Topic: Refurbishing Old Buildings For Current Living ...

[GamesPoet]

This one is in Italy ...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxaUOdfnGUE

Can't imagine this was an expensive refurbishing, and it does strike me as being somewhat elegant in design, and I like many of the ideas.

[GamesPoet]

And here is another stone barn turned into a small home ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdvtRzgtjdQ

Not sure I like it as much as the previous, yet some interesting concepts, and some not what I'd do either.

[Warlord]

I haven’t clicked your links, but are these just links to episodes of Kevin McCloud’s ‘Grand Designs‘ tv show?

[GamesPoet]

Haven't seen "Grand Designs".

Both videos are of two different properties converted by Alfredo Vanotti for his own use in Italy.  One was owned by his great grandfather, the other was inherited by hos wife.  He is an architect and he converted both buildings for use as small homes.

[Jmash]

Haven't seen "Grand Designs".

Both videos are of two different properties converted by Alfredo Vanotti for his own use in Italy.  One was owned by his great grandfather, the other was inherited by hos wife.  He is an architect and he converted both buildings for use as small homes.

Grand Designs distilled is basically this;

Person/family has an ambitious 'grand design' project usually with little or no experience and way above their station, Kevin is in awe of the idea but shitcans it for all the potential pitfalls, it all starts, many unforeseen problems, at some point they run out of money and remortgage all their assets, Kevin continues to shitcan the project because of all the problems happening like he originally said, the planning authority does a u-turn and decides that things have to be built differently than the original plan, the wife/girlfriend always has a baby halfway through and they end up living in a caravan on site, Kevin get's very dubious as to whether the project will be finished because everything is behind and massively over-budget, he comes back at the end and it's all complete and oh look here's our lovely big pretentious house and Kevin loves it and never doubted it. The end.

It's really quite brilliant 

[Warlord]

I just love his voice.
I cannot watch any other country’s Grand Designs because I just love his voice.

On occasion, he comes back at the end and the project isn’t finished. Though I think that was earlier seasons, those are fairly rare now.
Usually the project will be delayed significantly due to inclement weather - because usually the projects are in the UK and weather is usually pretty crappy there.
Also usually some part of the grand design uses a less common building technique - something cutting edge ‘green‘ technique, or some traditional technique like mud and hay bale walls. And part of explaining the technique, Kevin will go offsite to a factory, or example building where it was done successfully and point out what the risks are that the current project is disregarding.

Anyway, its a great show.

[GamesPoet]

In America, we have a public broadcasting show called This Old House.  There is also an associated magazine they put out as well, although not sure it is still available, yet will look into it, and I at one time was a subscriber.

The show has been running for like 50 years or more.  Each year they pick a building to redo in the New England area, and each show shows part of the process they use to turn the building into something refreshing.

The original host was a guy named Bob Vila, and the idea that I recall his name from my younger days is a hoot, and a testament to how often I watched it in those days.  Since then there have also been two other very good hosts, but I had to look up their names ... Steve Thomas and Kevin O'Connor.  Other key members of the show over the years have been Norm Abrams and Tom Silva.

I still watch the show from time to time, and would love to buy an old place, refurbish it, and make a home of it.

[Artobans Ghost]

From a person who has lived in (194 yrsold) and refurbished old homes for a living at one time, I will never choose to buy or live in an old home ever again. Never, nada , zippo etc. I live in a 2018 home now and it’s not new enough lol.
I never want to do maintenance, repairs, alterations ever again, Never, nada, zippo etc
😺

That gig is for the young and still optimistic filled with positivism, patience and money.

This is of course only my opinion and is worthless

[GamesPoet]

Nah, it is an opinion of one who works in the industry, and that has got to count for at least a warning, and that alone is worth it.   

[Warlord]

My previous house was an old house.
It needed a LOT of work. We have since moved and have a much more modern house, with the front shell of an old house.

[Jmash]

From a person who has lived in (194 yrsold) and refurbished old homes for a living at one time, I will never choose to buy or live in an old home ever again. Never, nada , zippo etc. I live in a 2018 home now and it’s not new enough lol.
I never want to do maintenance, repairs, alterations ever again, Never, nada, zippo etc
😺

That gig is for the young and still optimistic filled with positivism, patience and money.

This is of course only my opinion and is worthless

Living in the UK, my sentiments are the exact opposite to this unfortunately... the rate of house building going on here is ridiculous, but the fact of the matter is I don't know a single person who has ever moved into a 'new-build' on one of these estates and not had a brand new house that was absolutely riddled with problems, unfinished etc. The housing companies throw them up as quickly as possible to make a quick £££ and the standard is invariably (to my knowledge) pretty poor. Every 4th house on my brothers new housing estate is 100% profit to the builders. Not to mention I spend time in and around British building sites as part of my work and the number of blokes in hi-vis vests sat around doing nothing in the middle of the day is a telling story. Just my observations at least.

We moved into a house built in the 1930's, did some work internally which was mainly getting rid of the old occupier's strange ideas of 'taste' and putting it back to some form of normality, but we have also encountered certain other inherent quirks of the house from time to time. All part of the fun though right?

Also on an unrelated note - Gandhi once visited our little Lancashire town and actually stayed in the house next door to us - it has a commemorative blue placard on the outside (a UK thing to record historic interest etc.). 

[GamesPoet]

I dream of having two homes.

Some sort of gigantic place, old New England, maybe with a barn, maybe a Victorian era building, something old fashioned and fancy, and has a huge kitchen, plus a place to dance.

The other would be some sort of place in Europe, northern Italy would be special, maybe southern France and I'd even consider a cottage in England, except that first choice, well heck, that's how I started the thread.

However, only dreams at this point.  Goals first, then we'll see what happens.

[Jmash]

I dream of having two homes.

Some sort of gigantic place, old New England, maybe with a barn, maybe a Victorian era building, something old fashioned and fancy, and has a huge kitchen, plus a place to dance.

The other would be some sort of place in Europe, northern Italy would be special, maybe southern France and I'd even consider a cottage in England, except that first choice, well heck, that's how I started the thread.

However, only dreams at this point.  Goals first, then we'll see what happens.

I've heard stories of lots of properly old little towns, villages and hamlets on the continent, Italy mainly I think, that are selling houses for as little as £1! The only condition is that you need to actually live in it, they encourage people to bring their whole extended families into these towns. It's because a lot of these little old places have no attraction for the younger generations who go off to the big cities etc. and leave these lovely old historic places to dies off. They want to restore the communities and get people back living there with families, give them new life.

You'd be a damn sight better off over there, nobody in the UK can afford to buy a lovely old cottage anymore, not even when you were born and raised on the same street. Because our historic villages in beauty spots like the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales etc. are so popular for tourism, all the property gets bought up as second homes and holiday lets, the locals can't afford to live in their own towns anymore. It's really a very sad story.

[GamesPoet]

Yep, Italy (northern half or there abouts)  is definitely my first choice.

[GamesPoet]

This looks wonderful after having been redone ...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhhQs92oE5c

The music is Max Richter's "On The Nature of Daylight", and awesome piece well worth listening to along the way.

[Warlord]

I've heard stories of lots of properly old little towns, villages and hamlets on the continent, Italy mainly I think, that are selling houses for as little as £1! The only condition is that you need to actually live in it, they encourage people to bring their whole extended families into these towns. It's because a lot of these little old places have no attraction for the younger generations who go off to the big cities etc. and leave these lovely old historic places to dies off. They want to restore the communities and get people back living there with families, give them new life.

You'd be a damn sight better off over there, nobody in the UK can afford to buy a lovely old cottage anymore, not even when you were born and raised on the same street. Because our historic villages in beauty spots like the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales etc. are so popular for tourism, all the property gets bought up as second homes and holiday lets, the locals can't afford to live in their own towns anymore. It's really a very sad story.

Its an interesting idea. I guess the challenge would be how can you make money while being that secluded and perhaps don’t speak the language.

[GamesPoet]

My sense is that initially I'd use it for a vacation home, and rent it out to others.  Because I live in the States, I'd need to find a property management company that could see to it that the place was prepared for anyone renting.  Even in retirement, although the amount of time I'd spend at such a place would increase, I'd still probably rent it out for others to use as a base for their vacations.

[Warlord]

So basically AirBNB.

I think thats what they don’t want though. Not just people visiting, but new permanent additiona to their villages.

[GamesPoet]

Well, once I hit retirement, a good ways off yet, I'd be living there more often than just a vaca.  Northern Italy is gorgeous, close to southern France, Switerland, Austria.  It is one of those things that is just a dream at the moment, goals first, and then if time doesn't change my view, perhaps.

[Warlord]

It is. I got married there.
Been to Italy 3 times and every time its wonderful.

[GamesPoet]

I think it would be neat to have an apartment in Venice, and this one does look good and been refurbished, yet seems a bit small.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDd8mgsOHzY

Plus, I'm thinking with all that water around it, I wonder how easy it would really be to get to other places beyond Venice.  If  I recall there is a bridge at one place that allows for travel to the continent, although wondering about the practicality of such a location.  Seems I might enjoy being on the main land and traveling into Venice from time to time more.

[Artobans Ghost]

This one is in Italy ...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxaUOdfnGUE

Can't imagine this was an expensive refurbishing, and it does strike me as being somewhat elegant in design, and I like many of the ideas.

I spent a day in Venice. Came in by train and left by train. That one bridge.
That apartment looks awesome.

[GamesPoet]

Ah, so the bridge ain't for cars, just trains?

[Warlord]

Bridge is for cars motorcycles and trains. Its much cheaper not living in Venice city but on the mainland. Apartments will all be very small because its Venice and you aren’t a millionaire.

Its Beautiful though. My favourite city in the world. No other place like it. Only been there twice Would live there if there was work that allowed such. Looked at apartment prices 10 years ago, and they were not too badly priced, but I’m used to Sydney prices (Top 10 in the world) and there would be no modern conveniences. In theory you can WFH anywhere, but Venice is just pure tourism nowadays. Real business is done elsewhere in Italy like Milan, Turin or Rome.

[GamesPoet]

I hear ya on beauty.  I watch a couple of the "I Love Venice" videos on youtube from time to time.  Usually the ones with classical music playing in the background while I work, and catching some of the moments when the light hits off the water and the buildings.  Lovely place, and looking forward to spending some time there at some point.