DIY Renovation Timelapse - 4 Weeks Demolition in 20 Minutes - Piemonte Rustic Italian Farmhouse

[@valbriggs6943]

I'm exhausted just watching bot of you. Great work. from Australia.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Awesome! Thank you 😀

[@guerro327]

Boy, those tiles in the master en-suite were thick! Great job guys. 👏🏽

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

hahaha oh god it was such a mess.

[@earthmama8384]

Watched your hard work and am glad you’re removing plaster to expose brick. It’s great to let the old house breathe before embarking on repointing & reinforcing the brick walls, etc. It gives you an opportunity to identify flaws & implement smart solutions to make it a solid home that will last a very long time. I’ve subscribed to your channel so I can watch the progress you make in restoring your lovely rustic gem. You’re fortunate to be able to live in Italy! Perhaps in my next life! Take care. Be well. Stay safe. Blessings to you both for all that’s in your best & highest good to flow to you effortlessly. I wish you peace in loving kindness.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks EarthMama. Many of our walls had been locked in with cement in the 70s' and were not able to breath. So now they've got a nice new lime plaster on instead :)

[@BD-wk5pc]

Oh to be young again! You guys are so energetic, strong and flexible to bend like that and for such long periods! I've never seen original terra cotta tiles torn out...why!? Love seeing the stone much more and I'd like to see the ceiling tiles as well but I've watched many, many Italian property videos and am so inspired by you but I'm even more happier for you! Fantastic!!

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

As I read your comment, I was actually thinking “my back hurts a bit today”. I think we will be good clients of the local chiropractor soon! Unfortunately we need to re-enforce the floor under the terracotta so it needed to come up. Luckily we managed to salvage a lot of it so can try to reuse it somewhere else in the house 😊

[@BD-wk5pc]

@@OurItalianDreamHouse Ahhh...I see. Maybe you would like to consider heated floors too...especially since it's your ensuite. I have wall to wall heated and fully tiled. Coincidentally it not...Italian porcelain lol. You guys are amazing...I'm so proud of you and I don't even know you but...keep your eyes on the prize! Excellent video quality for new tuners too...get a patreon page. Outstanding!

[@gloriacorti3397]

We made it to the end .My wife and I will be looking for property this November when we will be in italy for three weeks.

[@smilo7f255]

What region are you looking in?

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Amazing, thanks so much for watching to the end. If you have any questions about buying in Italy or want some contact details of estate agents (if you buy in Piemonte) don’t hesitate to ask 😊

[@BellaVita100]

Great work you two!!! This is such a major renovation and you will be so proud of the finished product!!🇮🇹

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thank you so much for the lovely comment and encouragement! 😊

[@michaeldietrich3973]

Great work, great video! That´s exactly what I´m looking for, thanks a lot. We were last week in Italy to check out the region where we want to buy our "casa". So that´s a realy good advice, you get a much more better feeling for the region and the infrastructure. Can´t wait for the next episode 🙂 Wish you the very best, greetings to lovely Italy

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks Michael, I'm glad it was useful for you. Exciting that you'll be embarking on your own Italian house journey soon, feel free to fire over any questions that you might have 😁

[@therenovationdiaries]

Wow, you did a lot of work in just 4 short weeks! Keep up the good work!

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks so much for the comment and positivity!

[@nikitaz87]

Riktigt roligt att se och följa er! Skulle vara kul att få höra vad ni gör och varför. Men i övrigt mycket bra video.

[@Keithf441]

you guys are living my dream..

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Hi Keith, thanks for you comment! If we can do it, you can too! 😁

[@michaelkristiansson1134]

Fantastiskt roligt att se ert arbete! Risk för dammlunga:) ta hand om er och lycka till!

[@jodiehebert8285]

Wow, so much work! Thanks for condensing the 4 weeks. Looks exhausting! Will you also do the reinstall the new materials?

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

IT WAS 😂 yes! We have two more timelapses of that and a third one coming out soon.

[@Ruhrpottillegal7]

great work :D keep going.. greetings from switzerland

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thank you! 😁

[@rochellenowik9875]

It is good to see your channel growing since you produced this video 11 months ago. 9K viewers which is so many more than some renovation videos I watch (their mistake is talking--talking--and more talking)

[@ptolemyauletesxii8642]

Here are some demolition tips. Tiles can be removed much more easily with the right tools. For starters get a chisel with a much wider head. This works to pry the tile off rather than just digging into one concentrated area and breaking off pieces. Make sure the chisel has a protective round flat end where you hammer it to protect your hand. These types of chisels are called bolsters. Because your hand is protected you can swing the hammer with more force. You'll reduce your work by 50%! Also, for your electric hammer try to get a wider chisel attachment as this will have the same effect to get the tiles off. The more narrow and pointed chisel ends are for attacking stone and concrete. Use those attachments to break up bricks, concrete, etc, and the wonder one to get tiles off the walls, floors etc. Lastly, rent a rubbish skip! That huge pile of rubble will need to be shoveled into a skip now, doubling your work. If you'd had a skip before it would all be in there already. Good luck! You guys are awesome. 😃

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks so much for your comment, and I really appreciate the tips - I will be taking those onboard and implementing them moving forward! 😁

[@stknmggs1788]

That’s a lot of rubble and work! It will all be worth it!

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks for the comment and the encouragement 😁 We’re finally seeing a bit of light at the end of the long demolition tunnel! 😅

[@jennifercash1093]

that's a huge lot of work in the time! I can't wait to see how you get on!

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks Jennifer 😊

[@GraceSmith-e3o]

Oh the tiles😢

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

I think you now hold the record of “leaving most negative comments across the channel” - congratulations.

[@GraceSmith-e3o]

I was going to unsubscribe after your first reference to the f word but decided to stick with it as I had just found your channel and was binge watching and rooting for you. Not long after, there was an even worse reference. I subscribe to a lot of restoration shows as I am doing some myself and find very interesting. I have never heard any of them even come close to something like that. I have two daughters about your age, I would be so disappointed if they acted like that. I don’t know your family situation but we did see your father in law to be. He seemed like a good family man. I can’t imagine how he feels about your language, or his parents and their friends, or your parents or grandparents and their friends. I would imagine quite embarrassing for them? I was hoping that after my last comment, you would take the hint. I would think many of your subscribers might feel the same way I did. Obviously you don’t care. I’ll say arrivederci and wish you best of luck with your restoration and your marriage.

[@panino04]

Subscribed! As an Italian living not that far from you I wanna see the final result 🤣 Til now, nice job 👍

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@lulastylewithjuliep6932]

Love watching the progress!!

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks for watching 😊 We’ll try to keep the progress updates coming!

[@christellepalm9434]

Amazing work guys, the result will be so rewarding 😍😍

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks Christelle!

[@daydreambeliever6603]

When you are trying to sweep up all of the plaster, mortar etc., spray a fine mist of water. It keeps all of the crap in the air to a minimum.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Great tip, thanks!

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

It worked 😅 thanks again!

[@EastLondonKiwi]

Great content. You two are clearly not afraid of working hard, so I am sure this place will be beautiful when you are done. I started on this video so may have missed where you covered this. But can you go over some of your thought processes and why you are taking the structure back as far as you are. For example I get why you'd remove loose plaster from the walls. but some of the plaster you have removed looked in good condition and will have been providing structural support to the brickwork. Can you talk through the reason it has been removed and your plans for the renovations.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Hi EastLondonKiwi, thank you for the comment! Well spotted on the better looking plaster, unfortunately, the stuff that looks good has used the wrong material which stops the bricks (& walls) from breathing and being able to regulate moisture. And since the house has been stood empty for a minimum of 10 years, the walls now need to be allowed to breathe and dry out a bit before we re-plaster. When we do re-plaster, the walls will first have a mesh fixed to them and then they will be plastered, this will ensure their structural integrity. If you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to ask 😁

[@szabi-v7o]

Great video 👏 What did you do with that lots of waste?

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thank you so much! We hired a local guy who came to pick it up and recycled it.

Great progress in both the renovation and the video! Now, with one look, I found out nicely what had happened during previous 4 weeks. If I understood correctly, you will focus on demolition and then the professionals will be in charge of construction? If so, then at some point the renovation will start to progress fast, when at the same time the construction team is making a new surface and you can already demolish and prepare the next site. Keep up the good work! I don’t think the comments section is the best possible forum to make suggestions for improvements to your channel, so that discussion will continue (if you like) using the email of your channel.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks Matti, it was your advice that gave the idea for the video 😊 We are in the process of taking quotes for the work that we won’t be able to do ourselves. Hoping to have some contractors on site in the next weeks, which will dramatically speed up the progress! Feel free to reach out with any video related tips via the email on our channel page.

[@stefanwild326]

👍

[@wearenobs80]

🤩😍💪🙌

[@ckunstadt]

Man! When you start scraping at the ground like that, how do you know when to stop??!! (Master bedroom)

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Good question! When you go all the way through the concrete and gravel you hit the top of the brick of the vaulted ceilings downstairs - this is when to stop as you don't want to damage those ones 😁

[@OlavSchneider]

Why are you removing all the plaster from the walls? You should of left that terra cotta floor in takt.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Hi Olav, unfortunately the plaster had been remade many years ago using cement which stops the walls from breathing and causes problems - so we have had to remake the plaster with a lime-based render which fixes this issue. The terracotta floor needed to be reinforced underneath so we had no choice but to remove it, unfortunately this is often the case with these old, abandoned farmhouses.

[@liorsukenik4745]

How do you dispose of the waste independently?

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

It was all picked up by a waste disposal company and brought to the eco centro. 😊

[@annawoods5184]

What do u guys work at besides renovation on your house??

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

We have a small digital marketing consultancy and also working on a startup 😊

[@smilo7f255]

There is never an end to renovation, excellent progress. How will you dispose of the mountain of debris? After demolition what other tasks do you feel confident in completing? We had new mahogany windows and doors made, the craftsmanship is without equal.

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thanks for the comment SMilo7 F! The mountain of debris is a topic of much debate, it is likely that we will try to repurpose as much as possible. The garden needs to be completely re-leveled so if we’re allowed we will bury it to help raise the lawn.

[@smilo7f255]

@@OurItalianDreamHouse Very impressed with your commitment. Think well when the time comes where and how many outlets you desire in each room based on the total wattage you have in your electric service.

[@kristinalindholm1041]

🥰

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

❤️

[@LaureninGermany]

See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it? Only joking. But what I do not understand is that watching this convinces me that I do indeed want to renovate a rustico. It should make me run! I just think you know you‘ll have to renovate a rustico, and can save money on the purchase and have more available for the renovations. Whereas if you buy a house in better condition, you still might need to spend a lot, but you paid more initially, too…

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

That was exactly our thinking - in the beginning we were looking at houses triple the price and thought "they'll need less money spent on renovations". But the reality was that they still needed significant budget to get them to match our vision. In the end, we realised that buying a much cheaper house or rustico was going to be the best investment ,as by the time we were done renovating we would have spent the same (if not less) money and have exactly the result that we want!

[@KJ_nyc]

I'm just beginning to watch this adventure, and I am absolutely gobsmacked. I need to start from the beginning and work my way to current. I'm wondering if you speak fluent Italian? How do you get the information you need to know or feel confident that you are doing the work properly? English-speaking DIYers have a hard enough time learning. How can you possibly trust the info when it's foreign? The physical labor is astonishing. You at least have your youth and flexibility. Watching 4 weeks in 20 minutes nearly put my body in the local ER. I've done a lot of renovation work in my day, but nothing that comes close to this. I'm also tall, so I know the pain of having to work close to the floor. I admire your will and stamina, but part of me thinks you've both lost your minds. Will the financial investment (not to mention blood, sweat and tears) pay off over time?

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

Thank you so much for your comment 😊 It's true that being able to communicate in Italian is a huge advantage, fortunately for us Emelie speaks pretty much fluent Italian, and I'm beginning to pick up the renovation essentials. Plus we use Google Translate to communicate the more tricky things with our Geometra. We have a saying that we keep repeating to ourselves, "the house is already in bad condition and the faults are all visible - so whatever we do, we can't make it much worse!" 😂 It's very likely that we have lost our minds!! The low to the ground work is terrible for my back, but like you say we have youth on our side, so we have to make the most of that while we can! Only time will tell if the investment will pay off over time, but we are optimistic (and have done a lot of research and analysis) that it will all be worth it! 😁

[@KJ_nyc]

@@OurItalianDreamHouse Thank goodness for Emelie then. It is VERY important to have someone you can trust handle the language barriers. Real estate and renovation in Italy is not that similar to other places. Those structures and those local rules are very OLD. I hate to admit it, but thank goodness for Google Translate and smartphones. The two combined can make communication so much better, and the technology keeps improving. Tall people have to watch their backs, and their necks in construction work. I have learned the hard way. Yoga and warm-up stretches before work is a great way to avoid muscle accidents. A muscle accident can put you in bed for 6 months if you are careless. Been there, done that. I do not know what you paid for this property. I do not know what your renovation budget is. At least you are in the north. As long as you (or your inheritor) can sell the house in the future and turn a decent profit, then the love and labor might be worth all the sweat and tears. You are very lucky to have a partner who shares your passion, commitment, and the tools. May your love and passion carry you through to success.

[@rhvre]

You ripped out the terracotta tiles? :(

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

I know, it’s a little bit heartbreaking, but unfortunately we have to re-enforce the floor in a couple of the rooms so it was unavoidable. Luckily we were able to salvage over 3/4s of the terracotta so will try to use them somewhere else in the house.

[@rhvre]

@@OurItalianDreamHouse Got it, makes sense! You should be able to get them looking great again with some special oils etc.

[@nevisscot7697]

Do you follow Kylie Flavell on youtube.she's in Tuscany doing what youre doing...her filming is exceptional.i just subscribed yesterday to your channel but can already see you are very precise and doers .im sure it will be hard work but can see you are doing it the way it should be done 👍

[@OurItalianDreamHouse]

We love Kylie Flavell and her project :) Thank you so much Nevis! Happy to have you following our journey.