This DIY Upgrade Transforms Our Old Stone House (If It Works)

[@debbiemilan2867]

The shutters look fantastic! It’s hard to believe that you did it all from scratch. They look professionally done. Way to go!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Debbie!😊

[@michaelhayden5264]

I agree - your engineering and building skills have certainly been tested and improved. Well done.

[@claudiademoss6040]

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! The outside of the house is perfection; from top to bottom.

[@LifebyLiving]

Thank you Claudia! We’re really happy with how it’s all turning out 😊

[@tonivalenzuela8274]

The shutters put up a fight but you won in the end and they make the cottage lovely. I love the interaction between you both, all the corny things you throw in there makes me laugh every time. I will be interested to see if your efforts to rid the voles work. Good idea to wet down the doggies. I can't imagine wearing a fur coat in the heat. Good job done.

[@Let_there_be_peace]

Your patience, perseverance, and hard work really paid off; the shutters are beautiful! Bravo!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thank you!😊

[@elisaturse4777]

Next season, dig out the soil from your garden beds and put in hardware cloth. Replace the soil. The creatures cannot dig up through it and the roots easily grow down through it.

[@ruthstevens770]

I had to do this to keep gophers out of my garden

[@sylvanaire]

I was going to suggest this but using a wire mesh, as the voles can’t chew through the metal, but the hardware cloth sounds like an upgrade to my idea. 😊

[@BarbaraScott-j3k]

We all were going to suggest this!! When you're ready for a more permanent garden layout, put the hardware cloth under ALL beds, including the raised beds.

[@lizetteolsen3218]

They also should consider getting a cat.

[@64cuspofchange]

Yes thats what we did and it worked for us to 👍

[@sugarkane4830]

Love Sunday when you post. One of the best renovation programs out there.

[@LifebyLiving]

Thaaaaanks!❤

[@elizabethfleck6536]

Thanks for mentioning this.

[@heybeli13]

every new video is like watching a beloved aunt walking down the garden path with a box of cookies. the shutters look love-ly...

[@ChilledJil2010]

Cheers to your bracket Victory! ✌️

[@robertunderwood3393]

The shutters look magnificent

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Robert 😊

[@iisauracorreia8881]

I love to see you working together

[@charisselewis6687]

The shutters and hinges turned out great ❤❤❤❤❤

[@carmelneighbour6280]

Wow, A big BRAVO ! ! VERY BEAUTIFUL ❤ SHUTTERS

[@AnneHeyns]

Those shutters suit that stone chalet perfectly!☺

[@LifebyLiving]

Stone chalet…never heard it referred to as that before but we love it!❤

[@AdamofCA.]

yes. the upgrades qualify for the updated nomenclature.

[@LorraineinAustralia]

It’s so cute now, House and Garden magazine will be dropping by when it’s finished 👏👏🤣🤣💕💕

[@jules7239]

The shutters and windowsills make a stunning combination. Congratulations 🎉

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Jules! We’re really happy with how they’ve turned out!😊

[@Omalie62]

Love the shutters... You can use a spraybottle and spray the dogs underbellies with the water.

[@claymccleery9451]

The shutters are stunning!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thank you!

[@merrylmarsh9037]

I found myself holding my breath when you hung the shutters. Your tenacity and patience are inspiring. Very enjoyable video. We wish you all good things.

[@EuropeanGodpurewhiteboy]

I am Dutch hopefully you get all the happiness in life.

[@LifebyLiving]

Awww thank you!❤️

[@SharonRidings]

The shutters look amazing!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks!

[@melissaeden1219]

The shutters look fabulous--it was a long haul, but the work paid off! The cottage looks great.

[@timothydunn5889]

Quite possibly, the last person in the history of the English language to utilise the verb to "scarper" (as applying to voles). Sometimes I just want to hug you.❤🇦🇺

[@kellyh8347]

You should be incredibly proud of yourselves! WOW! Beautiful jobs!

[@judytassone7504]

Your patience, work ethic, attention to detail and quality REALLY, REALLY have created beautiful results in all you’ve done here.

[@LifebyLiving]

thanks Judy! we're so pleased with how it's coming together 😊

[@dorenedaniels7493]

I love how the shutters came out. So beautiful ❤️ thank you God bless you both 🙏❤️🌹

[@lindamoore691]

Great video ! Those shutters look amazing ! Awesome work and thank you for sharing ! 👏😀❤️

[@idahofiberart]

We absolutely love those gorgeous looking shutter brackets! We look forward to watching you all week. We dont call you Ricky and Victoria, we call you "The Portugals". We say to each other "I hope the Portugals are on this weekend." You have inspired us to buy land outside the U.S in Canada. We are hoping to build something fun next year. I think that the dog/water comment has to do with something that was online about the dog sytem going into shock from having a hot body to cold water, and that sometimes the water causes an insulating effect with how it settles on their fur coat making them hotter. I cant remember all of the details, but I am sure it can be found online. I am not sure if it is true or not. We cool off our dog with ice cube treats. We just pour broth and cooked carrots, etc. to make her cool treats and cool her from the inside. The shutter stops ARE BEAUTIFUL! WE ❤ YOUR STYLE.

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks! We're so happy with how they turned out. Congratulations on your land purchase too! How exciting! 🥳

[@jeannestewart3636]

Didn't like the shutter color at first, but now see it's perfect. Works beautifully with the house and landscape.

[@davidhall4079]

The shutters are great 👍 very fine mesh under soil stop the mole loving the channel 🎉🎉

[@silvieb2024]

I can't say it enough how pleasant it is to watch your videos.

[@LifebyLiving]

Awww thank you ❤️

[@kactusmatt5966]

The shutter problem is an easy carpentry fix. Your shutters don't shut because the diagonal is longer from inside corner to outside corner, than the width. Plane a leading edge on each shutter. You can do this by planning a bevel on the inside edge. The outside edge should stay the same.

[@garyhollywell2112]

Nearly at the 100K subscribers and well deserved, great to watch as ever

[@raymondmumford6255]

The shutters look absolutely stunning 😊 Well done too you both ❤

[@terijohnson3110]

The shutters and brackets look awesome!👏🏼🍷

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Terri!😊

[@rwb5731]

The outside of your house is looking marvelous! Great Job!!

[@cadence9055]

Love love love!! the shutters! Beautiful custom solution that looks professional! Great work! 🎉 🥂

[@UrbanGrrl69]

Glad the shutters worked out. They look lovely.

[@constancestine1020]

Ricky and Victoria, Love, love, love the shutters! So sorry you are having challenges in your garden, can’t wait to hear if the gadgets helped.❤

[@SharonRidings]

Yeah for new brackets!!

[@rosalindabarrett7508]

The shutters came out beautiful 21:59

[@CindyGreene-p1w]

Dig out your beds next year and put down chicken wire or carpenter's cloth - keeps moles and voles from coming up thru the bottom Love your videos!

[@scottyandhutch]

Victoria, putting wire/metal mesh underneath your raised beds will stop the Vole attacks. The shutters look great. Good to see that the interior work has commenced,

[@johnmcguane8218]

Shutters looking good. Great job you guys. ❤.

[@salscycleshop3416]

I love the hardware for the shutters!!

[@shanesykes1235]

Great job with the chives. You can divide those pots of chives up into quarters. They will recover quickly and you can cover a greater area.

[@petegilbert6886]

Shutters look awesome guys!! 😎

[@ps6860]

2 things , the shutters maybe try grind some park of the windows on the inside section diagonally, and also I don't know but dis you order the stop locks for the shutters to be lock open?

[@ps6860]

Sorry just rushed to comment and realised you got lovely stop shutters

[@H2Dwoat]

Hi, the sign of a reasonably competent hands-on-person is the ability to fix the inevitable mistakes / niggles and the occasional use of the ‘that’s going nowhere’ statement 😁.

[@LifebyLiving]

“Reasonably competent” about sums it up! 😂

[@H2Dwoat]

@@LifebyLiving 🤓

[@RMCluff]

Well done! The house looks better all the time!

[@donnastapleton4155]

Love the new brackets❤🇺🇸

[@DMSP24]

Shutters look great and love the colors . You both are doing s great job in that heat. Love that you cool down your loving dogs. You both seem to have allot of patience thank god. Look forward to next bud to. Take a dip in the pool 🍷

[@lizellis4286]

The building is starting to look adorable!

[@shar71on]

Love the shutters guys, great work 👏 Victoria, you can actually cut up the chives, just use clean sharp sissors and cut each bunch into 4 from the bottom...8 plants might keep those pesky critters away 🤞

[@MaS-y3n]

I read somewhere that voles don't like the smell of rotting elderberry leaves!? We had some in the flower garden last year, I picked a small bucket of leaves, added rainwater and a lid and left it for about two weeks. Then poured the stinky water down the holes. I stopped finding new holes and so far, it or they haven't been back this year.... The shutters really change give the house that special character! ❤

[@sueg2658]

The shutters are perfect!!

[@Britbabe53]

The shutters are absolutely gorgeous!

[@EmpLongIsland]

What a beautiful job. The shutters look amazing with the new brackets!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks!😊

[@edwindegroot3235]

Put an glass bottle( with the top off) in the ground in one of the tunnels . The wind that blows over the bottle makes a noise they don’t like.

[@monikahaas-o7f]

my grandma used to do that in her garden

[@veronicatallman9160]

Those shutters are AMAZING!

[@carollloydjones1313]

The shutters are looking absolutely beautiful! What a transformation and worth persevering with. Re your vole problem... If you find the holes they are making, put some dog poo down them as deep as you can. I know it's gross but it really does work! We had moles coming up everywhere but as soon as we used this method, no more moles! Plus the poo just degrades under the earth. Good luck 🤞

[@yvonnebirch6026]

It looks beautiful ! Love the color on the shutters. I hope the place where you live is comfortable so you can avoid the heat and rest in between all your projects. Those tomatoes look so good ! Ready for a summer salad. ❤❤❤

[@Greta-v2e]

what an amazing job those shutters!! details details details they are a bummer but then a job is done well when details are taken in consideration. SO much fun watching you both and the dogs. Cheers to a beautiful tiny house ❤

[@bobcole3852]

Shutters look great! We had a vole issue, unfortunately I had to dig a trench around the garden area and bury hardware cloth vertically to create a barrier. Good news, it does work. Bad news pain to dig the trench!

[@KatieCordrey]

Well done! I love watching you problem-solve. My husband and I built our house from the ground up. Seeing your videos brings back memories. Though I must say, you two are far more affable with one another than we were! I'm looking forward to watching more.

[@LifebyLiving]

We’d LOVE to build a house from scratch! Maybe one day!

[@G.G.999]

The shutters look AMAZING! Super job and great color.

[@Aotruba]

Wow!!! I love the shutters! Great job! Doggos looked happy and refreshed with water. 😊💗 I love your garden - good luck with the vibrator for moles 👍

[@gillianbrewer9607]

The shutters look fabulous. Well done. You will be very pleased with yourselves. Sorry about the volves. I believe the hardware cloth works.

[@thefourseason797]

Finally I got to your final video and I must say all the work of you two is amazing. I hope one day I find someone as talented and hard working as you, Ricky. Good luck to you and Victoria, the garden is gorgeous, the dogs are lovely! Best wishes, Andrea

[@CynthiaEvans-i2f]

Shutters are beautiful. Good job kids!

[@alangardiner872]

Before painting (finishing) the shutters, a rebate( Formed with a Palm router) on both, (L shape) on the closing faces, interlocked. .gives massive engaging clearance but then wind/weather proofs them... look lovely installed, well done, Great job.. and thank you for sharing your content. Alan, in Menorca!

[@theodorehowe2262]

I’m so pleased to see your progress on the shutters, they look so nice. ❤❤

[@AlyenasKitchen]

Love your shutters! They look perfect! Sucks about your garden! We have problems with rats eating our veggies and fruit. We finally found a solution. We put fencing, then mesh, then electrical wires. I hope your vibration tools work! 😊🌺🌸

[@ExpectMiracles55]

Sorry for all the trouble you guys went through with hte fist set of brackets, but a negative turned out into a phenomenal positive: the new brackets are so beautiful! Bravo to both!

[@TomFerriolo]

Great work on installing the shutters. Working with a stone structure is very unforgiving. The shims and jig placed the shutters plumb and square. Congratulations on some fine craftsmanship !

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks!

[@wolffhenry5751]

Your little house is really coming along; it's gorgeous!!!

[@LMB-vj4we]

I love watching you both work. You have a problem you persevere and find a solution or solutions and the end result is always wonderful. For me, those shutters just put the cherry on top of your tiny house. Congrats to you both for another job well done!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thank you!☺️

[@HT-io1eg]

Heart was in my mouth with the drilling. I’ve many DIY disasters in my past and I could see a big chunk/face just cracking off the wall. Great job, phew!! 😮

[@LifebyLiving]

we were nervous too that the same thing would happen. Softly softly!

[@patrickmecham9592]

LOVING the new shutters! Vole abatement is also interesting:)

[@donnab9015]

Shutters are grand! Your doggies are cool 😎.

[@jdavis9123]

The shutters look fabulous!! And… I love your shutter dogs!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks! The shutter dogs are cool aren’t they?! Can’t wait to get them fitted!

[@susannahwhitaker994]

You two should be so proud of yourselves,well done. 🤗

[@Vals-2013]

We had voles in our back yard. We went to garden centre got a mixture of pig blood and something else. It worked. Smelled awful but worked. Nice job on shutters. ❤🇨🇦

[@lenacoleman1142]

I love the new hinges!! I think they look awesome!! The cottage looks so refined and finished now with the shutters on them!! Stay hydrated and cool! Wishing you cool thoughts from here in Alaska!! 😉😉😉

[@MargotStapledon-f5m]

Well done - shutters are terrific, and love Mrs SquareHead. - will look perfect when fitted eventually

[@kiridaymond85]

Your Stone House is coming on brilliantly. It's looking gorgeous. Can't wait for you to start renovating the inside and we get to see where you put everything.

[@tracyplath863]

The shutters are beautiful! Can't wait to see what you do with the inside now. Well done with your ingenious shutter solutions!

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks Tracy!

[@lidanaude8022]

❤ the shutters You guys are rocking it!

[@joiejarvis4461]

I love the windows they are beautiful. Poor garden those weavers or what ever I sure home that sonic things will work. So funny about the orange bandit maybe you will catch it. Continued blessings on your journey 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

[@StevePassehl]

Keep up the smiles. I learn more about temperament and good communication witgh my loving wife everytime I watch you two together. Obviously you get the advantage of editing but it appears in the toughest moments you offer each other a hearty amount of grace.

[@patbradford3244]

For the shutter dogs, you may wish to put decorative metal pieces where the dogs will touch the wood shutter to keep it from putting dents into the wood. Work is beautiful! Well done you two!!

[@sgrvtl7183]

The shutters look great but Holy cow❗️the challenges with them‼️ Glad the project is behind you now👏👏🌻💜

[@shaunfunk8516]

Thank you for remembering the orange peel litterer. I have experienced the same problem at our new house in Central Portugal. When I asked around the village, they said it was a RED SQUIRREL, I have never seen one or heard any during the day. The critter(s) also like pomegranates and takes them onto the second floor.

[@chantallabelle4609]

That last bit about the voles had me in stitches 😂 Thanks for the laugh! Beautiful shutters well done!

[@dennisjacobs7589]

Sometimes things happen for a reason, those shutter hinges look perfect and I can not wait until the shutter dogs are put in place. Keep up the great videos, it is my Sunday morning routine.

[@cherylbertolini3140]

the shutter look amazing love the color, if you should put in more raised beds put hardware cloth on the bottom then some wood if they are deep then soil, they can't get through hardware cloth:) have a wonderful week.

[@marykaren7542]

the shutters are beautiful! I love them.

[@LifebyLiving]

Thanks! We love them too!

[@susanB24F]

Omg we love the shutters and new hinges. Worth the wait. They make it look like a home for sure. I'll be interested in whether the mole things work. Same problem in the California redwoods, but with moles

[@eldrinod]

I were right about them hinges, mind - the first ones looked like the value range. Looks the dog’s bollocks now though - well done👍🏻

[@PaulRansonArt]

Those are great-looking shutters! Well done the little house looks wonderful Next the windows?

[@beckyb7923]

I have seen screening (like window screens) just under the soil to help keep voles and moles at bay. Good luck!