? How will you bring “oak beams” etc, all the construction supplies you will need - down that boggy track which leads to the site? Do you own the right-of-way to the house - or are you crossing other people’s land? How will the well-boring rig get up to you? It’s mighty heavy, and won’t make it far…. Have you received permission to install a septic system from the local council? What are your plans for heating the structures when completed? How will fuel be delivered? How will you power your tools, etc without a power line - I don’t think Wales is known for its blazing sunlight, so a couple of solar panels are not going to do what you will be needing…. Before you declare me to be a mean-spirited so-and-so, I’m only asking questions that you must ask yourselves. (And don’t forget the necessity of having access to emergency services in case of accidents - the ambulance is NOT coming) We moved from NYC to rural Ireland ten years ago. I was 60. He was 64. We survived, and learned as we grew into our new life. We restored/rebuilt a derelict schoolhouse… You folks are biting off a LOT TO CHEW. The romance of it all is beguiling. Be careful what you ask for?
Spend sometime to plan, maybe you planned for years and have ideas of what you like your home off grid home to be like?. Get as much help as you can, get the best builders you can, reaseach products, check the costs, talk about options, draw down on experience, and have deep pockets, but every day you will be a small step closer to achieving your goals, and dreams become reality 😊.
You're not being mean spirited at all, they're eminently practical questions. That access road is the first thing I would sort, if they don't want the existing track ripped up by delivery trucks (if they can even get delivery trucks down there). Look for where water is currently tending to linger on the track and dig a channel across the track and lay a bit of pipe for the water to continue on. Maybe consider some hardcore to take the strain ? Be prepared for sticking to "original features", to cost a premium. Clearing all the overgrowth around the properties sounds like a great idea, and will help to see the vision of what you want to put back.
Very excited for you and this new Adventure! Yes it will be a lot of work but with good planning and expert support for key milestones you two will be just fine! Congratulations on your property! I envy you and the journey you are about to embark on! Best wishes from Nova Scotia Canada! Subscribed of course!
I subscribed immediately I'm really looking forward to following your Journey with this beautiful property that you have acquired! My brother lives in Wales my family are originally from there so very interesting to me here in Florida! Good luck with everything can't wait for the next vlog
Hey guys! Great to see like minded people following their dreams. Greetings from our Off Grid Homestead in Ireland. 2 years in and never looked back! looking forward to your journey.
Hi guys just stumbled on this so have subbed and looking forward to your journey🎉all the best of luck from Lancashire. Just finished an extension to our house and I know the trials and tribulations you are about to go on, we started ours 5 weeks before COVID struck so saw the cost go up, up, up and went through countless trades folk, x 4 plumbers, x 3 joiners etc etc and it took ages more than it should but we are smiling now guys🖤🤍👊
Brilliant to hear you are now enjoying the result of the work - fingers crossed we don't encounter such issues with the work - materials, can't avoid the £££ sadly
If you own the land and road behind the house stop the lane before the house and redirect it to the front and this will allow you to did all that away from behind the home and foundation and help with damp and water driection away from the home
Chances are that a structure which has been standing for so long has good foundations so, imho, the Roof, to what will be your 'home', needs to be a priority to bring up to spec first. Good luck with your venture.
Recently I've been watching a few channels with this type of content. With regards to 'the cow shed'. If that's your priority I'd recommend that you take the whole roof structure off first. Inspect and repair the stone bearing walls. Make sure you have a level top course (concrete ring beam) in place before you install new rafters. A new corrugated metal roof would look just fine. Save the slates for the principal residence. Get that all in place before you do the floor (because I'm sure you're going to replace the floor; everyone does). Best luck with your adventure! Looks like a beautiful spot. Signed, a fellow traveler. PS You'll bankrupt yourself if you go all in on oak this or that structural replacements. Reinforced concrete lintels with maybe a faux oak veneer on the exposed exterior will do nicely and only you and the wood worms will know the truth.
Good luck both. We know that you’ll make a success of this journey that you’re about to undertake. You’re both hardworking and talented and we can’t wait to follow your progress.
What an amazing property!! Such an exciting adventure you’re embarking on 👍👏 Personally I think it would be fabulous if you could keep with history to have at least one of the buildings in slate roof. I would think the farm house would make most sense to preserve as it was in the day!! That’s my 2 cents haha 😊
I’ve wanted to do this for years but I’m scared to move away from my whole life so congratulations to you both and those super little furries. Well done for taking that step. Good luck, can’t wait to see your journey. Plenty of doggies please
Do it! Life is too short not to. Hubby and I moved from Lancashire to North East Scotland 33 years ago,after buying a derelict cottage, steading and 3 acres of land, and we have never regretted one minute of it. In our 70’s and no intention of moving into civilisation unless we are forced to.
Well it’s not for the faint hearted! You have oodles of work to get on with. Where to start first? The buildings look sturdy and from the Quick Look around most walls look straight, always a bonus! Fingers crossed things drop into place for you and you’re not kept waiting too much longer before you take possession. I look forward to the next episode .❤
Congratulations 👏👌 You both sound like you’re prepared and have experience with this. Good luck with your journey and we’re following with great interest, as we’ve yet to start ours👍 Paul & Vanessa
What a beautiful setting, feels lovely. I think you have a well house under some ivy. Looking forward to sharing your journey. I love the look of slate, tin roofs sound tinny in the rain!
Wish you happiness and joy with your new life, you have certainly given yourselves a huge challenge here but in my head I can see what you are aiming for and am sure this place will be beautiful in time. Taking the time to do it properly and I certainly agree with some of the comments to really make sure that what you will be doing is going to last, and is safe although Rhys is a builder he has the tools to make these buildings more than habitable, doing things in the old way is a much harder job than modern buildings but so much more satisfying, following in the ancestors footsteps. I am looking forward to seeing this land and buildings changing to what you want and hope the weather will be co-operative as well. subscribing today 💖
Thank you so much for your good wishes - yes, a challenge, and a massive one at that and you are quite right about the additional work and effort required for the old ways. Work we are relishing the thought of - can't wait to get started ... and know there will be many days where the vast expanse of wall that needs lime pointing will feel overwhelming too!
@@EightAcreHaven Have no doubt about you continuing when things become overwhelming, you both know to expect this on occasions but please do be careful to take good care of your health and your body, resting is sometimes essential to give you a boost on days when things seem to be impossible. You are both on the same page so are going to be there for each other no matter what this is invaluable on huge projects like this. I will be living my dream through what you do, if you don't mind as this is my dream too but my other half hasn't got the same interest, like yours does but I am still edging my way to doing what I want to do whatever will get there eventually. 💖
Hi there, just found this and subscribed. We’re 3 years into a similar project here in west Devon ,the house and buildings here were in a similar state to yours we have renovated the farm house and are about to convert the old stable barn into a small cottage so I’ll be very interested in seeing what you do with your property. Oh and by the way I would re slate your roofs where possible with the slate that you have and then buy in the rest that you need but I’m a traditionalist and like to see things done in the local way incorporating modern materials to bring it up to modern standards.👍
@ no I haven’t got a TH-cam channel however I would like to have one I need to get my son or daughter to help me set one up because I think that some of the projects we have people might find interesting.Thanks for your reply and all the best for the future.👍
good luck its a massive undertaking that especially off grid. you need to do a lot of the work as well as can become a money pit if need professionals to do work? weve got 7 acres in scotland and its sort of never ending once you start ! great for health as always active but can get you down when il or inclement weather! but wouldnt want it any other way.
Thank you John - got to say there are time when the whole endeavour seems too big, and we know there will be days when that will really challenge us. This channel is partly to give us the record of the positivity, excitement and potential that lies in store ready to look back on on the hard days. Well, that's the plan!
Welcome to west Wales. Have you met the local planning department yet? Make it a priority if you haven't. 😁 Good luck, its going to be an exciting journey.
Look forward to the updates as I’m very keen doing something like this myself Where did you manage to find a place like this too Can you recommend any sites too look at for properties and land that need work on
What a beautiful location 😊 The good roof on the main buildings is a good sign ...as long as it was done before the structure was damaged. French drain! - every YT restoration project needs one! 😉 It would be lovely if you could explore the social history. Old maps are available online from the National Library of Scotland, for older maps visit the County Records office (or equivalent) (the stunningly good TH-cam algorithm recommended this)
Yes, the social history is something that we love to investigate and so will feature in future footage no doubt. As for the French drain - we envisage many!
Exactly my thoughts. Need to contact Kris Harbour he's in Wales somewhere and is the expert for small installations which would be perfect for this project.
Wow great stuff! Have an amazing time guys! Im halfway through a similar (but much smaller 2ac and a single story barn) in the east mids. My advice is think long before you rush into buying machinery. 100% you need something, and definitely with forks. I have a backhoe loader, which is great for my size plot and ive rented in larger plant when needed. The back hoe element is nowhere near as good as a 360 mini ex. Given youre on 2x floors then maybe a small telehandler (or rough terrain forklift if youre on a budget) A flail mower too, but these can be hired in unless you are looking to run a small tractor. If youre buying a mini ex, 3t would be the minimum younwant on that. But the right plant is essential, mine has saved me so much physical labour. My only regret is not getting the bigger stuff in sooner, but i needed to gradually uncover 40years of abandonment before i went guns blazing. Enjoy!
Thank you - always swinging between going for small (and affordable) or big (initially more costly but more efficient) plant - finances and the right kit being for sale when we need it will influence too!
Absolutely fantastic-as others have said, take a while-try and use one solution to multi-task-that looks like it could be something marvellous-for what reason was it built, may I ask? Good luck!
Hello there, I really hope you can achieve your dream with this project. I don't know if you are in any sort of conservation area which can add on time and cost, we are in the Peak District and their planning people don't have the greatest sympathy with any form of building projects. The house appears to be in a stable condition compared to the shed and seeing as how it already has a tin roof I'd be leaning towards renewing that as it's the quickest and reasonably cheap to do. It looks as if someone has used tin on all the other buildings at a later time as a cheaper alternative to the slate that may have been on originally, if there is a some stored there that would be the right way to redo the house as it is an expensive product to buy. A thought though if going off grid that you may want to get solar panels mounted to start making your own electricity, maybe battery storage under the finished lean to. Don't know if it's just that water logged due to the weather or you may find some is coming from a spring or other source you could make use of in the future. Looking forward to your ongoing progress and I wish you all the luck with it. All the best to you both.
@@EightAcreHaven I managed to combine a soakaway with a water storage capacity, simply by digging out a 7ft deep hole and putting two 45 gallon drums in surrounded with drainage stone, the drums capture the water with any excess flowing into the stone surrounding the barrels. This water can be used in the garden in hot dry weather.
West Wales is beautiful, just think, when you’ve had a hard day’s building work, hop in the car and off to New Quay for fish n chips watching dolphins! Heavenly
Often wondered w hy these lovely places become empty derelict could it be people have passed away and no one to continue with the place . Looking at the buildings looks sturdy well enough built the land will need drainage but lovely views.
The process has been clear in west Wales at least: the commercial impetus has been for family farms to grow massively in order to survive on the scraps from the supermarkets' tables... So consolidation of the land happened for the last 70 years, with no cost-effective repairs to buildings that don't suit modern requirements. Result: slow decay and dereliction.
Signed up for your renovation journey, my ancestry is Pembrokeshire. But family moved out to Australia and then New Zealand. I live rurally here, and could I make one recommendation - before anything else, you need, need, need really to improve the surfacing of that long, long, long narrow lane to get to your renovation project. Otherwise, you will struggle to get any materials, gravel, etc. tanks, water tanks, etc. into the site.
I would use Tin on the roofs,, I live in Tennessee US and all our farms and farm houses have Tin and on houses in fact I have Dark Grey on my home with light grey siding which on ur buildings would be beautiful with a dark grey Tin roof because ur stone is light grey... Plus once u put Tin on u never have to worry with leaks..😊😊
Thank you - You are quite correct - a fair bit to manage alright! Ideas for the buildings are further progressed that the land - that will give us lots of scope for a few different things - certainly a haven for wildlife and insects, and friendly humans :)
@EightAcreHaven Are you planning to manage the land, host activities, camping etc.? Or is it going to going to be to wonder round and admire as part of your buffer from so-called civilisation?
If all the roofs were slated, I think it would look beautiful in my humble opinion. Looking as though it was all intentionally planned and built at the same time.
Tin roof not good for living space - heavy rain & you'll be unable to hear yourself think. Can you find enough head in the stream to use for micro- hydro?
I think whatever roofing material you chose probably depends on your budget. I'm under the impression a slate roof is costly. If money is not a major consideration it depends on your personal taste. I have had a metal roof on one of my homes and with adequate insulation it is not too loud when it rains.
Just subscribed and looking forward to following you on your journey. If anyone is interested there is another new channel on TH-cam called, Rejected by Grand Designs, which is following a mature couple starting out on an off grid self build project and has a similar kind of feel to this one.
I’m not sure what your plans are but what ever they are please make sure that you put in underfloor heating…..you regret it if you’ve never had it before.
The video is great, you need to keep promoting your channel. Is not hard.
After 37 years (so far) on the tools as a carpenter & Joiner my professional advice is: Do nothing without advice from the very best professionals. You really want to avoid making alterations after you've finished an area as it will cost you dear in many ways. Make decisions on paper/drawings/plans as opposed to "On the hoof." Try and turn a chore into a pleasurable experience by buying the right tools (consider a used 2 ton 360 excavator?), and meticulous planning. If you feel overwhelmed, do not stop, just pick up a broom or something and do small, brainless jobs to completion then repeat until you feel better. You have a belter of a place there!!!
Thank you for your sage advice! Greatly appreciated.
@@EightAcreHaven You're very welcome! I'm subbed now and look forward to your project. My son is just about to start earning properly in the Merchant Navy and wants to do similar. We've been looking at derelict plots on Anglesey. I'm from Bangor originally but we live in Deganwy, Conwy now, so we're kinda neighbours!!!
Oh the Island is absolutely stunning! What a wonderful place to set up home :)
@@EightAcreHaven It's a long road...
Best wishes!
Good luck to you 2.God bless you 🙏 😘 ❤️
As someone who started on this road in west Wales about 50 years back, welcome and good luck! I will only offer 2 bits of advice before you get your teeth into the project.
1: Really learn the land, and make iterative plans, before you commit to large works.
2: Invest in machinery early - with ground water drainage, foul water systems and other services, a smallish digger is essential (ideally coupled with a dumper, or tractor/trailer combo). The digger we opted for was an ancient JCB, but on your slopes I suspect a small tracked 360 degrees machine may work better.
Good luck - looking forward to following your progress!
Subscribed this morning !! How lovely ! To bring to life this lovely place. Such a stunning location, how i would love to do this
Thank you - welcome your advice :)
Good sound advice Anthony.
Welcome to West Wales, although Rees sounds as though he comes from this area. I bought my condemned smallholding 50 years ago and am still doing it up! I was young and fit then, and you have taken on a lot. Get a digger in and scrape the walkways, taking off the years of muck will make everything much easier and safer, and will be easier to drain and dry out a bit. Good luck.
Yes, lots of stripping and cleaning to start
Looks very exciting - a couple of points I've not seen raised:
- It seems you don't have exclusive use of your lane to the house so I suspect you may be competing with tractor usage too. I lived in north Wales with that arrangement and gradually the rutting became quite challenging - so keep in with the farmer(s).
- make sure you are on top of the council tax charges. If you do convert the cowshed as well as the house you may find you have two lots of rates to pay. To my mind the cowshed looks like useful storage space.
Also I'd go for slating the roofs throughout. Much more aesthetically satisfying.
Welcome to 🎉he graft! Have a ruin in snowdonia been working 5 years on 😊 your biggest hurdle without a doubt is the weather ! Have fun
Ah funny your video should pop up. I had checked this property out online and thought it was a stunning place. I'm not in the position to buy so glad I get to follow your journey. Pop lwc! 🙂
Diolch! We do not underestimate how lucky we are.
I was about to say the same thing. Fantastic opportunity, I am jealous!
I love that you’ve decided to take this journey. I follow quite a few farm restoration channels, and you 2 are unique. I live in the American Midwest and Western Wales looks very familiar. A lot of new TH-camrs are uncomfortable with being on camera. I hope you guys fight through it
Thank you - I've heard tell that many Welsh emigrants in the 1850s settled in the Midwest because it reminded them so much of Wales ❤️ - I understand that the Wisconsin constitution was translated into Cymraeg due to he number of Welsh first language people who settled. Lovely to have you join us.
I think I might have seen that house for sale a couple years ago. Well done I think you’ve got an amazing future ahead of you I look forward to sharing your journey. I’ve just subscribed😊
I'm so excited for you, this is an amazing opportunity. Grab it and remember it's a journey. Smell the roses along the way. You are so blessed to be able to do it. Many people would love to do something like this. Blessings on your new journey, I'm excited to see what you do! ❤
Thank you - your good wishes are appreciated 😁and advice welcomed, yes, smelling the roses along the way will become very important on the difficult days!
Imagine! We'd be delighted with cobbles - concrete, not so much but the possibility of what might be there is exciting in itself.
That looks like a lovely find.
I run a small sawmill and traditional timber framing company here in mid Wales. Make contact if you need any Oak trusses, framing etc making for the project. Cheers
Elwyn
Diolch Elwyn - we're making a list :)
Good luck guys, you've got a huge project ahead of you!
Thank you :)
What a beautiful property. Looking forward to your start. I have been performing historic restoration of 18th and 19th century homes, log buildings and have built period style homes since the 1960's. Your stone builds look strong and straight. That's a great plus for your project I'll be watching for your next video.
Thank you Terry - it is just so peaceful - been waiting for us I reckon.
Im looking forward to seeing these buildings being brought back to life.
I'm a huge fan of stone buildings and I love the 2 story one on the right.
A slate roof would be nice but they are so expensive.
A colorbond dark grey similar to what is already on them would be cheaper and make them look contemporary but im more old school when it comes to old buildings.
Im looking forward to seeing them cleared of vegetation, reroofed, repointed and restored to a livable state.
Good luck with this journey that you'll be taking for quite a while.
I'm sure the end results will be worth it as the country side looks quiet and im sure it's full of wildlife as well.
Im a 58 yo country boy now living in Strathalbyn SA Australia in new build and loving it plus my veg garden our the back.
You are not wrong - it's going to be along project alright 😶
Hello and congratulations on your project property, it’s a big one!!! Oh yes, I’ve liked and subscribed, I would hardly know where to start but the barn sounds good to me!
What a lot of work, but what a lovely place. I have once been in the neighbourhood on a vacation: beautiifull Wales. I think this old farm deserves it to be restored
Most definitely a beautiful part of the world and a huge amount of work! We agree, it does deserve to be restored.
Exactly what we're after. Three and a half more years of the grind until our son goes to university, then we're heading to somewhere hopefully similar to yours in the West Country. Step off of the insane money-go-round and shift for ourselves. Congratulations and good luck!
Thank you :) Stepping off is a big motivator for us too - three and a half years to plan and dream 😍
What a wonderful adventure! 😊
Thank you!
New sub here. Good cheer for the new year ! One thing I noticed when I built my house in the woods were wild blueberries and gooseberries that I left some of when I cleared. 😊
Really hoping for some wild fruiting bushes and trees - not noticed anything more than haws and blackberries yet, but, who knows!
Interested to see how much of the work you will do yourselves
As eight subscriber I am looking forward to following you on an exciting adventure. There's a lot of work ahead of you. Ups and downs. But you sound very committed and thus will make it. Greetings from rural Germany!
Delighted that you've chosen to come along with us! Lots of work - lots of adventure :)
Very exciting project with lots of potential, just expect it to take at least twice as long and cost twice as much as you are currently thinking! Good Luck!
Just twice? 🤣
I look forward to following your progress.
Thank you - delighted to have you join us!
This would absolutely have been our dream ,me and the wife but at 77yrs thats not going to happen,but will enjoy watching your journey,,can i ask if the long lane access has any issues as the surrounding farmers will be using it too by the looks of it ,and your little dogs are gorgeous, thank you for sharing your story Rick and Eileen
Well we hope you get lots of enjoyment from watching our antics - lovely to have you both join us 🥰
Looks and sounds fab! Before starting with the groundwork, i would suggest clearing the land from unwanted greenery (brambles!) to get a proper view on the terrain.
Absolutely - it's going to look worse before it looks better, for sure
Yay I just found your channel and can’t wait to follow along! As far as your roofs go I’d stay with metal for the barns and save the slate for the main house eventually 🥰
There's a theme coming here with Tin for the barns and slate for the house :)
@@EightAcreHavenyep.... Cost effective and speedy compromise.... Always best to ignore the purists.....who are neither DOING nor PAYING for the job......!!!
Can't wait to see the progression of these beautiful old properties. Please whatever you do slate them. It will last longer than tin, more durable and will look how they were intended too all those moons ago. Good luck 👍
Although, of course, I'm sure you meant to say 'although slate is hugely more expensive, much slower to achieve, and enormously more heavy work.... please try to slate if at all possible'....
.. or, 'slate in the future'...!?!?
.... always be pragmatic and budget conscious in these situations......!?!?
... I'm sure that's what you meant.....!!!?
@@andymccabe6712no i am pretty sure i said what i meant. Having just restored a 200 year old barn and having to slate the roof i am fully aware of the costs. Why buy an old barn to put a tin roof on? To have the best in life, you have to pay for the best.
Exciting project. I would go for Passivhaus Plus where you won't need a boiler (to also need annual service!)
Best sewage system is earth closet / compost 'bogs' and put French drains of scalpings and finish off with shingle top layer to keep moisture away from walls. Sink a borehole for your own water supply.
Using proper breathable lime plaster means opting for chalk or lime based paints. Regarding windows either have Xenon or Krypton gas filled units and have triple glazing on the cold North walls. Oak frames will last many years and not require paint, though you can colour stain with something like Sikens or Osmo. Could also consider Western Red Cedar which will give lighter frames and just have oak sills.
Strongly consider a double height conservatory on the house which can double up as greenhouse so you can have veg growing right outside the kitchen door.
Rocket mass heating will use FAR less wood to run than conventional woodburner (burns wood at 1,200⁰C) and you can heat water around it too so major benefit there.
Perhaps copper guttering & downpipes for maintenance free / longevity benefits too.
Dry lining external walls with Aerogel remembering you lose most heat through the walls (35%) and have underfloor heating to free up more wall space for furniture!
Finally plant goat willow around your pond to give early pollinators a good food source, but not near buildings to damage foundations.
Thank you for taking the time to share this guidance - greatly appreciated. Very much like the thought of rocket mass heating and under floor heating - been putting the long hours in researching 🤓
We are just removing goat willow from around an ancient pond where it is taking over. I don’t recommend planting it.
@@MegJones7 Could leave some! Of the 300 variety of British bees, many are solitary and come out of hibernation early March and virtually no food for them ( especially if people persist in cutting dandelions and daisies for that immaculate lawn.😤
@@richardfiennes3616yes the goal willow is covered in bees here early spring. So much so that they mostly ignore my fruit trees 😂 Not a pretty tree really but important in moderation.
@@EightAcreHaven
Hi Rhys & Jo,
Indeed, research is key! Save money buying septic 'onion' tank with the 'earth closet' system. Great to use and you will always have fertiliser for plants.
It will cost a FORTUNE to bring electricity to the property, and money saved can go towards the best solar / battery storage system, meaning you are not at the mercy of energy companies, nor possibly needing a health damaging ring main. You can then supplement with good oil lamps.
You are both about to embark on the most exciting project of your lives!
Well done can't wait to see your progress
Good luck. It’s a beautiful looking place and building.
Looks like al amazing plot & potential to a be a beautiful house , wish you all the best, good luck & look forward to seeing some update videos of the process .
Sounds like a grate new adventure in you lifes.
Thank you! It is something we have looked forward to for so long
How deep are your pockets? Do you love being cold and damp all the time - and how much mildew are you prepared to fight daily in your caravan?
How old are you - (as in - what you are signing on for will take tremendous, physical hard work) ?
How will you bring “oak beams” etc, all the construction supplies you will need - down that boggy track which leads to the site? Do you own the right-of-way to the house - or are you crossing other people’s land?
How will the well-boring rig get up to you? It’s mighty heavy, and won’t make it far….
Have you received permission to install a septic system from the local council?
What are your plans for heating the structures when completed? How will fuel be delivered?
How will you power your tools, etc without a power line - I don’t think Wales is known for its blazing sunlight, so a couple of solar panels are not going to do what you will be needing….
Before you declare me to be a mean-spirited so-and-so, I’m only asking questions that you must ask yourselves. (And don’t forget the necessity of having access to emergency services in case of accidents - the ambulance is NOT coming)
We moved from NYC to rural Ireland ten years ago. I was 60. He was 64.
We survived, and learned as we grew into our new life. We restored/rebuilt a derelict schoolhouse…
You folks are biting off a LOT TO CHEW.
The romance of it all is beguiling.
Be careful what you ask for?
Great questions - some of which we have pondered already - some new ones to consider - always helpful to gain other perspectives - ty
Spend sometime to plan, maybe you planned for years and have ideas of what you like your home off grid home to be like?. Get as much help as you can, get the best builders you can, reaseach products, check the costs, talk about options, draw down on experience, and have deep pockets, but every day you will be a small step closer to achieving your goals, and dreams become reality 😊.
You're not being mean spirited at all, they're eminently practical questions.
That access road is the first thing I would sort, if they don't want the existing track ripped up by delivery trucks (if they can even get delivery trucks down there).
Look for where water is currently tending to linger on the track and dig a channel across the track and lay a bit of pipe for the water to continue on. Maybe consider some hardcore to take the strain ?
Be prepared for sticking to "original features", to cost a premium.
Clearing all the overgrowth around the properties sounds like a great idea, and will help to see the vision of what you want to put back.
Very excited for you and this new Adventure! Yes it will be a lot of work but with good planning and expert support for key milestones you two will be just fine! Congratulations on your property! I envy you and the journey you are about to embark on! Best wishes from Nova Scotia Canada! Subscribed of course!
Thank you - lovely to have you with us
I subscribed immediately I'm really looking forward to following your Journey with this beautiful property that you have acquired! My brother lives in Wales my family are originally from there so very interesting to me here in Florida! Good luck with everything can't wait for the next vlog
Thank you Jane - I have a feeling we will have plenty to keep you entertained!
Hey guys! Great to see like minded people following their dreams. Greetings from our Off Grid Homestead in Ireland. 2 years in and never looked back! looking forward to your journey.
Thank you - we'll be following your journey too!
What a fantastic property, new subscriber, looking forward to watching progress. I hope the sales goes through quickly for you.
Ive subbed and will watch with a mixture of interest and hope. Hope that you are able to create a lovely home. Good luck.
Looking forward to following you on your restoration journey. Good luck.
Hi guys just stumbled on this so have subbed and looking forward to your journey🎉all the best of luck from Lancashire. Just finished an extension to our house and I know the trials and tribulations you are about to go on, we started ours 5 weeks before COVID struck so saw the cost go up, up, up and went through countless trades folk, x 4 plumbers, x 3 joiners etc etc and it took ages more than it should but we are smiling now guys🖤🤍👊
Brilliant to hear you are now enjoying the result of the work - fingers crossed we don't encounter such issues with the work - materials, can't avoid the £££ sadly
The property looks incredible! Good luck to you 😊
If you own the land and road behind the house stop the lane before the house and redirect it to the front and this will allow you to did all that away from behind the home and foundation and help with damp and water driection away from the home
What about a reed bed waste system?
We do like this thought and are looking at viability :)
Chances are that a structure which has been standing for so long has good foundations so, imho, the Roof, to what will be your 'home', needs to be a priority to bring up to spec first. Good luck with your venture.
Recently I've been watching a few channels with this type of content. With regards to 'the cow shed'. If that's your priority I'd recommend that you take the whole roof structure off first. Inspect and repair the stone bearing walls. Make sure you have a level top course (concrete ring beam) in place before you install new rafters. A new corrugated metal roof would look just fine. Save the slates for the principal residence. Get that all in place before you do the floor (because I'm sure you're going to replace the floor; everyone does).
Best luck with your adventure! Looks like a beautiful spot. Signed, a fellow traveler.
PS You'll bankrupt yourself if you go all in on oak this or that structural replacements. Reinforced concrete lintels with maybe a faux oak veneer on the exposed exterior will do nicely and only you and the wood worms will know the truth.
We are thinking long these lies to re the task order 👍
I hope you have a very big budget. Thats going to be a giant project that will just eat money. Good luck to you both.
Good luck both. We know that you’ll make a success of this journey that you’re about to undertake. You’re both hardworking and talented and we can’t wait to follow your progress.
Oh Pat! Thank you - cannot wait for you to visit 😍
Looking forward to following your journey
Just found you so subscribed, all the best, be watching on TV....see more 😀 ❤from Western Australia 🇦🇺
Congrats you are #1,000,001 of off grid YT channels.....good luck.
👍
What an amazing property!! Such an exciting adventure you’re embarking on 👍👏 Personally I think it would be fabulous if you could keep with history to have at least one of the buildings in slate roof. I would think the farm house would make most sense to preserve as it was in the day!! That’s my 2 cents haha 😊
Good luck! Looks like a lot of fun!
I’ve wanted to do this for years but I’m scared to move away from my whole life so congratulations to you both and those super little furries. Well done for taking that step. Good luck, can’t wait to see your journey. Plenty of doggies please
Go for it, don't regret it
Ah Barney and Walter will just love having their antics shared with you 😍
Do it! Life is too short not to. Hubby and I moved from Lancashire to North East Scotland 33 years ago,after buying a derelict cottage, steading and 3 acres of land, and we have never regretted one minute of it. In our 70’s and no intention of moving into civilisation unless we are forced to.
Living what we aspire to 😍
@@burnsideart47 absolutely fantastic xx
Fantastic property. Excited to watch the changes. I'm in Ontario, Canada.
Well it’s not for the faint hearted! You have oodles of work to get on with. Where to start first? The buildings look sturdy and from the Quick Look around most walls look straight, always a bonus! Fingers crossed things drop into place for you and you’re not kept waiting too much longer before you take possession. I look forward to the next episode .❤
Thank you - mainly straight with the occasional bend!
We have five acres and still work its bloody hard work x all the best
Congratulations 👏👌 You both sound like you’re prepared and have experience with this. Good luck with your journey and we’re following with great interest, as we’ve yet to start ours👍 Paul & Vanessa
Thank you and best wishes for your journey start too!
@ Thank you 👌
What a beautiful setting, feels lovely. I think you have a well house under some ivy. Looking forward to sharing your journey. I love the look of slate, tin roofs sound tinny in the rain!
Thank you for you kind words Sharon :)
Exciting, beautiful place. Congratulations 🎈 on your knew home place
Best lane in the world. Wow, good luck.
audio is a bit quiet, good luck on your project, looks fantastic
I had to put the captions on.
Thank you Brian - working on the skills to make this better in future.
Liked & subscribed, looking forward to some excellent content, good luck !
Wish you happiness and joy with your new life, you have certainly given yourselves a huge challenge here but in my head I can see what you are aiming for and am sure this place will be beautiful in time. Taking the time to do it properly and I certainly agree with some of the comments to really make sure that what you will be doing is going to last, and is safe although Rhys is a builder he has the tools to make these buildings more than habitable, doing things in the old way is a much harder job than modern buildings but so much more satisfying, following in the ancestors footsteps. I am looking forward to seeing this land and buildings changing to what you want and hope the weather will be co-operative as well. subscribing today 💖
Thank you so much for your good wishes - yes, a challenge, and a massive one at that and you are quite right about the additional work and effort required for the old ways. Work we are relishing the thought of - can't wait to get started ... and know there will be many days where the vast expanse of wall that needs lime pointing will feel overwhelming too!
@@EightAcreHaven Have no doubt about you continuing when things become overwhelming, you both know to expect this on occasions but please do be careful to take good care of your health and your body, resting is sometimes essential to give you a boost on days when things seem to be impossible. You are both on the same page so are going to be there for each other no matter what this is invaluable on huge projects like this. I will be living my dream through what you do, if you don't mind as this is my dream too but my other half hasn't got the same interest, like yours does but I am still edging my way to doing what I want to do whatever will get there eventually. 💖
If you have enough sleep tiles, I would just re-tile it so it looks like it used to
Good Luck, and BIG project
Hi there, just found this and subscribed. We’re 3 years into a similar project here in west Devon ,the house and buildings here were in a similar state to yours we have renovated the farm house and are about to convert the old stable barn into a small cottage so I’ll be very interested in seeing what you do with your property. Oh and by the way I would re slate your roofs where possible with the slate that you have and then buy in the rest that you need but I’m a traditionalist and like to see things done in the local way incorporating modern materials to bring it up to modern standards.👍
Thank you Daniel - likewise interested to know what you'll be doing with your place - have you a TH-cam presence?
@ no I haven’t got a TH-cam channel however I would like to have one I need to get my son or daughter to help me set one up because I think that some of the projects we have people might find interesting.Thanks for your reply and all the best for the future.👍
Would have liked to see you both introduce yourselves in person not just your voices. Liked and subbed. Looking forward to your journey.
Good luck. Eat well & stay strong.
🧘♀️
Great property to work on. Get a better camera or phone and replay in 25 frames per second please. Not bad slow mo.
👍
Exciting! I’m looking forward to what’s next!
Look forward to following your journey 😊
Welcome aboard! Lovely to have you with us
good luck its a massive undertaking that especially off grid. you need to do a lot of the work as well as can become a money pit if need professionals to do work? weve got 7 acres in scotland and its sort of never ending once you start ! great for health as always active but can get you down when il or inclement weather! but wouldnt want it any other way.
Thank you John - got to say there are time when the whole endeavour seems too big, and we know there will be days when that will really challenge us. This channel is partly to give us the record of the positivity, excitement and potential that lies in store ready to look back on on the hard days. Well, that's the plan!
Hi, we're in West Wales âne perhaps a few years ahead of you. If you want advice on trades I can share where we've got to.
Thank you for the offer neighbour-- always good to know who is about for trades - Diolch
Welcome to west Wales. Have you met the local planning department yet? Make it a priority if you haven't. 😁 Good luck, its going to be an exciting journey.
Thank you Keith
Look forward to the updates as I’m very keen doing something like this myself
Where did you manage to find a place like this too
Can you recommend any sites too look at for properties and land that need work on
No recommendations for you Dean but lots of luck in finding somewhere for you
@ thanks for the reply enjoy the watch look forward to the next one
How did you manage to find this piece of land and buildings
Very cool project, subscribed.
What a beautiful location 😊
The good roof on the main buildings is a good sign ...as long as it was done before the structure was damaged.
French drain! - every YT restoration project needs one! 😉
It would be lovely if you could explore the social history. Old maps are available online from the National Library of Scotland, for older maps visit the County Records office (or equivalent)
(the stunningly good TH-cam algorithm recommended this)
Yes, the social history is something that we love to investigate and so will feature in future footage no doubt. As for the French drain - we envisage many!
My first thought when I saw the stream was hydro electric power!
Exactly my thoughts. Need to contact Kris Harbour he's in Wales somewhere and is the expert for small installations which would be perfect for this project.
May have already done that! Great minds, eh!
Wow great stuff! Have an amazing time guys!
Im halfway through a similar (but much smaller 2ac and a single story barn) in the east mids.
My advice is think long before you rush into buying machinery. 100% you need something, and definitely with forks. I have a backhoe loader, which is great for my size plot and ive rented in larger plant when needed. The back hoe element is nowhere near as good as a 360 mini ex.
Given youre on 2x floors then maybe a small telehandler (or rough terrain forklift if youre on a budget)
A flail mower too, but these can be hired in unless you are looking to run a small tractor.
If youre buying a mini ex, 3t would be the minimum younwant on that.
But the right plant is essential, mine has saved me so much physical labour. My only regret is not getting the bigger stuff in sooner, but i needed to gradually uncover 40years of abandonment before i went guns blazing.
Enjoy!
Thank you - always swinging between going for small (and affordable) or big (initially more costly but more efficient) plant - finances and the right kit being for sale when we need it will influence too!
All the best …..looking forward to following your dream
Thank you so much 🙂
Ok I’ve subscribed to watch you in Beautiful Wales
Absolutely fantastic-as others have said, take a while-try and use one solution to multi-task-that looks like it could be something marvellous-for what reason was it built, may I ask? Good luck!
It was a farm originally Nick - expect this will take many years!
Hello there, I really hope you can achieve your dream with this project. I don't know if you are in any sort of conservation area which can add on time and cost, we are in the Peak District and their planning people don't have the greatest sympathy with any form of building projects. The house appears to be in a stable condition compared to the shed and seeing as how it already has a tin roof I'd be leaning towards renewing that as it's the quickest and reasonably cheap to do. It looks as if someone has used tin on all the other buildings at a later time as a cheaper alternative to the slate that may have been on originally, if there is a some stored there that would be the right way to redo the house as it is an expensive product to buy. A thought though if going off grid that you may want to get solar panels mounted to start making your own electricity, maybe battery storage under the finished lean to. Don't know if it's just that water logged due to the weather or you may find some is coming from a spring or other source you could make use of in the future. Looking forward to your ongoing progress and I wish you all the luck with it. All the best to you both.
Thank you for jumping on board - the water seems to be a bit of both - all needs a bit of 'directing'
@@EightAcreHaven I managed to combine a soakaway with a water storage capacity, simply by digging out a 7ft deep hole and putting two 45 gallon drums in surrounded with drainage stone, the drums capture the water with any excess flowing into the stone surrounding the barrels. This water can be used in the garden in hot dry weather.
Just subscribed im in for the journey
West Wales is beautiful, just think, when you’ve had a hard day’s building work, hop in the car and off to New Quay for fish n chips watching dolphins! Heavenly
Yessss! or beautiful Aberaeron 😍
I’m in. I’m a fan of these types of videos but it’s the 335 which made me click subscribe.
Often wondered w hy these lovely places become empty derelict could it be people have passed away and no one to continue with the place . Looking at the buildings looks sturdy well enough built the land will need drainage but lovely views.
Yes, drainage is a must for sure.
The process has been clear in west Wales at least: the commercial impetus has been for family farms to grow massively in order to survive on the scraps from the supermarkets' tables... So consolidation of the land happened for the last 70 years, with no cost-effective repairs to buildings that don't suit modern requirements. Result: slow decay and dereliction.
Sadly true 🥺
I'd love to do something like this but unfortunately i don't have the money to do it. All the best on your journey.
Thank you
Signed up for your renovation journey, my ancestry is Pembrokeshire. But family moved out to Australia and then New Zealand. I live rurally here, and could I make one recommendation - before anything else, you need, need, need really to improve the surfacing of that long, long, long narrow lane to get to your renovation project. Otherwise, you will struggle to get any materials, gravel, etc. tanks, water tanks, etc. into the site.
Thank you for 'joining' us - glad to have you! Good advice about the lane - needs a touch more TLC after our most recent storms 🙄
looks so good , it would be nice to know the costs and how you found it and the like as i want to do the same as you guys
Thank you Mark - all that type of info will be shared in the future - be great to have you along for the journey!
I would use Tin on the roofs,, I live in Tennessee US and all our farms and farm houses have Tin and on houses in fact I have Dark Grey on my home with light grey siding which on ur buildings would be beautiful with a dark grey Tin roof because ur stone is light grey... Plus once u put Tin on u never have to worry with leaks..😊😊
Thank you for your vote for tin! Really undecided at this point but open to the idea :)
Beautiful, so much potential. What are you going to do with the 8 acres? That's a lot to manage!
Thank you - You are quite correct - a fair bit to manage alright! Ideas for the buildings are further progressed that the land - that will give us lots of scope for a few different things - certainly a haven for wildlife and insects, and friendly humans :)
@EightAcreHaven Are you planning to manage the land, host activities, camping etc.? Or is it going to going to be to wonder round and admire as part of your buffer from so-called civilisation?
If all the roofs were slated, I think it would look beautiful in my humble opinion. Looking as though it was all intentionally planned and built at the same time.
Thank you for the vote for slate! Always beautiful, especially the plum slate we have here in Wales - lets see what the £££ dictates!
nice road trip
😎 Thank you 😎
Tin roof not good for living space - heavy rain & you'll be unable to hear yourself think.
Can you find enough head in the stream to use for micro- hydro?
Excellent question - something certainly worth investigating!
I think whatever roofing material you chose probably depends on your budget. I'm under the impression a slate roof is costly. If money is not a major consideration it depends on your personal taste. I have had a metal roof on one of my homes and with adequate insulation it is not too loud when it rains.
Slate is indeed expensive - but has so many aesthetic benefits - all yet to be decided :)
Your budget will answer many of your expectations
What part of wales
Deepest Darkest Westest!
Have you read Hovel in the Hills by Elizabeth West?
Nope ... off down a rabbit I go! Will check that out :)
Just subscribed and looking forward to following you on your journey.
If anyone is interested there is another new channel on TH-cam called, Rejected by Grand Designs, which is following a mature couple starting out on an off grid self build project and has a similar kind of feel to this one.
I’m not sure what your plans are but what ever they are please make sure that you put in underfloor heating…..you regret it if you’ve never had it before.
Oh yes 😁