Heavy machinery and a warm shower at abandoned farm in Portugal - EP24

No time to rest at our Portugal restoration project as we get our feet down on the farm and begin to live on it for real. That means getting accustomed to new routines and finding places for everything that was previously safely off-site. Whilst the concepts of renovating a long-abandoned house and the off-grid lifestyle in Portugal are great, for the newcomers there's the small matter of keeping clean without a normal bathroom.

The initial answer is an outdoor solar shower so we dig and prepare a base, and a privacy screen, even though it's a very secluded site. The kitchen also needs some more work, but the big deal is getting some heavy machinery on site to re-shape the top area, prepare the driveway parking and dig a deep enough trench for the main water supply to the house area.

We also take some time to reflect and share some our our thoughts since we made the big step to move in.

Thanks for coming along with us. We hope you enjoy what we produce and will come along with us, or maybe even be inspired to do something for yourselves.

#renovationprojects #offgrid #portugal #houserenovation #abandonedhouse #diy #expat #retirement #sustainableliving #quinta #activeretirement #slowrenovation

About us
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We are Jane and Phil, and this is part of our big adventure in central Portugal. We are both in our sixties, semi-retired townies with a bit of renovation experience behind us, but nothing on this scale. This is a new chapter, in a new landscape and culture, and with many open questions. Splitting our time between the UK and Portugal under post-Brexit regulations, we are exploring the options for long-term settlement or a dual-location lifestyle where we might find the best of both worlds.

About the Quinta
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We are breathing new life into a small, long-abandoned farm of about 2 acres (8,000 sq metres), on a gentle slope, with multiple buildings, loads of olive, fruit, oaks, pines and other trees, a stream, a well, and masses of potential.

The plan
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This project is what we are calling 'slow renovation' where the journey and the experiences are as important as the finished article. It also stands as an example of 'active retirement' whilst we have the energy and health to make it work. We will go off-grid where possible and aim to create a fabulous single-storey home that is future-proof for people of our age and will welcome friends and family. It should also retain original content wherever possible, embrace local methods and materials, and sit comfortably within the local environment. Of course, there is also the local community, food, wine, facilities and culture to dive into!

Thanks for visiting Hotkeys Portugal.

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