It was an unplanned trip, somewhat uncomfortable and rushed… but necessary. Through contacts, we had managed to arrange a meeting with three builders to show them the property, explain our plans and give them the documentation so they could get an idea of what it would cost to get this project off the ground. We did it at a terrible time — with little money in the bank, poor prospects for obtaining credit, soaring inflation, rising interest rates, and a global climate of uncertainty with few historical precedents. Still… it had to be done.
One of the builders is not from the area; he is one of those entrepreneurs who could work anywhere in the world if the opportunity was right. He is also passionate about his work. After seeing the house where we plan to start, he concluded that the building would need to be completely demolished, with nothing worth preserving. The quality of the stone in the annex is much lower than that of the main house. What could be done is to sort through the stones, discard the damaged ones, and use the good ones as cladding for the new load-bearing walls, which would necessarily be made of brick.
We have a project from the architects’ studio that clearly states what needs to be done, but he pointed out that it is very common to introduce modifications once work begins on site. Without going into too much detail, he saw the need to erect three pillars parallel to the shared wall with the main house to relieve the load on the east side. I then asked him what could be done with the main house to stop it from falling into ruin. The only solution, he said, was to rebuild the collapsing wall, install a metal belt to keep the walls aligned, and put on a new roof.
The other two builders are local. The area is not very large, so we are quite sure they know each other. I therefore arranged the meetings so they would not overlap. I needed to hear their opinions separately. Interestingly, their proposals were very similar. Both completely ruled out using the existing stone for the walls and suggested using new, thinner stone prepared for its decorative function. Both were overwhelmed with work from other projects in the same area; one even told us he couldn’t start until the summer of 2023. With him, I agreed that I would contact him at the end of the summer if we ruled out the other candidates, so he wouldn’t waste time preparing a quote. Regarding the main building, both offered the same solution as the first, except for the metal belt.
The only positive note is that all three seemed willing to carry out the work in phases. So, if the numbers add up, we could start the project and pause it as needed while we recover capital. Nevertheless, we will know where we stand once we receive their approximate quotes.
Long before all this, a good friend from a Telegram group — whom I have not yet met in person — saw this thread and told me it reminded him of his own adventure, as he built a house in a similar way. We have arranged to meet this winter. I have a feeling we have a lot to learn from him and his experience.