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Mud Brick House with huge plot (for rent) This house is made of mud brick and red brick construction and has two good sized rooms downstairs with a pantry and then two rooms upstairs and a large hallway, which will be converted to a bathroom. The stairs are external but should be easier to enclose. There is also a separate concrete construction opposite the house which could be turned into guest accommodation as it is a large room with a fireplace. There are some tumbling down barns to the side of the house and a huge plot of land, currently rather over grown. This is the same village as my second property . This property cost me around 7,000 Euros to purchase and will need thousands spending on it to bring it up to Western standards. Update: I visited this property with the architect and structural engineers but have decided not to do any further work until we move out there and can over see renovations. Once point that did crop us was that as the back of the house is flush with the boundary of the property, it is technically under new regulations illegal and although this will not cause me any problems as the house has been there for a fair while, if I was to go for full planning permission to extend or alter it structurally it would be a long process. This will be my next project when others finished. February 2007: Just in the process of having a quote prepared for this to turn it into a bedroomed house with shower room upstairs and kitchen and small lounge and toilet downstairs. Will be plastered on outside. Will leave external stairs as they area. Will turn separate little structure into another small apartment with bedroom/lounge and wet room and kitchenette. May 2007: Had initial quote to covert this into nice 2 bedroom house with separate guest annex but came to around 30,000 Euros so have trimmed down what I want doing and will aim to do much of the decorating work and garden clearing and tidying myself. Waiting revised quote. June 2007: Original builder never got back to me after contract sent to him and so employed builders who have finished my new house and who are very good. July 2007: Got quote and comes in at around 37,000 Euros. Was originally only going to spend around 15,000 to 20,000 Euros on this property but think it is better to spend the money and get it done well. Builders started work within day or signing contract and receiving first instalment. Progressing well with old crumbling barns knocked down already, internal plaster off and wiring and plumbing done within a week or two.
August 2007: Renovations are progressing well. Plastering has started outside and the internal plaster is done. Bathrooms ready for tiling and appliances to be fitted. New windows in upstairs. New wall being built for bathroom for guest annex as old building not in good structural condition, so internal new supporting wall being built. Septic tank in, boundary walls repaired. Damp work carried out on ground floor.
September 2007: Bathrooms and floors tiled and external plastering finished. Coming on well. October 2007: Wooden ceilings cleaned and gaps filled with dark brown silicone to stop dust falling through from upstairs. Look fantastic. All new windows in and new entrance door. November 2007: Internal doors all fitted - plain white wood doors. Little jobs progressing such as skirting boards, door thresholds etc. Lights all chosen as well as bathroom accessories. Some damp still coming through old flat roof on additional building - further coats of damp proofing and bitumen applied. Kamak (stones) placed along bottom of external walls and gravel parking space made outside house. December 2007: House more or less finished and kitchen being fitted.
February 2008: Kitchen now fitted and cook, aspirator and fridge/freezer all in place. Beds ordered but not got round to other furniture yet or getting curtains made. Still few bits and pieces to do - small areas of kamak stone have fallen off due to very cold weather and water, had window ledges tiled in additional building as paint kept coming off due to condensation. But should be ready for summer season. March 2008: All furniture now bought and delivered and have stencilled around walls of all bedrooms. Kamak has been replaced where it had fallen off but currently have builders trying to figure out why lights upstairs do not work. With any luck will be available to rent by end of April. April 2008: House basically finished and I am just working on garden. Plot has been cleared and levelled and grass seed sown. Summer 2008: Grass growing fairly well except for few patches that had to be re-seeded. Had first guests! June 2009: The house did not winter well and several taps have cracked and needed replacing. There is some damp and plasterwork needed in the annex and a little bit in the main house. A leak has sprung for the upstairs bathroom coming through ceiling into downstairs toilet. This work is now being carried out. September 2009: Most of repairs done and ready for long term let over winter. March 2010: A few problems have arisen over winter, a couple of cracked taps and the odd pipe that needs replacing under sinks etc and one boiler switch is not working. Available to rent long term for 250 Euros/mth for whole house, including 1500sqm plot next door, insurance and annual taxes and wood. Would make an ideal B&B if anyone is interested in developing a little business along these lines. And maybe a small campsite. I would happily work along side any tenant to do the marketing and promotion for such a venture and would be open to maybe splitting rental income in return for a lower monthly rent (say 200E/mth). Contact me to discuss this option further. Would be looking to start rent sometime over summer, preferably mid June time. For more details visit http://www.therentalbug.com
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new bathroom 
Lovely restored wooden beamed ceilings 
