Making Cottage Stone Steps On a 0€ Budget

Using some resourcefulness, in today's video I show you how I made these authentic stone steps on a tight budget using materials that were literally in my back yard.
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Here on my channel, I am renovating a 250 year old stone cottage on my property in Normandy, France. By using traditional, low-waste and off-grid methods, I'm aiming to keep the charm and character of this old building, and turn it into a furnished, finished home for family whilst keeping environmental impact as low as possible. There will also be content on living in France, visiting beautiful rural places, hunting for antiques, gardening and more! Hit subscribe if you would like to keep up with my journey, and hit the notification bell to be alerted when we go LIVE where we have a first viewing of the video as it is published with a live chat so I can answer all your questions! See you in Sean's World.

[@dalebadman6700]

Building something out of things found around the yard is the ultimate in recycling Sean. I have done the same thing on my property in rural NSW Australia.Trouble is now that I am 77 yrs of age with terminal cancer I’m almost out of puff! Hubby is 90 and has arthritis so it’s hard yakka these days especially when we are using river rocks which are bloody heavy. The brain hasn’t stopped functioning yet and I am determined to get a few more things finished off.

[@CarolLoch-ww7po]

Sending love and hugs to you both 😘 xxxxx

[@athomeinfrancewithsam837]

Bless you both, sending love ❤

[@Seans_World]

Arh bless 🙌 you l wish you all the best

[@pamelaamos7237]

Dear Dale. You are an inspiration to us all. Good health to you both, and Warmest wishes. Pam

[@Micknan]

Keep going until the good Lord stops you. I admire your courage & will.

[@sharol946]

This is why I love your posts. You recycle what you can. Thank you and your wife for that.

[@Seans_World]

Our pleasure!

[@Ruth-uj1dm]

I had ever really wondered before why my grandfather and my dad were both so good at doing things around the house. They did it out of necessity. We were what you'd consider a blue collar family and they had to work hard for what they had. The work you're doing leaves me gobsmacked. If you'll permit me, I'm very proud for you and what you've accomplished so far. Do I think your work looks authentic. YES.If the Olympics had a category for craftsmanship you'd win the GOLD.🥇

[@Seans_World]

Thanks that's kind 😊

[@dorinclarisa2732]

​@@Seans_World Earned!!!! a skilled man.❤

[@beastoned8596]

I second that!

[@user-fs6ou3fk9p]

The steps look absolutely original to the cottage. The holes in the stone are a wonderful artifact.

[@terrysuemakesvideosforyou9940]

Great job Sean! Being thrifty used to be a necessity. My Great Grandfather took apart his old Victorian farmhouse in the 1940's. He used the wood which was solid to build two houses next to each other. Then he clad them with brick. They were beautiful modern houses. My Great Grandmother had health issues and she then had a warm modern home. He sold the other house, had money for other improvements appliances ect. And he did not owe a mortgage. I hope that you have a good week!!

[@belight123]

great story, thanks for sharing :)

[@Seans_World]

Yes there's lots to take away from that, Smart man.

[@user-hv6tz8lx7m]

Amazed at how resourceful you are to find material that was likely used hundreds of years ago for another building.

[@edwardmarino2776]

You know Sean whether or not finding things around your farm to reuse in a DIY project is advantageous or not I would have to say that the project came out looking very well because you have the talent and know how to take something that could look very shoddy and make it look nice. Most people don’t have the know how like you because your background being a builder and working in these conditions amongst these older homes gives you an edge above everyone else. The kind of work that you’re doing, restoration work of centuries old homes is specialized work.

[@Seans_World]

Much appreciated 🙏

[@stephanieh.777]

You asked for stories of family: My father's parents were a generation older than my mother's; my paternal grandmother travelled to Kansas in a covered wagon with her Danish parents when she was a baby; eventually met my grandfather, and they built their own farmstead. The rocks from their land had been built into stone walls before they bought the property, and the story was that they were built to keep troops out during the Civil War (1860s). Those stones eventually went on to build the stage accent wall in a church in Wichita (which I helped build as a teenager).

[@Ruth-uj1dm]

Wow that's incredible. You should put that in a book about your ancestors.

[@stephanieh.777]

@@Ruth-uj1dm I might do, as I'm an author! 😉 I might write a blog about it in the meantime...

[@Seans_World]

Great story

[@lorikeller7990]

Wow Sean. That’s hard work but the accomplishment of a lifetime to be admired by who knows how many generations.

[@priscillarinaldi2996]

The skills you use to such great effect, should never be lost. Creating with your own hands and aspiration is a major part of what makes us humans.

[@Vanessa-pl3br]

How lucky to have discovered this authentic stone staircase in the cottage!

[@lindamitman4538]

Very inspiring Sean and a really great way to make those stairs more accessible. My grandfather was a stone mason from Italy. He built a new porch on our house when we were kids. He also loved a beer and built dog houses and planters out of beer cans, stones and cement. He was a real character was Remo. 😊

[@Seans_World]

Nice 👍

[@marisnak]

Yes! The stones do look like they've been in the cottage since its beginning.

[@jackierice4254]

Watch your back Sean !!!

[@lyndacran1219]

Absolutely look they have been there for a century or more. Great job.

[@cs3742]

Mister you can be a hero You can open any door, There's nothin' to it but to do it! Oh, it's fine to be a genius of course Just keep that old horse Before the cart. All you really need is heart! extracted from Guys & Dolls, You've Gotta Have Heart.

[@Seans_World]

Nice 👍

[@shannoncampbell8538]

They definitely look original

[@marilynreiss2070]

The stones steps absolutely look original, Sean. I love your creativity and your "can do" and "make do" philosophy. Thank you for sharing your journey and your knowledge! ❤ 🇨🇦

[@Ellyfromhereandthere]

Here's to you Sean 🥂 the setter of stones and framer of walls.

[@allierowland9]

Your a real craftsman Sean. Ingenuity mixed with opportunity and skill. Marvellous.

[@JennyA1961]

They look original and amazing. How lucky you are to be able to walk outside your door and source such wonderful materials. You are such a hard worker Sean and a delight to watch. ❤🐨

[@perky8340]

Younger generations can't butter a piece of toast. Skill and knowledge like you have is priceless. Great job 👏.❤ from Canada 🇨🇦

[@margaretsavidge7052]

well said

[@Seans_World]

Yes they are not as fortunate as us

[@maryannrecht7605]

Not a masonry expert but watching your work and finished product is a pleasure. Looks totally authentic.

[@KatherineAlfaro-zf2gk]

Great choices of the stones you used for the steps and landing. I am sure the gents that built the cottage were looking down from above, grinning from ear to ear, commenting with each other, what a great job you did making the stone steps. Not only does restoration give great satisfaction to you, Sean, but pays homage to those who built the cottage. Hopefully, they can see your handiwork and feel pleasure that what they built continues to give shelter to other generations. Take care, Sean. Hello from Yakima, Washington, USA

[@silevee]

Sean, your whole ethos is to bring the cottage back to life as a habitable home and make everything look in keeping with what has gone before, so to cut the long-windedness, yes, your stone steps look like they could have always been there!

[@brendadudson7132]

Yep it's looking like it's been there for years .we'll done you ❤

[@Torsten389]

An idea to consider when you’re done is to give them a slight burnish, like you see in an old monastery or castle. They look amazing, that old dressed stone is priceless, if only the stones could talk I bet they would have quite the story to tell. Love your ideas.

[@Seans_World]

Good tip!

[@ansis86]

Yes they do! I’d love to have more spare rock sitting around. Whe we bought our place, which built in the far off year of 1959, we inherited some landscaping rocks which I’ve reused where I can but many of them are the local(ish) Auckland volcanic lava stone which is full of air pockets and usually in irregular, jagged shapes. Our neighbourhood bedrock is 40-50m down 😅 I did manage to make an inukshuk out of the flatter schist type rocks though, still very proud of that!

[@Seans_World]

So you should be

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

Looks like the stones were there before the barn was built. Speaking of the stones, did you know The Rolling Stones are still writing music and playing concerts. 👍👍👍

[@Seans_World]

Thanks for the info

[@marilynm8812]

The stones do look original; but, then who would question you? They certainly are old stones. I guess Sam is happy to see some stones leave the garden area.😊

[@lisadurban3525]

My grandparents lived in a very old farm house and the hall front to back was huge flagstones very uneven due to wear and now I know why they didn't change them other than historic reasons, they must have weighed a ton.

[@annettemirva5086]

The stairs look like they have always been there. Nicely done

[@autodidactin]

The steps do indeed look like they have always been there Sean. You have always been great in using what’s at hand and you certainly aced this project in that manner.

[@charskene714]

Those stone steps look great. When you get f finished it will look like it was always there.

[@mavep2855]

Yes, they look original to the cottage. You never cease to amaze me. 🙏❤️

[@annnolt2758]

My maiden name was Steinmetz which means stone mason and I remember my grandfather in the trade. Your steps are a beautiful work of art.

[@NancyTannehill-qn5zk]

You have inspired me to get creative at my own home. I also use my grandfather’s over 100 year-old handsaw. It works perfect. Yes, the stairs look like they have always been there.

[@megmills4798]

I agree I am inspired also best of everything on your project😊

[@constancewhite6906]

They do look original! Watching your process gives me more confidence in setting up my garden areas - considering affordable approaches and and the right look. Thanks Sean…

[@Seans_World]

You can do it!

[@johannaknowles8569]

Yes the stones steps look original and I completely agree about not loosing the old manual skills.

[@kathrynwitte3398]

People don’t care about old skills such as stone masonry or grammar anymore.

[@user-mq8fo3tr5u]

Yes, the stairs look absolutely authentic and amazing!

[@suzannemckitterick2781]

Hercules, you are the man of the ages. Wow!!! Your new steps look absolutely 100% authentic, that they were laid when the cottage was first built. No doubt about it. I enjoyed watching this video very much, observing your brain, as you worked out the details of planning, measuring, finding, cleaning, hauling, prepping and setting the right stones in place. You are a gifted teacher, as well as a competent stone mason. Your coordination of matching mortar colors, by pointing the fireplace area the same hue, along with the steps will make the difference between a plain stoneman and a master mason, which you have proven to be. Wow! That is going to be some cottage. What a magical child you must have been, Hercules. Your parents must have been overjoyed with all the creative skills you had. I can imagine their awe and wonder, watching you play and invent solutions to every obstacle you confronted. A real child prodigy. Lucky, lucky Lady Sam, to have such a brilliant thinker for a husband, and father of your children. Sir Tom and Lady Jasmine have inherited that intelligence, along with Lady Sam's interior design and decorating expertise (encouraged to develop by the Queen Mother), in their competence as photographer and real estate agents, showing the finished projects. And Sir Jack, another gifted child, has been found, complementing the skills of your family, making future building endeavors to be successful, in the future. What a legacy. I am anticipating such a magnificently finished cottage, when completed. How lucky were you, today, to go into your own quarry, finding the perfect stones in your own yard, just steps away, for your stairway base!!! A superb outcome...and a superb video... Thanks for showing us all how it is done!!! Marvelous!!!

[@Seans_World]

👍

[@cathyfield4765]

Yes the newly laid stonework maintains the original look of your cottage.

[@mkv1783]

I think they look great. Just like they have always been there.

[@joellenmeek658]

Really great that you have all those old stones to choose from. The steps look very authentic for the age of the cottage.

[@NeverIn57]

They look original

[@dianaflint6790]

Looks ABSOLUTELY STUNNING Sean, always in keeping with the cottage using what is already available and similar in ages. Love the rustic look xxx

[@dorothystorry1733]

I believe the steps do look original to the cottage… you are doing a great job recreating this space..

[@NancyTannehill-qn5zk]

Sean you are quite the visionary!! Another fantastic job. You have a gift for sure, not just anyone could do what you do. I really enjoyed watching the stairs come together.

[@richardvinsen2385]

The stairs look fantastic. I can’t wait to see them and the staircase finished. You’ve made a phenomenal amount of progress in the past few months. You should be very proud of yourself. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

[@Seans_World]

Thanks 👌 😊

[@registully3115]

You are right. We must save all our grand parents tools because they don't make them the same quality nowadays. So many of these tools don't even exist any longer and that is true with all sorts of jobs, like gardening, for exemple; i have kept very old tools even if I have replaced handles and shafts on some of them, but you certainly won't find the like of them anywhere else, they're over a 100 years old for some of them... By the way, your steps do fit perfectly with the cottage.

[@andy2950]

Great effort! Necessity is the mother of invention. Talking about using what's at hand. I knew a guy who decided to put a green roof on his shed. He did it all with old pallets and off-cuts. Then he realised he needed a ladder to get up to it. He went around the neighbours asking if they had any old and unused spades and shovels. Then, using a length of oak trunk from his garden, he fashioned the tools and wood into a permanent set of very strong steps. It sounds sketchy, but it worked. And it outlived the green roof.😅

[@Seans_World]

Great 👍

[@marymick3402]

Enjoy your break away. Thanks for taking us along ❤

[@lindamarsden8024]

Sean is an inspiration to us all. The steps are magnificent. I love the way he has preserved the look of the cottage. 👍⭐💖

[@Seans_World]

Thanks 👌 😊

[@user-fc2hb3de2w]

You are so spot on Sean, with the world in turmoil as it is the 'old ways' may be the only way we have in the future. That is why people need to collect old tools, old books, and learn how to survive the 'old way'. The stairs are magnificent, just like they've always been there.

[@jesschee5891]

Honestly you are doing exactly what the original builder of those cottages did. Looks great 👍🏻 definitely look original to the building. Sean, you must be amazing at puzzles 😉 you’ve got a good eye for fitting those stones❤

[@Stephen_A.]

They definitely look original to the cottage, especially with the visible crack in the first one. 💙

[@janehoward1950]

Wow! Those steps are amazing and look authentic in the cottage 😀 rest up now Sean, take a couple of days off and let your back fully recover. Great content to this video ❤

[@phyllisvedder3077]

Yes they look like they have always been there.

[@SHYsArt]

Sean, your back breaking work is inspiring. It has been great to watch what you have done at home and afar through the years and look forward to the years to come. hugs

[@joanoneill381]

They certainly fit in with what was used when the cottage was built! Lovely job, Sean.

[@clairegledhill2497]

Yes the steps look original to the cottage, they will be a great feature

[@sarahrussell3418]

Yes the steps look like they have been there since the building was built

[@shelleythornton6938]

Yes those fit right in . they look as if they have been there forever.

[@athomeinfrancewithsam837]

Sorry we were not on the live chat today, but it is our anniversary so we were out for dinner ❤

[@Seans_World]

Yes happy anniversary 🎉 💕

[@Ruth-uj1dm]

Well you certainly deserve a dinner out. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.🍾🎂💐

[@donnastorch4462]

They look perfect, like they have always been there.

[@jenniwatson8799]

The stairs base looks great, almost like they were always there.

[@Bently2849]

As usual, a stellar job very well done! And to answer your question, it absolutely looks original to the cottage! Anyone looking at those steps would think that you had worked around a beautiful stone landing/step(s) keeping it for posterity while making changes to the stairs going to the next story of the building. A really super job! Even more important to me is that I learned a great deal about laying a stone floor and about methods of installing a stone floor in an old building. Thank you so much for the information and tutorial. Very valuable lesson!!

[@Seans_World]

My pleasure 🙏 ☺️

[@erinboehm3807]

The steps absolutely look original to the cottage! Fantastic job, Sean!!!

[@lisabisco3583]

They absolutely look original to the cottage! Beautiful job Sean❤

[@julieholcombe7422]

"Just got wind now. "..."Not me." 😂😂😂😂😂

[@barbarakloise6790]

I enjoyed this today I have done stone walls for my gardens and always enjoyed working with rocks. Your steps look great Sean! Very well done!

[@Seans_World]

Thanks 👍

[@laurencunningham8281]

We dug tons of sandstone rocks from our little stream to build a low wall along the back of the garage and garden and one along the house.

[@Seans_World]

Great 👍

[@aileenhaggarty681]

Yes I think they do. Same stone. Great job. 👍🙏🏻

[@danielleboely6820]

You remind me of my Dad doing with what you have before buying well done

[@Seans_World]

Nice

[@dyannejohnson6184]

YES THEY DOOOO LOOK ORIGONAL

[@monikastuckey8737]

Glad you have the stone and the know how to complete the steps. I feel for you and your back.

[@alberthameijer9037]

It looks like if they always been there..... nice job

[@user-do6rm7tn3f]

Sean those stones you used so look like they have been there since the cottage was built. What a great job.

[@lesley-annmaggs15]

As with all you do your capacity to blend your materials from one place with another shines through. Lovely job. Mind the back.

[@pambridge3913]

Sean, you continue to blow us all away with your knowledge and skill. The steps look like they have been there for centuries. Using the old ones for the rest will really make it look authentic. Love watching you work. Best wishes to you, Sam and the family from Pam in Grafton New South Wales, Australia.

[@Seans_World]

Thanks Pam

[@cherihatcher7871]

Yes they look like the stones in the fireplace.

[@carladejonge4951]

I think the stairs/landing looks great! Like it’s always been there! Well done, Sean! The Boss will like it too! Ha!

[@suehall3298]

Sean the steps look as if they have always been there 🤗👍 ☕ Love Sue❤❤❤🇬🇧❤❤❤

[@desirepflugbeil8986]

It looks great! Perfect for the cottage. And I have to agree. Use more of what we have in stead of buying.

[@victoriatracey5919]

I enjoy watching you treasure hunt for just the right stones Sean and as usual you’ve aced it with the steps.👏🏻👏🏻 They look fabulous, well done again 😊

[@Seans_World]

Thanks 👍

[@cs3742]

Waiting for the video to start...anticipation is building higher and higher!

[@aboutthetheory]

That was truly awesome, Sean. When we did our steps, we found some (very heavy) handmade blocks under the hedge, which made it easy once we moved them to where we needed them. We have since found out that our house was built by the family who started a brickworks back in the late 1800s, they started with handmade blocks and bricks.

[@Seans_World]

That is awesome!

[@sillashepherd1032]

Yes ! They are very much in keeping.

[@tammycrowell5442]

That's fantastic Sean! And yes, the steps look like they've been there for ever! Incredible work ❤

[@teresadasilva8773]

Well done. . Looks original

[@margaretsavidge7052]

It helps that the stones are from the property so how you use them in the remod will work and look like they have always been there, using old and new in the remod will work great in todays living, well done sean.

[@user-yz4xf9xs3i]

yes look great as if they've always been there 💯👌👋

[@christinewilkinson3772]

I have a loose brick or two in my back steps, now I feel like I could mortar them in!!

[@Supercheeseburger666]

Watch out for your back! Old injuries will creep up out of nowhere... I'm sure the stones will blend right in when the mortar dries. 👍👍

[@libbybertrand9320]

The steps definitely look original to the cottage Sean! Love watching you do the stonework on your cottage☺️❤️🇺🇸

[@sharonjackson1445]

Sean you are a Great creator of Those stone steps. You are Amazing!😊😊😊

[@lindavandenbussche4352]

You work so hard . Got a bag of cement and looking for a project. Very original.

[@dimiioma]

Hello Sean, if you’d have unearthed the hese steps whilst digging, i’d have believed they were original. So yes! Well done. Regards Mark

[@lisaglynn3121]

The steps look like they have been there forever!

[@bethsheeba1198]

They do look original to the cottage. Well done.