Might be interesting ?

HAH

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
We love it, looking forward to this. You can play Grand Designs bingo too -
Will they:
Say repeatedly it’s the husband’s ‘dream’, while the wife stays suspiciously quiet?
Discover they’re pregnant at the beginning (surprise!) and have their baby half way through?
Live in a caravan for significantly longer than planned?
Be a bit vague on budget?
Somehow find the extra money through clearly questionable financial shenanigans?
Visibly age 10 years over 2 years?
Have a summing up piece to camera where Kevin says how bold/ambitious/unrealistic the plan was, but ultimately {insert positive comment here}?
 
Boogie

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
My brother and his wife lived in a caravan for years while they built their farmhouse. They had both babies in the caravan. My eldest niece was 5 when they eventually moved into the house!

They have built two further houses since - all three from old barns which were just shells before they started.

I think it’s addictive!

Here are the houses, this was the same neice’s 40th birthday, we bought her a balloon ride. It’s the only photo I could find of their houses. 🙂


C6B77E1E-0E60-4D79-8831-5BC8B9F09ADA.jpeg
 
kateincornwall

kateincornwall

Location
Cornwall , UK
When we first moved to France in 1996 , we had sold a successful business , I had to stay to finalise the legals , Paul was sent ahead to find us a place to rent for a while . He rang me from the ferry on his way back to collect me, pets and all our wordly goods , saying ` Now dont be cross but I`ve bought a house and honestly , it will be wonderful when its renovated ` . The house had not been lived in for over 80 years , no electricity , toilet down the garden, no bathroom and earth floors downstairs . Oh we did have fun :facepalm: I soon learned how to plaster walls , skim concrete floors plus being a plumbers mate . The only professional help we had was the electrician , it took us two years to finish the house but it did give a sense of achievement xx
 
kateincornwall

kateincornwall

Location
Cornwall , UK
Shaz82 said:
That's quite romantic Kate, having a house bought for you, not all the skimming and plastering obviously :giggl:
Click to expand...
There was nothing romantic about it , I can vouch for that :rofl: I remember with great clarity the feelings of horror that ran through my veins when I first saw my new home ! We did have some fun times renovating , some not such fun as I recall . The worst one being when Paul ordered a massive amount of concrete for the ground floor , we had previously spent weeks digging the earth out and laying a steel mesh . He said it was quick setting stuff and ordered me and the dogs upstairs for the morning, only it wasnt quick setting at all , we were marooned in a bedroom all day and evening . A rope was thrown up for me to catch and returned with a bucket in it ( toilet ) , and then the small dog lowered down as he was busting for a wee . I had the option of a ladder but am terrified of heights :facepalm: Larger dog was sent down wrapped in a duvet but that still left me up there whilst he had the nerve to wave to me with the dogs from the bar over the road :punch: It actually made the local newspaper which was awful at the time but funny later, as things often are :rofl:
 
kateincornwall

kateincornwall

Location
Cornwall , UK
OK you win x Three years after arriving in France , our home looking wonderful , I was idling the time away looking through a magazine brought over by some English visitors , The Lady , not my cup of tea really but I was bored . Right at the back was an ad from an American couple asking for a man and wife team to be caretaker/managers of the chateau they had just bought in the Loire Valley , so I wrote off to the Post Box address . Criteria were pretty simple , man to do odd jobs, very light duties and wife must speak French and able to do the books as they were about to embark on an upmarket B&B enterprise but could not stay in France themselves , just pay visits , accommodation provided alongside a handsome salary . I didnt even bother telling Paul , so I was amazed when I had a phone call to invite us meet the owners over for a visit , for an interview . Cut to the chase, we got the job , to start in a few months time so we sold our house and moved into the most fabulous cottage in the grounds of the chateau ( Chateau Bournand near Chinon ) .
Paul was tasked to paint the gorgeous kitchen which had the most enormous fireplace I have ever seen in my life and, it being winter , he lit the fire and stacked up the logs . I was in our cottage close by when I heard Charles, our gardener shouting Madame Kate , Madame Kate ! I ran out to see flames coming out of the kitchen chimney , dirty great big flames they were too , making a roaring noise and before I could stop him , Charles opened the kitchen door , no doubt thinking he was about to save his boss , there was a back draft , just horrendous but there was Paul with his bloody headphones on, listening to Meatloaf and oblivious of the chaos . Charles rang the Sappier Pompier ( firemen ) who arrived at the chateau gates like something off Trumpton , Hugh , Pugh Barney Mcgrew etc . They soon had the fire out without too much mess although the decorating had proved a useless waste of time , then had to travel along the rooms in the lofts and attics as some of the beams were a tad warm.. All the time I am imagining the phone call to New York , ` err , at least your insurance is covering the damage ` going down that sort of track in my head :facepalm: But alls well that ends well , the firemen stayed for quite a few drinks , most of them were from the village , some went home and fetched their wives , we had a barbeque ( ironic really , fire again ) and made a night of it whilst they waited to see if the ancient beams were out of danger . Two weeks into the job eh ? Just one of my head full of stories of life with Paul , never ever boring xxx
 
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