ohmydaysohmydaysohmydays A NEW HOUSE

[reservoirdawg]

It's not new, it's seven hours away from home, it'd be a second home boohiss until we retire, it needs a lot of work. It's been on the market for a year and has no kitchen. It's so remote we'd need a starlink to be able to work or call an ambulance.
I have the visual equivalent of a tin ear when it comes to decorating and I'm so excited I could cry (I did cry when we visited)

I share your love for wooden floors too OP but thick carpets are going down in my new place this coming autumn.

Me too, also sorry!

I am 55! However I collected and stacked a pallet of logs today and built a bed.

Are you getting a log burning stove then?

@JimLaheysWhiskeyBottle
Amazingly the two mile access route is owned by the Scottish water and they need constant access to check the water quality. In reality that means they come up 3 times a week so I shouldn’t be stranded for too long, too often! There’s also a petrol generator and once I’m here I don’t need petrol for the car, there’s an electric charger which is just as well as a round trip to the nearest shop is 40 miles!

Very sweet story. Last year I had to clear out a very very dear relative’s house. It was heartbreaking, and I looked into removing and bringing to London his new wood burning stove- he was very proud of it, a Charlbury made in the Isle of Wight where he lived. One of his last messages to me was, “I’m going to spend the winter in front of the fire reading”
It wasn’t practical and I was relieved when the new owners were enthusiastic about it, they’re changing everything else.
BOTH stoves here are Charlbury’s.

That is sweet. Wonderful stuff!

I love this thread and hope for more updates @reservoirdawg I live vicariously through several insta reno accounts so why not on MN too!

To echo PPs, im not sure I could be so remote in reality but it absolutely does sound dreamy and cosy!

Loving the updates so far and glad I've found this thread. I love old houses getting some much needed TLC. It's very clear how much you love this house. Very pleased for you!

I grew up in an old stone cottage in the Scottish Borders. We had similar tiles to these - they are beautiful although require some maintenance. I remember my dad spending a long time treating them, having to rub in what was like a wax with a cloth iirc then we couldn't walk on it for a bit. What I will say is those times are FREEZING in winter! 🥶

I can’t imagine ever going barefoot here! @SometimesButNotAlways definitely slippers if not walking boots all the time

Just stumbled upon this thread and WOW I'm jealous! What a beautiful house and stunning location. Such an exciting project.

Slightly taken aback by the mean comments but good on you OP for dealing with them brilliantly 😃.

Keep posting!

I live in a cold place... I won't have carpets, unless maybe bedrooms and would definitely not have tiles or stone (unless there was underfloor heating....).

We have a mix of laminate and linoleum (I think that's right - the plastic flooring) depending on where. The laminate looks better, the linoleum is great for being able to wet and wash easily without worrying about water damage.

@RenovationRenovationRenovation ooo…
Builder came round today to collect keys and check moisture. First job is to remove ceiling in the kitchen and remove damp plaster and replaster the whole room. I mentioned flooring and how we should do that before the kitchen is fitted (currently dismantled in a garage an hour away)
He 100% definitely says no terrazzo, tiles or flagstones. Vinyl only- the floors aren’t good enough and would ‘give’ cracking anything rigid. Renovating or replacing the floorboards is a non starter too so it’ll be vinyl or laminate, linoleum. So my tutti frutti terrazzo might be back in the running- I can’t imagine a soft flagstone.

I moved 2.5 years ago & still have boxes of stuff in the sheds, some day I'll get around to organising & disposing of stuff there.

Awaiting my extension of bigger kitchen & utility so some things will be in use again like dishwasher & spare kitchen cupboards etc

@Happierwithouthim I’m definitely aiming for efficient ‘holiday home equipped’ rather than equipped for every eventuality like the chaos which is my main house. It’s a fine line though- the remoteness means that there’s no popping out for essentials.
I left today 😢
Switching off the water at the stopcock, it’s still 1 degree at night, setting the humidifier, emptying the kitchen ready for new ceiling and plastering and setting up a camera.

I’m not there for 10 days but the kitchen ceiling and much of the walls are down. The second pic is of an idea for the flooring. Any recommendations for Kardene or Amtico or other LVT flooring?

This is so exciting!

@RenovationRenovationRenovation
you mentioned upthread living in a cold place and having vinyl/ linoleum- any pics and recommendations?

Do you definitely not want carpets?

I can send photos if you want, but it won’t really help. They were here when I moved and weren’t something I’d ever considered before. Now that I’ve lived with them, I will definitely be having the same when I replace the flooring, but more modern looking.

We moved from central England, living in a town centre to rural north east Scotland. We are high up and experience harsh winters. We are very rural but not as remote as you as the major a road is about 5 miles away so we get deliveries from Asda or Tesco.
We are doing renovations, building on previous owners. Lots of the floors are concrete to deal with the previous wood worm damage etc. It creates a flat base at least. We have limestone tiles in utility but other floors are laminate wood style. Laminate has come along way.
Insulate insulate insulate. Walls and floors. We have half the house insulated now but still wearing thermals at the moment. The rooms not insulated are miserable in winter.

It’s amazing even in the rain and cold. There is a beauty about the rain or mist in the countryside it doesn’t feel bleak like it might in a town.

Deer. Hare. Pheasants. Hawks. I see those on a daily basis. It is amazing.

Looking forward to the renovation pics op

Carpets in bedroom- they’re fine and no rush to trade them. But the hall and kitchen I originally wanted ceramic but the floors aren’t good enough, and have to be vinyl. And the sitting room…
I like the idea of the same throughout sitting room hall and kitchen.
Hall kitchen and sitting room are currently not great condition wood with random nails and grip sticks.

It sounds wonderful. That’s what I always wanted but will have to live my life vicariously through you and Reservoirdawg!