Oh it’s been a long, long road with this one. But like the very first project we undertook together, we love this house. Little secrets emerged from behind layers of wardrobes, original flooring came back to life and today our lovely new tenants moved in.
For those of you who are interested, I’ll let the photos tell the story of a little 2 bedroomed (it was 3 bed when it was originally built but with only an outside loo and no indoor bathroom) Victorian mid terraced house.
The previous owners had lived there for 60 years, the lady (her daughter) who sold it to us told us that her parents had originally rented it then managed to buy it with a mortgage. She (the daughter) was born and bought up there, her mother lived out her final years as a widow in the house and the daughter’s son and his children all had strong memories of spending time with their grandparents (and great grandparents) there.
Yesterday the previous family came to look over the house before the tenants moved in. I was anxious. We bring properties up to a modern standard (putting in central heating, efficient plumbing and decent kitchens and bathrooms).
We try to revive old floorboards if we can and replace them if we can’t. We paint our houses white so that whoever buys or rents them can make them their own. But they look very different from when we start and I was worried it might upset the previous family.
Fortunately there were tears of joy and smiles of relief as they saw fireplaces uncovered and restored that they had previosuly forgotten existed. Admiration for the floors and chuckles at the improved outside loo.
Time now to rest and focus on ourselves. Time for good food, and sleep and long walks on the beach.
Chica Andaluza 
Another beautiful job!
Thank you Rosemary!
It looks like you’ve done a marvelous job to me – a big improvement 😉
Thanks Mad – we enjoyed this one!
So where to next?
We’re tied to England for the next few months and maybe when Big Man is on the mend we’ll tackle our own new (Victorian) house in Bexhill which is crying out for a total refurb 🙂 Hope all is well with you?
Wow – I bet you’ll do a similarly excellent job on that!
I’m fine thanks, do let me know if you are coming to London in December 🙂
Will do but think it’s unlikely for the moment – will drop you an e-mail soon!
OK – do let me know – I’ve got some dam not sloe gin 😉
Intriguing!
Sloe gin made with damsons – it’s almost the same thing. You’ll need to have a bottle so that Big Man can compare it to Patxaran – obviously it won’t taste of Anis, but the sloe/damson flavour is common to both drinks 🙂
I think we’ll both love it 😉
Somehow I don’t doubt that 😉
😉
Well done, you two. You deserve a well-earned rest, with wonderful food and wine, and the time to breathe all that lovely fresh air. 🙂
We’ve had two days since we finished and are just trying to work out how to slow down!
This is my favorite yet! Love the large windows and fireplace in what I am guessing is the living room. Very homey.
Yes, it’s the living room – and there is so much lovely light in that house, even on a dull day!
Great job! Congrats to you both, and enjoy some well earned down time. 🙂
Lots of restful activites are planned!
With copious amounts of good food and wine, I hope! 😉
Oh most definitely!
wonderful/…I love those floors..c
The floors are my favourite bit – I should have taken a snap of the back door step all worn and lovely!
What an amazing achievement Tanya. Well done. Enjoy your beach walks!
Thank you Tandy – looking forward to some improved weather so that we can enjoy those beach walks!
Wow – what a change! You have done an amazing job and it looks brilliant! I wonder what’s next on your adventure list…
Apart from recharging the batteries, the house we’ve just moved into in England needs gutting…..oh well, here we go again!
I think you’ve done miracles ,here! can’t but clap my hands, beautiful!
Grazie, sei molto gentile!
Wow! Another smashing success.
J
Oh how lovely! What a remarkable transformation – just beautiful!
Have a wonderful time catching up with yourself.
Have a beautiful week ahead.
🙂 Mandy xo
Thanks Mandy – finally time for a big rest!
I love how you let the houses speak to you. So often the characterful bits are ripped out in the name of modernisation. Another beautiful job. Enjoy the rest…it’s very well earned!
Thanks Evie – we really did enjoy this one as the house had such a good feeling to it.
You must be so satisfied with what you have achieved . . . I just do hope you will take some time for a proper breather now . . . 🙂 !
Yes, we’re especially pleased with the floors!
Beautiful job! How satisfying. Perhaps I told you a few years ago, I had an aunt, uncle and cousins in Sevilla and more in Mairena. We lost both aunts last November and January respectively. They both showed me the “maravilla que es Sevilla.”
Sevilla is indeed maravillosa!
And preparing for the dreaded big “C” Ms Chica, don’t forget the big “C” 😉 Job well done guys…”NEXT!” 😉
I am pretending that if I don’t think about it, it will take longer to come round. Actually, we’re planning a very quiet one this year, just the two of us, and I am looking forward to that!
Oh wow, look what you’ve done to it! It looks amazing – you must be so delighted to have finally finished 🙂
Thank you so much – we are relieved now that someone can enjoy it after all he work!
The two of you have need a well earned rest after this lovely transformation. A job well done!
Thanks Karen – we are starting to wind down!
I love it! Good job *and* good work!
Thanks Rachel J
OMG! What a great job you’ve done with this house!!! I love the fact that you manage to completely modernised it keeping, rescuing and bringing back to life its original spirit. I know now who I should contact if someday my dream of buying an old house comes true. Lovely! 🙂
I’ll start packing my toolkit 😉
What an industrious pair you are! 🙂 Is this the retirement plan/ Looks like you do a fine job 🙂
It most certainly is the retirement plan – but my knees are already feeling older than the rest of my body after doing those floors 😉
that’s a good job for you.
Thank you!
Wow, what a fabulous transformation – lovely to see both the old and new photos! Hope you find a little time to relax and unwind between projects.
Thank you for your kind words – the next project is our own house so no mad rush…we’ll enjoy Christmas first!
What a beautiful job you’ve done! Although I’m sure they’ll desperately miss the pebble-creted, shag carpeted, flock wallpapered toilet! 😉
They were devastated to see that change 😉
Wow wow wow. I LOVE what you did with the kitchen (and the rest of the house of course). Relax well in the meantime 😉
Thanks Fati – time now for a rest!
Looks great! I think its brilliant that you re-use what you can, it keeps some of the character.
We enjoy renovating old properties over new ones, and as far as we can we retain or restore as many old (but practical!) featuees as possible.
Really like the interior . Because I am also pleased with a clean, comfortable and spacious .
Decorating the house we can say easy easy difficult. Because one puts something it would seem narrow.
It looks so clean. I’m very like