ONE YEAR OFF GRID | 12 months progress on rural land in Spain | V.18

[@anthony18francis15]

Loving Your enthusiasm and creativity.. Enjoying Your adventure

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks so much! 💚😁

[@etiennedejager2956]

We've been so inspired by your story and plans that we have gone and done the same thing, some land and a derelict stone house in the province of Tarragona. Time will tell if we have what it takes to achieve as much as you have, or if this would be one of the biggest follies we've ever committed. I cannot wait to see what else you guys do and what we can learn from you. Fingers crossed for a similarly exciting adventure... and some water of course!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you for such a lovely comment. Congratulations on your purchase! So glad you decided to take the plunge. Sure you won’t regret it! 😁 Enjoy the process. It’s hard. But so much fun 😁💚

[@etiennedejager2956]

@@SmithsdaleFarm thank you for the well-wishers. Fingers crossed for a good outcome. And who knows, maybe we'll run into you somewhere beneath an olive tree 🍻

[@admindesk2760]

*****QUESTION, PLEASE***** In another video, you showed a dead snake floating in the water cistern. Was that this place? How do you purify that water? Do you use it for drinking/cooking or do you go with bottled? I would love to know how that works. And all the expenses such as the water tanks... the costs must really be adding up! Do you have a listing of expenses in one of the other videos? I think I'm becoming addicted to your project. I hope even though I may be late to viewing that you both are doing well. Thanks for your ongoing efforts.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

It actually wasn’t dead… that snake was alive! It was at one of the other properties, not the one we bought. But we did have a snake in the house…! A dead one, though, thankfully 😅 The water from the cistera at the moment is only used for washing the floor or watering trees etc. We’ll need to properly clean it before we can use it for anything else - and even then we’d want a proper purification system. Something like a Berkey water filter probably. For now we use water from the town fountain, which is potable, but we run it through a brita just to be sure.

[@helenaurelius-haddock4695]

Thanks for sharing. I noticed you were in a shop in Tortosa, and we've been there often and love it. The land in those hills and mountains is breathtaking. Good luck with your project and enjoy! We've lived in rural France since early 2000's and spend a few months a year now in Almería for some winter sun.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Ah thank you! Yes, it’s a really beautiful part of the country. The landscapes change daily depending on the season and the weather 💚

[@mimibergerac7792]

All I can see is the incredible back breaking work of building all these terraces and existing on a very basic subsistence level. You have chosen one of the hardest areas to live in, for the top level you would only need 6 months of snow and cold on top. Don't kill yourself overworking, I will watch ...

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Our climate is definitely not as harsh as many. We actually have as much rainfall per year as Paris (which would not be considered a dry place…) it just falls in short heavy rains instead of spread out through the year. It’s all a matter of good planning and water management 😁

[@isabellahogan2903]

Looking good guys keep smiling. Yes I would love to see your friends build.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks Isabella 💚

[@old_con]

Congrats on your marriage both of you. Lovely recap of the progress so far, just shows what can be accomplished by two determined hard working people. Awesome, keep showing us your journey we love following it. 👍🏽😎

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you Gavin 😍 we can’t wait to REALLY get stuck into all the projects this year 💪🏻 So excited to keep sharing all the progress with you 💚

[@astralsoul888]

So cool!! Very inspiring 💕

[@portugalonawingandaprayer473]

Excellent progress vlog … thank you ! You must be so proud of yourselves , love the wee dog … 🙏☘️😘

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you Hazel. Yep, feeling pretty proud, thanks 🥰 Especially given we only actually had such a small number of days down there due to all the lockdowns and stuff! Excited to the year ahead 💚

[@johncillo6179]

Well done guys! It's looking great.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you 💚😄

[@Mel-vr2cl]

Congratulations on a great job! I am really enjoying watching your homesteading projects. Thank you for posting them....

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

So glad you’re enjoying them Mel 💚😁

[@keekl6870]

OMG guys. The roads, the landscapes, the experience - they all look and sound so familiar. We bought a little farm (olive & almond-ready) on the Catalan Hill in Ginestar/Tivissa area 5 years back. Have fun you two. Best of luck 👍

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Wow! Fantastic. Do you still live in this area now? How is the farm, 5 years on? The mountains here have totally captured our hearts! 😅💚

[@keekl6870]

@@SmithsdaleFarm We are couple from different continents! Ben is from Wales, Kee (yours truly) is from Malaysia. Ben is there on the farm right now. I've not been there since pandemic was declared. I can't even travel within Malaysia 😭 We love it on the farm. Clean air, healthy simple living totally off the grid. Hope you guys enjoying Catalan countryside.

[@keekl6870]

@@SmithsdaleFarm the latest short vid that I posted is a glimpse of our daily lives on the finca. It's a collection of old & new pics converted into short, 1-minute story 😁

[@CasitaMiravet]

Best video ever, what an upgrade! Congratulations! Well done.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

💚💚💚 Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it Verena.

[@MegaNarwal]

You guys rock, keep us updated on the process and keep up the good work! Congrats on getting married as well :)

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you Márton 😁 we can’t wait to keep sharing it all with you!

[@josephrainbird9527]

Just stumbled on your channel. I’ve got some experience of living remotely in Africa but work in Uk. I’ve done a few projects like you chaps and gals. when you want to put together a small solar and economical set up give me a buzz and I’m more than happy to share my how to knowledge in solar ie wire thickness, controller and simple stuff which will work. Fantastic project and keep safe in your remote location.

[@SonnyGreenwichJr]

Just spent the whole day catching up on all your vids, we thought you had stopped! Yay! Loving the progress! From scarily sunny Ireland! ☘️☮️🤘🏽🤠👍🏽☮️☘️

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks Sonny! 💚 Not stopped.. just paused for a brief summer holiday 😅 We’ll be back to the cabin build in full swing soon, and ready to share all the progress one we kick off again! 😁

[@ElisaLlera]

Gahhhh! This gave us all the feels. What an incredible first year, you two. Congratulations again! Bring on the cooler whether and our next assignments. ;) PS totally loved the music choices.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

♥️♥️♥️ Next time you might be roped in to help with putting up cabin walls….. 😉😅

[@OKportugal]

Great video guys, well done!!! 👏 🤗❤️👍

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks so much 💚💚💚 And thanks for giving us the confidence to start our channel in the first place! 😁😍

[@OKportugal]

@@SmithsdaleFarm wow we had no idea. You are doing a great job. Love your little DogDog too. Reminds me a lot of our little pup Mimo 🤗

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Ah thank you! 😍 We really enjoy your videos. So keen to jump on the bee train in the future too… loving all the hive and honey vids. Although not sure about those pending sting attacks 😮🐝

[@OKportugal]

@@SmithsdaleFarm yes the stingy part is not so much fun... I think we have very defensive bees and you can get more chilled species 😅

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yeah. We heard the Iberian bees can be quite aggressive and defensive…!

[@Mountainviewfarm2022]

Great video guys here's to many years to come 👍

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks 💚 We can’t wait to get stuck into more projects this year!

[@Chestnut_tree]

love your channel! You are both soft spoken but your music is loud so we have to constantly adjust the volume! We love the nature noises as much as possible compare to music!!!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you, glad you’re enjoying it our videos 💚 We’re still learning and getting better at editing. Every clip has to be audio levelled individually so sometimes it’s hard to keep it consistent. Working on it though 😁

[@tephy49]

Just stumbled upon your channel as was looking for Off Grid living in Spain! And I am so happy that I came across you two! Please please please continue making videos!!!! Can't wait to see what you can make with that property - good luck!!! Love from Uruguay

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you so much 😁💚 So glad you’re enjoying the videos. We took some time off for the summer but we’ll be back to making more regular videos very soon!!

[@ignacioalonso6485]

great progress guys! just a tip, try to cover the water tank otherwise algae will grow with sunligh.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes, thank you, we will eventually make a permanent structure to put them underneath. For now a cover is doing the job. 😁

[@apsaps3651]

Verdaderanente admirables,mucha suerte en vuestro proyecto de vida!!!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Muchas gracias Agustin 💚

[@VijayRam-wf8lw]

Have you guys done a permaculture design course? If not I suggest you to do👍👍

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes! Danny actually went on a course recently and shared a bit about it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5qkfoGvgt-Ul5I It’s going to be so helpful in helping plan the land regeneration!

[@VijayRam-wf8lw]

@@SmithsdaleFarm great, I will be following your channel.

[@superliesjee]

Hi guys! I'm a new follower :) I find myself dreaming of owning a piece of land in Spain to regenerate, so I really appreciate your videos. Super interesting to see how you do it and what it all entails. Congratulations on what you have achieved in a year!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hi Lisa! Happy to have you here with us 😁 So glad you’re finding them useful! Hopefully you’ll be able to start your own adventure soon too! 💚

[@ravashhoodfar4084]

Dreaming of the same.

[@separatista]

Why dont you regenerate part of your own country??

[@superliesjee]

@@separatista good question, there are several reasons why I like to think of coming to Spain and the most important ones are money and space. The Netherlands, where I'm from, is a very small country and there is barely any land for sale which is therefore very expensive. I have Spanish friends that have shown me around and in Spain there is so much more agricultural land for sale that it makes it much easier to start farming if you're not from a farming family already. Furthermore I really like Spain and Spanish culture.

[@etiennedejager2956]

@@superliesjee so true. Here in the Netherlands it's ridiculously expensive. Hope you find your chunk of dream in Spain soon.

[@FruitsForLife]

Congratulations on your marriage 🥰. I binge watched all your videos today. A property like yours is our dream, but with two kids and work commitments, it’s gonna be hard for us to permanently move out from the UK. However, we are considering a second home in Southern Europe, mostly to grow figs. Growing figs is our passion and we got over 369 varieties growing in 19 greenhouses in the UK. Most of them came from Montserrat Pons Collection in Mallorca. Do you recon I should get in touch with some estate agents? Are these properties ideal for growing fruit trees? We really can’t commit longer periods away from home right away so hopefully our little and often plan is feasible. Keep up the good work and thank you for the videos 😊, Vinny

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Oh wow!!! More than one fig variety for each day of the year! 😲😋 Now that’s definitely a business we can get behind. Sounds amazing! Figs seem to grow incredibly well here, even without too much attention. So it’s likely you could manage without actually living here - and just organising visits around major times in the growing and harvesting schedule. Though of course we are by no means experts on anything like that! 😅 Don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible though…

[@autonomiedeluree4113]

very beautiful videos, congratulations to both of you. courage for your future work, I can't wait to see the finished swimming pool. 😉

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

We’ll invite you for a cold drink by the pool, when we build one 😉🤣

[@stephenpatton6985]

What a brilliant story and congratulations on your marriage.... Love your videos and have actually been of valuable help to us. We were buying some land in our village to also build but after intense digging we found out that the owner wasn't the legal owner, it was his ex wife so potentially we could have lost Alot but your info in previous video was very helpful. We still want to do similar to you so are still on the hunt and will keep you posted. Very happy for you both.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Oh wow! Sounds like you dodged a bullet there! Be sure to keep us updated. And if there’s anything we can help with or any questions you have, ask away 😁

[@stephenpatton6985]

@@SmithsdaleFarm much appreciated, thank you. We listened to your advice ages ago so thanks.

[@johndlee1029]

I’ve just become a follower and plan at a little bit older and in the Arizona desert to go off grid completely no water, electricity or sewer….on 2.6 acres. At 75 I’m looking forward to the transition. JDLEE

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hi John. Happy to have you here 😁 Sounds like the dream! Good luck with your move! 💚

[@greatescape7735]

Hi, Just started watching you guys and now hooked! My intention is to do something similar on a smaller plot in Spain. I take very early retirement next month so will have plenty of time atleast.

[@lordstevens121]

I'm so encouraged by your enthusiasm. I have two questions to ask. Firstly, what bureaucracy checklists are fundamental to buying a successful property purchase ? Secondly, how have you achieved constant access to drinking water ?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hi Gary. Thank you so much. We hope you’re enjoying the videos and that you’ll also get some helpful info from them. We’ll definitely include some information as per you “checklist” question in a video. We think that would be really useful for others too - plus it might be hard to detail here in a comment 😅 On the water - we’re currently drinking water from the community fountain in town. We’re only on the land for 2-3 nights at a time at the moment, so we only need 20L or so. But our long term solution will be clean filtered water that we’ve collected from the rainfall (roof spaces and water collected into the cisterna etc). We might even try mist nets, as some mornings it’s very misty in the mornings.

[@ninemoonplanet]

I just found your adventure. Perhaps you can find great help going through permaculture techniques and videos. Especially water, native species that add nutrients to the soils, compost, worm farms, and how to keep your place fore resistant. I find the us of permaculture adds tremondously to getting the land healthier. Terraces are good for water conservation, but there are other ways too. Enjoy your adventure. 🇨🇦

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks so much! Oh yes, we already have a very keen interest in permaculture and will be adopting a lot of those practices to improve the land! 😁

[@estebancorral5151]

observation is the first tool in Permaculture. what type of bat initially roosted in house? If it was insectivorous it is good news. They will keep insects down. As you distribute more water to your orchard the insects will multiple exponentially.

[@estebancorral5151]

Your ICB container is perfect for making a biodigester for biomethane. Following ninemoonplanet’s advice, the effluent could be fed to worms.

[@mizzesorru]

Hi guys ..Firstly ..congratulations for your wedding..I've just discovered your channel. And I'm following you with interest as I also have bought some land with an olive grove + house in Sardinia... Btw..Sardinia it's very similar to Catalonia as they used to be attached millions of years ago..before they split and rotated down to the Mediterranean..my profile photo shows the view from my land..I'm in the south of Sardinia near Cagliari..I wish you all the best with your venture ...

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Ah thank you 💕 Wow! Sardinia. Beautiful! That view looks stunning. Congrats on your property and adventure ahead 😁💚

[@mizzesorru]

@@SmithsdaleFarm thanks ..all the same to you 🧡🌳🌳🌳

[@ItsOhJoe]

Hey just come across your channel whilst searching off grid living - do you guys have residency in Spain already? Looking forward to following your progress!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hey! We hope you enjoy following along on our off grid journey 😀 Yes, we already have residency as we’ve been living in Spain for 6 years already, in Barcelona.

[@treeefrogUK]

Ey up you pair! Nice to see a couple of people from God's own county! Dunno if you've seen it but Bushcraft Radical (and his wife) did a nice little series about the off-grid cabin he built, there might be some useful tips 'n' tricks there that you could use. Another thought that occurred to me is that the large flat rock that Danny dug out of the road would be perfect for making/repairing a bancale(sp?), use it to 'tie' the inner and outer edges together and possibly tie it into the ground behind the wall as well. Enjoying the story so far and looking forwards to the next installment :)

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes! Thanks! That’s actually one of the videos (or sets of videos!) that we watched that really made it seem possible for two absolute novices to give it a go! He makes it look so easy 😅

[@mimibergerac7792]

Had to be really different living in your apartment completely off grid for one year ;)

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

🙃

[@tiborhodosi9678]

good one nice cappol nice jobb good luck

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you Tibor 💚

[@ravashhoodfar4084]

God speed. Very cool journey. Whereabouts is this?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you 😊 It’s in the Baix Ebre region in the south of Tarragona in Catalunya, Spain

[@ravashhoodfar4084]

@@SmithsdaleFarm Thank u so much. God speed.

[@anacasanova7350]

En España la tierra es muy dura pero de ahí sale el aceite de oliva y los higos y muchos frutos secos. Hay mucho trabajo para producir alimentos. Les felicito por su entusiasmo .🤔😀🤗 La ventaja es que no hay "bichos" venenosos ni serpientes. Ni fiebre amarilla, ni osos. Jajaja.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Jajaja. Pues, tenemos serpientes y jabali… Pero en realidad no son peligrosos (¡solo si es una mama con su niños!) Paco es el animal más caótico de nuestra tierra 🤣🤣

[@umayoub1]

Wow! Great job! What length road is that?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks! Never actually measured it… probably about 30 meters or so

[@quasimoto4424]

I am super excited for your progress as i want to go down a similar road. Maybe you can answer some Question. How is it with building Permits in Spain? Did you need any for this restauration? Did you need one for the shed? Is your land "finca urbana/suelo urbano". Would be amazing if you could shed some light. Thank you and good luck!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks so much! We’ll definitely be sure to include as much information on these topics as possible in our next video. We’re definitely not legal experts, but we’re happy to share what we’ve learnt so far in the hope it’ll be helpful for everyone 😁💚 Our land is classed as “Agricola” on the registry with an existing stone Almacén (kind of a tool shed..)

[@quasimoto4424]

@@SmithsdaleFarm Thank you for the reply, much appreciated. You are currently THE best source of information. Looking forward to your next Videos!

[@VictorDanila-j7c]

Hi guys congratulations on everything you doing there. I would like to ask if you have hired a solicitor or a lawyer to help with the process of buying the property or you just get it done without any help. I have watched videos advising legal advice and help from professionals because sometimes things are not that simple and straightforward as it seems. Lots of papers probably. I don’t know just asking because I plan a similar move in the near future from UK to Spain. Maybe you have already another video regarding this but I don’t know because it’s the first time I’ve seen one of your videos. I’ll check anyway but meanwhile I would appreciate a little help with this matter because I’m a bit concerned with the way sellers do things there in Spain. Are they always honest?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hey! Thank you. Glad you’re finding the videos useful. If you haven’t seen it yet, in this one we talk about the process of researching and buying land: CABIN BUILD SERIES | Ep.4 | How to RESEARCH & BUY LAND IN SPAIN to live Off Grid | V.19 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJjEo5iFr7tqe5I We also made one about the costs associated too. We didn’t use a lawyer or solicitor- neither for our rural or urban properties. But many do. And we advise you might want to do so if you’re not confident with either the process or the language. Beware what estate agents say - they may lie to make a sale, and tell you that you can do things that you can’t. It’s always best to speak to the Ayuntamiento (town hall) of the village/town you’re considering buying land/property if you can, to find out what is possible there. Some are very considerate and lenient, some are much more strict. Good luck with your search 💚

[@philipbutler6608]

I know you are committed to the environment and everything. But I would love to see you do an experiment and use fertilizer on a single terrace before the rainy season and during the rainy season. A good 20-20-20.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

It would be a very interesting test, it’s true. But to be honest we’ll try to avoid artificial fertilisers as much as possible and use Permaculture methods to reactive regenerative agriculture. Lots of trials and testing in that itself!!

[@simonray398]

Love your videos guys, it’s really inspiring Can I ask what it is you do for a living? Thanks

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you Simon! 💚 Glad to hear you’re enjoying following along. Do you hope to do something similar too? I (Kate) work in Digital Marketing (for a business travel company) and Danny works in Project Management and Packaging (for an adhesives company).

[@simonray398]

Hey…. Thanks so much, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.. It’s so useful! Kind regards S

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

@@simonray398 You’re very welcome 😁

[@jamesrivis620]

What part of the North are you from in England ? How exciting and what a great piece of land you have bought. I do hope the loss of the old olive orchard was not a surprise ?? Great choice in clearing a spot for the car. Clearly, if you mean to build, you are going to require some good tools as well as taking advice and learning skills . One thing I saw during the 'house' tour, a VERY BASIC item, is that much of the wood structure looks as if it will require rebuilding, as is, probably, the roof. I would not do much before that has been completed. Check out videos from 'The Indie Project' (near Castelo do Branco, Portugal. where Bee and Theo have taken on similar projects and made excellent videos. From them you need to know that many 'contractors' are unscrupulous, will take your money, and not either complete the work they are hired to do and/or will do bad work, leaving you out of thousands of dollars/ pounds. CHECK OUT REFERENCES AND ASK PROPERTY OWNERS TO SHOW YOU WHAT THIS PARTICULAR 'CONTRACTOR DID. Most importantly, you have taken on a huge and brave project and must try to be honest with each other, measure your tasks and not try to do too much. If you wear out your energy sources it will no longer have the excitement source you need to move forward. You guys have a huge advantage in speaking Spanish so SEEK OUT OLDER NEIGHBORS WHO MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A BETTER HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ( AND BE AVAILABLE AS WORKERS OR MENTORS) Also LOCK UP SECURELY ALL TOOLS, STRUCTURES, AND VEHICLES If you leave your land to go buy supplies etc.. I suggest building well-embedded , locked gate close to an area where thieves can't circumvent it with vehicles. Get a long level as a short one will not be accurate. Insulation should fit TIGHTLY.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you for all the comments and advice. We weren’t able to get to most of the trees due to the overgrowth so it was a surprise about the olive trees, yes, unfortunately. Although we never really intended to farm it for olives specifically so we’re not too worried about it. We’re from Yorkshire, close to Sheffield. But spent 9 years down south in a Reading before moving to Spain 6 years ago. Not sure we’re necessarily “from” anywhere anymore 🤣 haha

[@lifeontheround]

Wow, one year. Congrats! Do you have any advice on buying land, any things that could be avoided, etc. Do you think living in Spain already has made it easier, official wise, to buy land there? Would it make much difference to us having not lived in Spain? ( We are wanting land in the next year or so) Good luck guys, it looks great so far.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Our next video is actually going to be all about the process we took to buy the land - How we researched properties, organised viewings, what things to look out for etc. We’ll share as much as possible there to hopefully answer all these types of questions 💚

[@annekent5230]

Hi I just bought a property in spain. Non resident. 10 acres and a farmhouse. It was easier than in uk. And a lot cheaper. Due to covid we couldn’t view but knew the area i wanted. So the agent did video viewing. Only bit that was hassle due to covid was the NIE number (tax)needed to purchase.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks for sharing Anne! And congratulations on your new property 🎉

[@RicardoCerveraBlanco]

I bought a plot of land last year literally 15min drive away from that decathlon.

[@prosperousinspain]

One year in and you've built a makeshift window, a small wooden floor foundation and pruned some trees. I look forward to seeing the actual functioning farm in 2045 🤪

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

What’s the rush?! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

[@darrengadd5050]

Hello i commend you both,congrats How did you find the land firstly and find about the necessary stages of the buying process ?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

There a few websites for Spanish properties, idealista etc. they have land for sale and once you contact an agent they often have others that are similar to show you. For the process, we kind of bumbled through it. The agent helped a lot. One thing I would recommend is to really check what you can and can’t do on the land with the town hall, before you buy it.

[@reallynotpc]

I keep wanting to come down to Spain to fix the headlining on the car! I doubt that's even on your list. For beginners at DIY you are quite impressive, but you need to realise that your tools are all far too shiny and new. Don't worry - it'll wear off!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

It actually IS on our list 😅 But unfortunately we’ve had very expensive quotes so far so it’s a bit lower down than other things. Haha

[@reallynotpc]

@@SmithsdaleFarm 150 Euro for materials! I have a full-size Range Rover and did the roof lining twice on that during the eighteen years I had it. I was, of course, joking about the rooflining, but still, in your position I'd want my cabin sorted out long before the car insides. I have really enjoyed what you two have showed us so far.

[@adrianvervoort852]

Hey guys. Do you need planning permission to build a shed? I'm planning on moving to Spain in 2 years and have heard that building on rural land is challenging from a legal perspective.

[@zaraphilly]

Hi Kate and Danny, congrats on this brave inspiring initiative!! My husband and I recently came across your channel and are wondering what websites you used while searching for properties in Spain. Any you would recommend?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you. So glad you’re enjoying our videos so far. Our next video will be all about our property search and buying process.. but in the meantime we’d recommend looking at sites like Kyero.com or buscomasia.com to help you with your search 😁

[@zaraphilly]

@@SmithsdaleFarm thank you, looking forward!

[@alastaireland9109]

Hi guys. My partner Niamh and I are looking at land in Spain towards the last week of September. We've spoken to a few property agents and are looking to arrange a chat with the local municipality of our favourite plot to get an idea as to what we can/can't do on the land. Would it be possible to contact you directly to ask a few questions about your experiences?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Ah brilliant! How exciting. Do you have Instagram? Pop us a DM to @smithsdale_farm and we’d be happy to chat over there and help with anything we can 💚

[@alastaireland9109]

@@SmithsdaleFarm Thanks, we've just sent you over a message via Instagram 😊

[@wernerw9695]

It is rather sarcastic....Don't get me wrong, if its your (Catalonian) piece of land, you can do (of course) with it whatever you like. I am just curious what yr plan is. Becoming (sort of) self-reliant within 3, 5 or even 10 years ????

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Our biggest aim is to remain mortgage/loan free - meaning we’re building as we can, as we earn. We also have quite high quality standards and won’t be cutting corners just to get things done faster. If that means it takes longer, that’s ok by us. Our plan is to be on the land in the next 18months to 2 years, with most projects in full swing -either finished or developing (e.g some things like land regeneration will take many years!) If you want to continue following our journey, we’re happy to have you 🙃

[@wernerw9695]

One year to clean up some roadway, clean the cottage, prune some olivetrees, build a cabin, a composting toilet, a parking space and - last but, not least - installing a window !!! It's truly AMAZING ........

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

This seems rather sarcastic... maybe that’s just us reading it cynically 🤷🏻‍♀️ Well, actually it was only 30 days of work throughout the year. But we don’t need you to be proud of our progress - we can be proud of our own 🙃 But if this was genuine and we read it with the wrong tone.. thank you ☺️

[@muhammadyounis4827]

Hi Sir, please mention price land as per actre cost

[@Saffirebluu]

Love your videos and look forward to the journey. Check out ‘Off grid with Alan and Jenny’. They are rebuilding their terrace walls

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you! We’ll check it out! 👍🏻

[@LiLBitsDK]

sheesh insane to cut em down, that size olive tree is ANCIENT... and he would most likely have gotten more money for the land with em than he made on selling the wood

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Such a shame we know! They we’re probably close to 100 years old before they were cut down 😭 He only got about €600 for all the wood, too, according to our neighbour. What a waste. The land would have definitely been worth more if he’s kept them!!

[@martinfoden5064]

Wow your house is between benifiet and rasquera where I live. There is a massive cocaine problem in the area lock your doors.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Not heard about that from anyone 😯

[@palestineViper]

how much did it cost? which area?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

We made a video all about the costs that you can find on our channel. Including the purchase price for the property itself as well as all the extra fees and taxes. It’s in the Baix Ebre region in the south of Tarragona

[@RRCRDA777-55]

If you can make videos about 15 minutes long if posible and use extra footage for more videos.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks for the feedback. Interested to know why you’d prefer that length? 🙂

[@RRCRDA777-55]

@@SmithsdaleFarm You can make more videos and I can watch more videos. I am telling my family about your adventure, and we are thinking about doing the same, as a family we speak English and Spanish, but my daughter speaks German as well and I speak enough Italian to get in trouble.

[@Miserableplace]

Self imposed rural poverty. A peasant lifestyle.

[@kjterz]

better paint those totes black...or you will end up with algi................................

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hi Ken. Thanks for the tip. We’ll definitely put a permanent solution in place in the future (we’re thinking a simple structure with a roof to allow for extra rain collection). For now, we’re just using a tarp - not good for long term but fine for the time being 😁