Although it still feels as if we are on a very extended holiday here in Andalucia, and will be returning to Istria and our stone house, we’re going to soon realise that this is not the case. We actually completed on the Spanish house in October, but have only visited it three or four times since. So much work needs doing to it, to make it habitable, that we’ve been renting a lovely apartment in a coastal town called Sanlucar de Barrameda, some 130kms to the west. We’ve become very fond of this apartment and with the introduction of some of our furnishings and accessories from storage, it has really started to feel like home. So much so, that our “real” home, seems like something that really belongs to someone else, and we just imagine what it could be like if it was ours.
Well, we need to get our heads around the fact that it is ours. No-one elses. Ours. And, we need to do that pretty quickly, as the plans have been drawn up and we have a meeting with the builders next week to sign everything off and get the work started! It seems like no time since we were packing up in Istria, but here we are, ready to throw ourselves back into another renovation. This one will be very different to the last one. We did use builders in Istria, but due to the nature of the way things work out there, we relied largely on locals who were able to work with us when they were available and so up until the last guy we worked with, who was super reliable, things tended to drift and most jobs took ages to complete. This time, we are working with a family firm, who live very near to our house and who are a professional outfit, not talented odd-jobbers. Their work is renovation, from the drawing up of plans to the final fittings and finishes. We’ve spent the last couple of months meeting up, emailing, sending ideas and suggestions backwards and forwards and finally having plans drawn up and an very comprehensive quote and detailed schedule of works delivered. It really, really does feel very real now!
A lot of the initial work will involve the removal of internal plaster on walls, demolishing a number of walls, leveling floors, applying damp proof membranes, re-plastering, installing a whole new electrical system, plumbing etc etc. The only work which will be outsourced will be the doors and windows, and the removal of the roof terrace cover which has traces of asbestos. So, we are delighted that we have been able to extend our stay in Sanlucar, in the apartment, to the beginning of April, with the possibility of extending further if needed. This gives us real peace of mind, as we’ll have somewhere comfortable to live and work in, whilst the dirty demolition work is progressing.
the plans
Currently, the house has a very traditional Spanish townhouse layout. It is double-fronted – although currently, looking very tired and worn, and not at all elegant – with what will eventually be a very majestic double, wooden front doors, with elaborate panels and carvings. Once through these doors, there is a small porch, then through another set of double doors, two living rooms, one to the right and one to the left. Beyond this, through a beautiful arch, is what was once a dining room, then through to a kitchen, and off the dining room, the stairs to one side and to the other, two further rooms. It’s all quite disjointed and the current layout would just not suit how we want to live, as rooms would be underused. So, the decision has been made to take out key internal walls, to create a big open plan space – but keeping one of the living rooms to the front of the intact, so that we will still have the option of a cosy, closed off room, when we want it. For posterity, as it will be interesting to see how these plans work in reality, these are our initial ideas for the ground and first floor…
Already, things have changed, since we submitted our initial ideas to the builder, but we guess that’s how this renovation will go. We’ll have an overview of how we see things, but will be flexible and be prepared to reconsider decisions. We’ll ultimately do whatever it takes, to realise our dream Andalucian town house. And with the initial plans in place, we are step closer…