I’m a Canadian who I bought an abandoned stone barn alone in Central Portugal back in September 2020 for €13,750. I moved onto the land about six months later and ever since then I’ve been working on converting the barn into a tiny house, doing almost all of the work myself. I’ve spent a lot of time working on off grid stuff like solar and water and I’ve also been focused on making the barn cosy enough to live in.
But there are loads of things to do on the land and this video goes through my mane plans! The land is 1,800 square metres (half an acre) which is small for these parts, but it still manages to keep me busy. I have lots of ideas for the land including a composting toilet, a splash pool, a workshop, a greenhouse, chickens, and a cool hangout spot next to my house which will include a long overdue tool shed.
Have a watch of this video to see what my plans are for my little piece of off grid paradise here in Central Portugal. I’m very open to ideas so please feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you think! Progress is slow because I’m doing all of the work myself and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed… but for me, the process is the whole point and I’m loving it!
Thanks for watching, please consider subscribing if you haven’t already! 🙂
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If you like my stuff and want to make a contribution, check out my Paypal details below. Also, I post regular updates on Instagram and Facebook so those links are below in case you want to follow me there.
Paypal: https://paypal.me/travoholic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portugalfromscratch/
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You can also check out my website for photos and stories from of some of the early days in Portugal and on my off grid land: http://www.portugalfromscratch.com
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00:00 Welcome!
02:08 A Map of the Land
02:53 4th Terrace – The Food Forest
04:40 A Chat About Water
06:10 3rd Terrace – The Unknown Terrace
10:43 2nd Terrace – The Garden
13:47 Mini Terrace – The Splash Pool & Hangout Space
20:10 Top Terrace – The House
37:26 Thanks for Watching, Happy New Year!
48 Comments
Happy New Year Kirsty, best wishes for all you want to achieve in the New Year and look forward to seeing it all unfold
Oh I’m excited for you can’t wait for you start the tool shed
Loved how you said about not taking advice 🤣😂🤣
Have a wonderful new year
Thank you for sharing 😁
Happy new year. Glad we found your channel in 2022. Looking forward to seeing your wonderful ideas come to fruition. I love love that splash pool/hangout area for the summer time. That jasmine vine is vigorous, I love how it is climbing up that trellis. Can’t wait to see the patio progress. I love all your ideas. Try to draw out your outdoor kitchen/tool shed area. You have wonderful ideas. Great job!!!
My gran had a fantastic orchard in Africa, she said the trick is to keep the weeds away from the tree trunks etc. Otherwise they steal all the nutrients and water
Not sure if trumpet vine or wisteria would do well on the pergola?
Where in Portugal are you? I was wondering if you could not send out a plea for some help with moving things around on your terrace so that you can get the frame work done so that you can try and erect the the tool shed before spring? You will be able to have a clear house and a tool shed to do future projects in . Clear and organised home is the future for a clear mind.
Great ideas have a vary happy new year an many blessing on your up coming tasks an bringing us along stay safe an well 👀👍
Good luck with all your building in the new year Best wishes for a healthy happy coming year.
I love the piece of earth that you are shepherding in this small moment in time.
So many gifts that that it is giving you.
Feliz Ano de 2023 para si e para seus projetos.
I think some stone tables and stone seating under trees on those terraces, perhaps on your rock plateau near parking area? Also cherry trees 🍒🍒 Re chickens near a stream is good for them to have constant running water, like 'Farmer For Fun's chickens. Also perhaps an extended roof covered terrace like The Indie Projects at the front of the house where you can sit under the shade.
Couldn’t you put a lean to on the side of the house it would give you quite a bit of covered space for your tools
Well, I think it's gonna be a ton of fun building a work shed. I wanted to have fun building a raised bed garden, but the cost of lumber is sky high✈. So I decided to go with grow bags. Apparently they are good to use. I will source some hopefully free pallets and set the bags on those. I was still depressed, so I got myself a pressure canner. It helped a bit. I am also going to get into fermenting as well. I think you need a shade/rain protection at the front and a nice patio/outdoor multi use shaded area on the side. Even in N.S. we are getting high heat warnings in the summer. We also thus far have had some dustings of snow, but temps are warmer and we have gotten mostly rain. The next 2 weeks the forecast is above 0 with some rain and mixed. Climate change, eh? Sorry, I'm 🇨🇦, LOL. I wish you all the best for the up coming year. 🙂👍👍🇨🇦🥂
Happy New Year!
2023 will be great!
Jeez, busy beee
I just love to watch your journey. Your plans are drawings are so well thought out. Take it one day at a time and you will reach your vision. All the best in 2023.
Rome wasn't built in a day, it's going to be awesome 😃 🤩
Love watching your videos and seeing what you get up to. Just wanted to wish you a Happy New year and look forward to seeing more videos in 2023.
A lot of Information but sounds good. I can imagine it. Jasmin smells great and grapes yummie. Your home will look great, day after day a little more. So sad with the Avocado tree😔.I wish you a Happy New Year and that your dreams came true👍🪷🌸🌺🌻🍇🍊🍋🍎🌶🐈⬛🥂
So many great ideas and plans! You also have lots of skills to use to bring great results. I have really enjoyed you vlog! I send my best wishes for a Happy and prosperous 2023! Thank you for the inspiration you provide to is!
Happy New Year dear, in your wonderful life. Lookin'good. Cheers!
Really interesting tour and manifesting your plans . Maybe Grenadilla (passion fruit) as a pergola vine? Happy Hogmanay to you & Mikey
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Beautiful
Happy New Year
What is the plastic on the front of the house , for
Really interesting ideas for your land! Can’t wait to see the storage / tool shed take shape as I can see what a total difference that will make to your day to day life!
Happy and healthy New Year, Laura 🍻🍻❤️
🥂🎉🌟👏👍🍀💐 38:30
Happy new year, your land is beautiful and I have pool envy😂 something you may want to consider, the tool shed with possible freezer may be best sited on the north side of the house and also the composting loo, if this isn’t possible then the east. I couldn’t get a sense of the orientation so you have probably taken this into account. Onward and upward🎆
Wishing you health, happiness and much prosperity in 20023 🌹🌹🌹💖💖💖🎄🎄🎄❄❄❄❄🎉🎉🎉🎉🎁🎁🎁🎁👍👍👍👍👍
Can you not make your own patio by buying a mould and make your own concrete ones the a colour mixed into the concrete, you definitely need a shaded area to your front door from the outside tap to front door if you make it closed in you could add a a solar panel on top of it, your bottoms terrace you could put a shaded pergola for seating area down there to sit and read or put a solar panel on it for a different area to sit and have solar power there? Interesting what you can achieve in the space you have and outdoor kitchen area, on the bottom terrace in between the next terrace I’d put a compost loo outhouse area with shaded area off it enclosed. Happy homemaking eh xxx
The golden hop plant is great lovely golden leaves grows fast ;]
Inspiring stuff! Have you come across Kris Harbour? https://youtu.be/lSt96KFFHxA Also would be interested to know what you can and can't do re windows, door on the house plus putting up additional buildings…..
je suis très heureuse de voir tes vidéos bravo 👏👏👏👏👍👍👍💪💪💪🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Je te souhaite une bonne continuation 👍👍💪💪💪
May I suggest honeysuckle as a vine for one of your archways, they smell divine, especially when it rains and great butterfly plant. İt also has the same effect on cats as catnip mint ❤️🇨🇦🇹🇷🌸
happy new year
Happy New Year!!!
Happy New Year 🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆from 🇱🇺🇱🇺🇱🇺🇱🇺🇱🇺🇱🇺
cool plans. question do you get mosquitos?
I am amazed at all you have done so far and am looking forward to your future projects. What a wonderful mind you have, making all those plans, and not being rigid with them. That is what makes your channel so interesting to me.
I love watching your videos and I liked all your future plans&ideas.I guess you should concentrate on fully finishing one plan at a time.The tool shed should be the first one so you can get all tools out of your home,then start to finish building your lovely&cozy dream home before moving on to other plans.Wish you all the best.Dream big
Happy New Year and best of luck with all the exciting projects! 🎉❤
Your greenhouse idea built into the wall reminds me of a walipini style greenhouse. Love all your ideas! Happy New Year!
Lots of ideas ! I’d put a bench , table and fire pit in your orchard . I’d also do a pergola at the front of your home that wraps all around to the side .we have a pergola at the bottom of our garden with climbing roses and Jasmine . You could extend the trellis a bit for more privacy and then start the pergola. Shingle is a good option , that’s what we did too
At ours, When you move the garden table there’s a fire pit underneath ( chairs stay where they are ) and the chill out begins !
Love the fig tree where it is
Put some more trellis to give you privacy from neighbours and also hide tanks
It’s so exciting !!!
Happy New Year to you too ! 💃🥂😍
I'm sorry to use the translator, I have a feeling that this lady has a lot of projects in progress and will not finish anything
Hi Kirsty. Have you considered scrapping the idea of the ramp going up to the seating area at the side of the house? I was thinking if you made that whole front area a garden, it would give you a much bigger garden, use more if the grey water, and also make your seating area a bit more private.
Hey Kirsty! Hope you had a lovely Christmas! Thanks for the tour and sharing your plans. I had a thought for the patio….why not make it a rockery/ rock garden. You've got the rocks, and portulaca et al would thrive and add lovely colour and texture to that area. Patio to the side of the house as planned.
Cheers from Ontario!
Happy New Year to you and Mikey!!!🎇🍾🐈⬛
Happy new year