The Builders
They say that death and moving house are the two most stressful experiences in life. Whoever “they” are have obviously never had the builders in.
The team we have here are doing an incredible job. Our house is not located in the easiest of places and there is a lot of heavy work to be done but their approach has been just eyes down and get on with it. The building work is exceptional too – very neat with lots of attention to detail. Our plumber / electrician works at the rate of knots and doesn’t seem to mind when we ask him to move something three feet to the left.
As a result of the building work however we have had to pack every single non essential item into boxes and stack them in the barn. We have had to move out of our bedroom and onto a mattress on the sitting room floor. The house is open to the elements so freezing cold and of course there is a thick layer of dust on everything. It hasn’t helped that by coincidence I got a nasty cold and cough on day 2 of the building work which is now just lingering like a bad smell.
Still it is incredibly exciting to say the least. It feels like we’re getting a whole new house yet we don’t have to move and it doesn’t cost as much. We are hoping to extend the project and get the other little bits finished off upstairs. In just a few weeks time we’ll be sleeping in a new bedroom and showering in a very funky new shower.
Today we are off to pick up our beautiful, antique woodburner. This item like so many other things we buy it is fairly impractical but looks great. I can’t wait to cook on it.
So that’s what’s happening at the moment. Exciting (but stressful) times…..
My name is CB, a twenty nine year old attempting to renovate a crumbling Portuguese farmhouse into a beautiful home and thriving smallholding. There is considerable work needed both indoors and out to create the gorgeous and productive home I have in mind but I do love a good challenge. 
