Cal and Claire had never thought of completely renovating a massive place until they bought a crumbling old mansion by mistake. After much deliberation, they decided to take on the challenge of refurbishing the house. Let's take a look at their full DIY journey!
Cal and Claire meet in the Alps, quickly fall in love and start thinking seriously about their future. Then having a new home together became their main goal. After weeks of research, they stumbled upon an apartment in Glasgow that they knew would be their dream home. However, they would soon discover that they had made a big mistake.
Unbeknownst to the couple, their dream house had already been sold, and they were bidding on an old villa on the Cowal peninsula. Though the result certainly shocked the two, they thought it could have a lot of potential after looking at the photos of the century-old building. But when they entered the mansion, they realized how childish they'd been.
As soon as they entered the villa, their dream of having a great time in the backyard was gone. Weeds grew unrestrainedly in the garden, trapping the house inside, part of the front wall and roof had already collapsed, and the entire building was shattered and abandoned.
The two were shocked by the dilapidated house and yard: why was it so different from what they had seen in the photo? In fact, the picture they saw after the auction was taken more than 8 years ago, which was a long enough time to completely change the look of the house. Would it be better inside? They still clung to a glimmer of hope.
Much to their disappointment, the inside was even worse than the outside: parts of the walls had crumbled to dust, broken furniture lay scattered everywhere, the ceiling was full of gaping holes, and dripping water had eroded the floor. Rebuilding a house seemed the best way out, but Cal and Claire decided to take on the nearly impossible task of a complete renovation.
Carl and Claire's first task was to remove slats and bricks from the roof and chimney and then cover the roof with plastic. After a seven-week wait, they were finally able to replace the roof tiles. Then it was time to decorate the interior of the house.
The next difficult task was to remodel the windows. After many years with no maintenance, the surrounding masonry had begun to fall off, cracks had appeared in the lintels and mullions between the floors, and the windows had nearly collapsed. The two had to secure the mullions with wooden frames, remove each window, and replace them with new ones.
Their next task was to clean up buckets of broken plaster and chipped wood, dragging pieces of decayed wood from the walls and floors and replacing them with new slats. After everything had been flattened, it was time to repaint. Claire enjoyed the process and always had fun during the seemingly boring renovation.
The couple were not alone in taking on this daunting task but rather had unlimited support and help from their incredible friends and family. With this combined effort, the drainage system was removed, the weeds in the yard were removed, and the red gravel in the doorway was washed to look like new. Everything was gradually coming together.
Now let's see how far they've got.
This bathroom was the first room that was renovated. Wooden cabinets, copper washbasins, carefully placed greenery, and patios that bring in natural light all give a rustic feel and create a relaxed atmosphere in the rooms.
The second bathroom is nothing like the first. The dark green ceramic wall, black bath crock, and silver faucet give a sense of solemnness and nobility. Altogether it seemed to fit in with the ethos of the old mansion.
This open area became Cal and Claire's workplace, where they spent most of their time planning their next move. Claire especially liked sitting on their new wooden chair on sunny afternoons, feeling surrounded by nature.
Finally, they installed their favorite little fireplace in the living room and decorated it with strings of star lights. They would sit by the fire during breaks and turn on the music. In the soft glow of the fire and the star lights, they kept each other company, whispering to each other now and then.
The house has begun to take shape after 3 years of renovation, but Cal and Claire know there is still a long way to go to reach their goals. They still look forward to the day when their new home is finished, and they appreciate the time they've spent working together with family and friends.
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