Home Immigration Should We Knock It Down and START AGAIN? – ASK #008

Should We Knock It Down and START AGAIN? – ASK #008

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Should We Knock It Down and START AGAIN? – ASK #008

We’ve done a lot of work to our abandoned Portuguese farm house over the last 18 months. We’ve had to rip down walls, dig up floors, remove wood-worm infested timber, deal with damp and moisture issues, replace lintels, fix holes in the floor, make new holes in the walls and do a whole lot of manual labour. Wouldn’t it just be better, faster, easier and cheaper to just knock it all down and start again with a blank canvas?

Let’s address all those points and explain why that is NOT the route we would choose to take in this case. We’ll also share our thoughts on what we think COULD be the cheapest and easiest way for someone else to build their dream home in Portugal.

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38 COMMENTS

  1. A suggestion. Keep kitchen going round the room and place the pole in the middle of a rustic table with a lazy Susan round the pole. Gives bigger kitchen and potentially bigger table.

  2. The square holes in the wall are for scaffolding. The construction method is common for stone houses. You will find the height of the holes are parallel to the floor and each hole will have a corresponding hole.

  3. The logic behind the demolish license requirement is the same as requiring one to build – you need to show that what you are going to do doesn’t affect others or infrastructure…. the problem is that the bureaucratic process is slow. In your case, however, you might not need a license to demolish your outbuildings, because it should fall under the category "Obras de escassa relevância urbanística" – you might however need to inform about it.
    For you to build a new house on a terrain that is classified for agriculture use, that terrain would need have at least 1 hectare – in some municipalities they might have a smaller minimum, but not much less. So it’s not as easy as buying a small plot. And the maximum footprint for the all project would also be tied to the terrain area since there is usually a maximum "ground impermeabilization index".

  4. The number of times i've heard, 'why don't you just knock it down', like it's nothing, great to hear you say NO. I do that as well, knock it down and start again is for people with very little imagination, and where with all, and tons of money and/or a good line of credit. Oh yes, and no aesthetic sense, or sense of the waste. Just do it up, i'll enjoy watching.

  5. Each time I hear someone saying this about a historical building, my blood boils. It's about history, about what we are receiving from our ancestors and what we leave behind. And no, rebuilding something with the same architectural value would so not be cheaper, it would be more expensive.

  6. I love all the perks of the old house! You are doing a great job.
    I'm sure everything is thought trough, but have you thought about switching things around and put the counter top with the stove on the left wall (making kind of a continuous U shaped counter) and do the tall units along the right wall?

  7. here in america they always tear down and just rebuild…..we have lost SO MUCH unfortunately. love that your tying to retain as much as possible of the old. watching your channel because YOU ARE saving the old.

  8. I went through what you are now doing over 40 years ago now in the Algarve .Yes the result is old and charming and everyone loves it .But many times in the subsequent 30 years of continuous maintenance costs ,care and attention to the traditional and original construction I have cursed it and thought I should have flattened the original ruin and built an exact replica incorporating all its charm and original features but eliminating all the drawbacks with modern construction techniques .Like a damp course for starters!
    Now the time has long passed .And the whole regulatory frame work for building work now in place didn’t really exist then .And costs were then minimal compared with now .So it will see me out and it is now just part of my history and life. .Would I do it again in todays context ? Probably not !

  9. May I suggest dont put a waterfall bench top on the cabinets with the pole have it overhang over the edge so the pole is the only thing standing in front and the cabinets sort of dissapear underneath front view on, if you know what I mean

  10. Some humans are compelled to spend redoing the work of previous generations in so many different ways. I love old peasant houses even the tacky stuff talks so much of a different time and enterprise. Thanks for sharing.

  11. To bring the colour of the wood and the wood it`s self back to a natural state. Use OXALIC ACID 99.6% spray it onto the wood leave for an Hour and wash it of and you will reveal the nice new wood under all the webs and dust

  12. If you really want that pole in the middle of the kitchen, I would have reinforced the ceiling, taken out the pole, shorten it and, put it back once the floor tiles are in place. Like that I would have choices to keep it or remove it at any stage. The facade will keep most of the original style. The inside will probably be a mix. The new kitchen layout is modern.

  13. Planning a kitchen is pretty individual, but I have got a few thoughts on the scetch considering the dish washer. Don't stuff it in the corner. Opening it there will cause conflicts with the neighboring door. Rather place it next to the sink, with place for cabinets towards the corner. Spices and condiments I find useful next to the range. I'll take advantage and tell you guys how much I love this great post and the stone it rests on. Wish we had something like it in our abandoned sandstone farm in Germany. Hope to see lots more, keep on working, love Alke

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