REAL LIFE


tried my hand and ended up doing the job myself. Some years later, I repointed the whole front of the original house, which I enjoyed and was again a great saving. Once the extension shell


was completed, we sold the caravan and moved in, making a temporary bedsit with all mod cons, including a super king bed (one of the eBay fi nds, such luxury!), a cheap gas cooker, an old fridge and a mini freezer. We noticed our French


neighbour throwing out an old plastic shower cubicle, so Dirk rigged up a wastewater pipe and hung a solar-heated shower bag from a beam. The downstairs WC was in place, having had a fosse septique installed, but we had to fl ush it with buckets of water from the natural spring in our lane. We also used this spring water for cooking and the washing-up, heating it in pans while we waited for the mains water to be connected. While living in this space,


During these early years, I


had been buying kitchen units, granite worktops, bathroom suites, beds and all kinds of furniture and furnishings from eBay, charity shops and local auctions, all of which we brought over in our trailer and hired vans. I really enjoy painting and upcycling old furniture and furnishings.


BARN EXTENSION By then we had saved enough to have the shell of a single-storey kitchen/utility extension built on the footprint of the old barn, which would eventually open onto a large covered terrace. This was constructed by local artisans. The facade was built using the stone from the old barn. Our builder had quoted €1,500 for pointing; after research and some advice, I


we set about dividing it up into a kitchen, utility and WC. Dirk had no previous experience of building, plumbing or electrics, but with the help of the internet, YouTube videos and advice, he built the internal block and studwork walls, erected ceilings and plasterboarded the whole area, except the old exterior stone wall of the barn which was now internal and in a bad way. We dug out all the old mortar and repointed and painted it to keep the rustic look. We bought an old scaff old


tower which we used for many jobs, and between us were able to paint the wood between the beams in the vaulted ceiling. Dirk installed all the plumbing and electrics and put in the hot water system. The mammoth task of fi tting the large number of units we had purchased, installing the butler sink and constructing the chimney-style cooker hood, which I had my heart set on, came next as this was to house the refurbished range cooker and extractor fan.


4 Shirley’s eBay, charity shop and auction puchases have now found their place


“During these early years, I had been buying kitchen units, granite worktops and all kinds of furniture”


FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2023 61


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