“The weight of a dream is not in proportion to its size. Some dreams are made of fog, some of lace, some of lead.”
– Rebecca Solnit –
We fell in love with the land, the first time we saw photographs of it, and when we first set foot on it in July last year, it wasn’t the ruin on it that clinched the deal, but rather the lovely cork oaks, and the feeling of belonging.
We had no plan of turning the ruin on it into a house, as it is expensive to do so. We thought we would build a new house, well-insulated, and orientated optimally for winter sun to stream in through the windows, while hiding from the harsh summer rays. That was not meant to be, though, as we discovered that our local municipality requires new houses to be built 50 metres from the boundary. That left us with an area next to a seasonal stream that turns swampy in winter, as the only option, because of the odd shape of the land.
The barn with its solid stone walls, and slightly bigger than the ruin, was not an option, either, as one of the walls is actually part of the boundary. That means that no windows are allowed in that wall, and so we had to rethink our strategy, which left us with a jumble of stones, and half-standing walls to work with.
At least the outer footprint was interesting, once all the inner walls were removed. Michael could see the potential. I couldn’t. To convince me, he set out to build a scale model of what the house could look like, and of course I was quickly drawn into the excitement. It was also a great excercise to discover all its quirky flaws, and challenges, like a back wall that isn’t straight.
With an inside measurement of 32 m², it was going to be small. We realized that we would have to be creative, but decided that it would be part of the fun, and accepted the challenge. Although the long-term plan is to move permanently to the land, and eventually combine the barn and ruin into a bigger house, we were in a hurry to transform our little ruin into a space we can stay in, when visiting the land, in the meantime. And so, we embarked on the arduous process of finding a builder, and transforming it into a livable space. All the time living in Abu Dhabi, and having to rely on the kindness of friends in the area to manage the process for us. It took almost six months for the ruin to be transformed into a space that is wind and water tight, with the doors and windows installed only the day before we arrived for our July visit. Although rough and unfinished on the inside, it at least allowed us to physically stay on our land for the first time, which was wonderful.
A leftover piece of roofing and a couple of bricks were transformed in a kitchen workspace, while four rough pallets served as beds. A quick stop at IKEA in Madrid, on the way from the airport to the land, saw the rental car packed to capacity, as we crammed in mattresses, and various other essential items.
We still have a long way to go, before the inside is transformed into a comfortable house, but we will do so in small increments, as we have the money and the time. For now, quietly in the background, we are having electricity connected, not just to the land, but also to the house, which in itself is making a rather big dent in our pocket. But we believe that everything worth having, is worth waiting for, and so, every day, we take a tiny step towards fulfilling this dream.
Written by: Jolandi
July visit 2018
Notes:
Moving to a foreign country can be tricky, when it comes to paperwork and legalities. We have been very lucky so far in our journey with having the right people helping us negotiate it, despite the fact that we still have a long way to go, before we can go live there.
A friend of ours, recently moved back from Abu Dhabi to his hometown of Porto, and has started a business helping expats negotiating this, often frustrating, process. If you are interested or know someone who is interested in buying property in the north of Portugal, contact Mauricio from Portugal Visa Solutions, for assistance and advice.
They specialize in the following:
- Selection of properties tailored to expat requirements.
- Legal support in case the expats are planning to apply for a residence visa.
- In case the property requires construction work, they provide project management services for renovations, etc.
Thank you for this latest update. I can see that the legal issues (such as zoning requirements on land, etc) can be a headache in any area of the world 😉 I am very happy that you and your husband are making this dream come true one step at a time.
My husband & I bought our home this summer (it was unplanned, but the right opportunity at the perfect time) and we are very happy to have “our castle” in the the town we both love. Your adventure seems much more challenging (across international borders) but it will be worth it! Wishing you continued luck, success and good health.
What wonderful news, Takami. I am so happy for you. I love how you say it was unplanned, yet the right opportunity at the perfect time. Isn’t that just how life works? I hope you and your husband will be very happy in your new home.
Thank you so much for wishing us well, and your continued support. It is very much appreciated. Those adventures across international border can become very tricky, but we trust that things will run smoothly for us, especially as there are still many legal hoops we have to jump through in the process.
“Isn’t that just how life works?” — Yes, it’s so true!
Of course, my husband did our best to stay prepared at all times (keeping this dream in the back of our minds, being careful with savings, etc.), but it all happened quite unexpectedly…yet at the same time (looking back), it was also inevitable. Our “neighbours” the many wild birds near our home actually had an active role 🙂 If interested, I will tell more in an email 🙂 Thank you for your well wishes for our home. I always support your dream too!
Oh, YES, I would love to know more about how you found your dream house, Takami. So please tell me more in an e-mail (atasteoffreedom.pt@gmail.com). I am curious and have so many questions, as I love hearing about how people come to realize their dreams. It is so exciting! I can just imagine that the many wild birds near your home played an active role, as your beautiful photographs tell such vivid stories.
what a wonderful insight into your new home….. thank you for sharing your renovation journey and am sure its a dream come true and so rewarding in many aspects. cheers to you Jolandi and your darling hubby too! Love the scale model he made for you to see the vision. Too wonderful. Loads of blessings x
nanette
Thank you so much for sending us blessings, Nanette. We can definitely do with them. Although we are enjoying the process, and find many small rewards along the way, we are also regularly bumping heads, like I’m sure everyone does, who has ever embarked on a journey like this! 🙂 And yes, it really was sweet of him to build a scale model.
Great to see the photos. It certainly illustrates the scope of the project on which you have embarked. What you have achieved so far is amazing!
My cousin built his own mud-brick house (having hand-made the bricks) on a remote property. The electricity is solar, gas is bottled. Originally the shower was a pipe on the outside of the house (no neighbours to see him).
Over the years he has also built a cabin that he rents for short-stays. The kitchen is outside, on one end of the verandah, like a barbecue/stove which is also operated by gas bottles. Camp-site cooking utensils such as a kettle and long-handled wire mesh (makes toast on open flame) are handy.
You’ll come up with all sorts of work-arounds while you accumulate the funds for the long-term. It’s going to be great!
How creative of your cousin, Gwen. Life doesn’t have to be lived in just one way, that’s for sure! It sometimes feel like things are moving slow, but when we look at the photographs, we know it is not true. I am so glad we have decided to document the journey, as one often forgets later, how all the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place one by one.
Congratulations! It looks great. This really is your own slice of heaven. I can imagine the peace and tranquility you both get when you are here. Everything worth having takes time. Navigating the rules in a different country can be frustrating, but it seems you have done it well. Thanks for sharing and enjoy!
Terri
Thank you so much, Terri. We love this place, and are looking forward to the day we can call it home. I can’t wait for us to start working on the inside of the house.
Such a marvelous journey you all are on. But how good is the internet connectivity there? 🙂
It is indeed, Richard. Well, to be quite honest, we are not entirely sure yet, as we are way too busy working, when we are there. 🙂 During our last trip, we did connect via our Smartphone, and we had no problems. The future will tell, though. For now we have too many other things on our plate, but we believe that Internet connectivity in the area is no problem.
That house came out really pretty and it looks small but comfortable. In the end one does not really a lot of space. Keeping it clean will be fast.
I completely agree, Corlia. I prefer small to big, and yes, seeing that housework is not on top of my “fun things to do” list, this is going to be a joy to keep clean.
So far I’ve only seen glimpses of it but now that you show a bit more it’s quite magnificent. I see potential too and plenty of it. 🙂 To your future home!
Thank you, Manja. We trust that, one day, it will be exactly as we dream it to be.