French House Renovation 2021

We bought this property in 2012 and have been working on it since 2013. Obviously the work is going much slower than we wanted, and COVID-19 kept us away for 2020. This video shows what we got done in the summer of 2021 (yes I'm very slow in posting updates - sorry!). This video focuses on the progress we are making on the apartment (an old 'hanger' that we are converting to a loft apartment), and on the reconstruction of a wall on the old stable. I'm very slow to reply, but I appreciate knowing what people think. Thanks for watching!

[@pennyclark9079]

Absolutely awesome your resilience and determination is absolutely amazing we salute you 😉👍👏

[@kbzuercher]

Thank you!

[@lucyyoung5307]

Excellent work, you’re brave. The pile of stones didn’t seem to get any smaller.

[@HighPeaksHome]

As a builder i am always amazed by what our ancestor did before us( the way this roof WAS framed ) and it worked just fine but i am not allowed to do today.. i know why it still just amazing.

[@kbzuercher]

You are right. I understand that we need to build things to standards, but that roof was there for a very long time with some significant issues!

[@HighPeaksHome]

@@kbzuercher the build i am doing right now has left me scratching my head, on just how it was still standing, i guess we just dont give enough credit to a structure as a whole verses the individual components.

[@chrislarsen2684]

I love during the reno phase you have a mini bar area!! A must have after a long day of hard work!!

[@kbzuercher]

I feel like this is a VERY long reno-phase! The apartment is very close to 'finished', and quite comfortable to stay in. The rest is still a work in progress. The bar is definitely part of the long term plan!

[@bonniefrench9884]

Awesome video of your renovation. No talk. Just work. Very inspiring.

[@kbzuercher]

Thank you!

[@shirleygraham6229]

Isn't it amazing how cleaning up is such a huge improvement, even if the buildings are still run down. You had your jobs cut out for you. Great idea to do the front patio area first. Somewhere to relax each day after working hard.

[@kbzuercher]

And having the terrace paved will make cleaning up next time much easier!

[@HighPeaksHome]

It also helps with your mental status when you start the day and see that progress is possible in such a huge undertaking.

[@kbzuercher]

And, clearing up first makes everything much easier after that. A few summers ago I tried focusing on the jobs on my list and skipped clearing the area first. I spent the whole time tripping over things. Not a good plan. Clean up first!

[@shirleygraham6229]

@@kbzuercher When our daughter bought her horse property which was thoroughly run down, I think we just got stuck in to cleaning up until we could get our heads around it and figure out what major job to do first. Think we filled 3 skips with rubbish, old metal, plastic and so on over a couple of months. Certainly made it nicer to enter and begin anything else.

[@HighPeaksHome]

@@kbzuercher good point, that is how i run all my jobs. A clean site is a safe site!

[@earthlemonade9490]

Very nice!!

[@kbzuercher]

Thank you!

[@juliemooney4115]

Looking forward to more videos.

[@kbzuercher]

I'll try to be faster next time. Maybe even post the video the same year as the work!

[@jeanpaulsilve5564]

you started by the end lol

[@dank5372]

Very nice work…I start watching rest of your videos and see how it all went.. would you say,finding material,rubbish removal and finding local craftsmen in France it’s easy or not really? Thank you and did you need all your planing done and registered before u started renovation. 👍

[@kbzuercher]

Thanks! We haven't had a problem finding materials in our area. There is a good DIY shop about 20 minutes drive away. Getting skips was a bit of a challenge last time we did it, but a decheterie is not far away for small loads. And, yes we got planning permission before we started. As long as we are making progress, the permission remains active. Good luck with your projects!

[@sahlaamorris3180]

The new stone work around the new door is sooo bad. Not in alignment with the beautiful work filling in the spaces between the stones that existed before. The patio looks good tho. I like it.

[@kbzuercher]

I will admit, my masonry is not the best - first time I've tried it and first time working with lime mortar. The choice, though, was to do something, or just let the building fall down... I'll check for cracks when I'm back in June, but I really think the new work is much stronger than the old work - even if it isn't pretty! Thanks for watching!

[@jamesheywood2869]

Hi , could I ask what size pipe you brought your water from meter to in the house and what pipes you then used from there to bathroom etc ? Thanks

[@kbzuercher]

From the meter to the house I used the same size as the line into the meter. I didn't make notes, but it was black plastic about an inch in diameter. In the house I used PER: 012 for the toilet, 016 for the sinks and washer, and 020 for the bath.

[@jamesheywood2869]

Hi can I just ask what mix ratio you used for the rebuild of the wall ? Thanks

[@kbzuercher]

Good question, but keep in mind that I am not a pro! I used sand and hydraulic lime. Online people said that you should use a 3:1 ratio, but a friend in the area said that would be too hard for the stone. I wound up using about 4.5:1 sand to lime, and that seemed pretty good. Most of the stone in the area is fairly soft, and you don't want the mortar harder than the stone. After a day I could easily brush off the excess from the stones and joints, and it was quite hard in about 3 days. I need to go back, chip the cement out of the other parts of the wall and point the whole thing with lime.

[@jamesheywood2869]

Ok thanks , iv got the same thing to do myself but have read some people add 1 cement to the mix , I think I’ll leave the cement then 👍

[@axelvak7477]

I’m pretty sure that you can’t burn the grass in your backyard in France. You could be fined for that.

[@kbzuercher]

I would rather compost it, but since we were gone for two years, there was way too much for that.

[@markthompson8511]

Hi am a builder looking to help with renovations do you know if there's a network of brits needing help ?

[@kbzuercher]

I joined a Facebook group called Renovating France. There are regularly people asking for trade recommendations there.

[@markthompson8511]

@@kbzuercher great thx for your reply

[@wordimobi5765]

@@markthompson8511 Loads of work available, even more if you learn basic French.

[@antolinijeanfrancois7]

C'est nul de pavés , pour une très vieille dame la maison.

[@kbzuercher]

Nous faisons de notre mieux. Dieu te bénisse! Signé "le vieux de la maison".