It may seem like a silly thing — and it probably is — yet it means a great deal for the new owner of a ruined building to make that first change, that first intervention, because it marks a turning point.

Assuming the worst walls have been reinforced and the roof is done, we can say the house is no longer collapsing and has become a long-term bet in which we will gradually leave our mark until it becomes what we wanted it to be. But it is still not a house. The condition is terrible, money is running out, and there is so much left to do that it is very difficult to imagine how we can turn all this around and transform it into the place where we want to live for the rest of our days.

Assuming everything was destroyed, I thought I could start with the door… One of the four doors of that stable: the main one facing south, the one on the north façade (which in the future will lead to the parking area), the much smaller one on the east façade (which we will probably end up sealing off), and the passage to the damp-proofing tunnel on the west side.

With a proper roof, rainwater will no longer leak inside and we can store our first belongings. For now, just a plastic toolbox I bought in Oviedo. The box is still half empty and contains only the basics. We haven’t stored anything of real value because anyone could break in and steal it.

With almost no tools or materials, I decided to take advantage of a trip to Asturias to dismantle the main door. It was made of good wood but, unfortunately, was falling apart after so many years of use. I removed both leaves from their hinges and looked for new fittings in Lugo and Ribadeo. I bought screws, oil, a simple bolt and a mechanism to secure it to the floor. I didn’t want to make a big investment, so I got the cheapest untreated pine boards I could find, loaded them into the van, and we assembled them after a lot of hammering and filing, since the original hinges were considerably wider than the largest frames we could find.

At one point I thought we wouldn’t even be able to finish something so simple. But we got lucky, managed to make them fit, screwed the boards together, installed the closures and put it in place. Obviously, if someone really wants to force it, they will have no problem. The intention is mainly deterrent, but above all, what I was looking for was the aesthetic effect.

What is the point of that door? For now, not much, because the other three openings are still uncovered. On future trips we will need to buy more wood to close them off and keep the one we have installed as the main door, with a padlock or a cheap lock until we can continue the serious work.

We are not going to keep out mice or thieves, but at least we will know if someone has been inside, and we will be able to store a few dispensable items so we don’t have to carry them back and forth every time. The house still gives an impression of abandonment, though less so. When we last saw it in person, I had the feeling that something had changed — and that alone made the effort worthwhile.