You might have noticed that I haven’t posted something in a while. That’s because there has been a big and exciting change happening recently. namely, we bought a house!
It has been a very challenging time to get the house livable with both me and my boyfriend working full-time. Now we finally everything to the point where we have a moment to spare. I want to take that time to share the happy news with you.
About our new house
The house we have bought is right outside the city Sala in the middle of Sweden. It was built sometime in the 1850th, the first we have found of the house is from 1856.
The main house is about 180 kvm / n 1900 square foot. The property and the plot is quite big, about 8.3 hectare / 20500 acre. There are a lot of buildings on the property:
- Guesthouse
- Machine hall
- 2 Barns
- Woodworking shop
- Blacksmith workshop
- Firewood shed
- Garden shed
- Underground storage for food and wine
- Pond
- Brick fish/meat smoker
The main house is spacious and has a lot of character and quirks, some of the highlights are:
- A hidden ceiling painting
- Original wood flooring in several rooms
- Original wood ceilings in several rooms
- Original panel doors
We are extremely happy to be here, this house is a huge step towards building a life that we love. There is enough space here to build a home, grow a family, and be able to do the things we are passionate about.
Naturally, there are a bunch of things that need to be done. Which you would expect in an old house. Some of the bigger changes include switching the wood panel on the front of the house and replacing the brick roof in the main house. We also need to build a master bathroom in the house. currently, there is only one WC in the main house and a shower cabin in the boiler-room.
What is next?
To be honest we have already started doing some work on the property. We have striped down the old bathroom and started fitting the new plumbing and the new water. I will definitely share more of that project further down the road!
We have also installed rock heat/ mounting heat in the house. It was installed about a week ago. It already had a water-carried heating system installed when we moved in. However, it was powered by a wood-burning boiler. We saved the boiler since it was in very good condition, it will work as a spare heating alternative. The new heating will work as the main heating system.
Despite the juicy installation cost, the new solution will lower the heating costs significantly over time. It also means the house is always going to be heated. One big downside with the wood-heated boiler is that you (obviously) have to make a fire every time you need warm water for showers or to heat the house. Living in Sweden there is also another downside. In winter when the temperatures sometimes go down to – 30 C / -22 F, then things start to break. Water pipes can freeze and break and it can lead to all kinds of damages.
That’s why we decided to make a new heating system our first investment in the new house. It not a sexy investment but it is functional! Now the heating is very low maintenance, and in the future, we can go on vacations in the winter without having to find a “house sitter”.
Projects already started
Between moving in, working full time, tearing out the bathroom, and installing the new heating system… there hasn’t exactly been a lot of time to spare. Since I am a bit crazy I have also started some smaller DIY projects like painting and a cane chair, restoring a crystal chandelier, and DIYing smaller decor pieces. I am really looking forward to sharing those projects with you!
As soon as everything calms down a bit I will upload more about my current projects. This hose will mean that a lot of new interesting projects and I promise to share it all with you! There will be rooms makeovers, garden makeovers and I already have a ton of DIYs planned. I am also thinking about creating a “house to home” series. Let me know if that is something you would like to see!
When I do upload new content it will be over at the blog section of my blog. Also, make sure to become an email insider and join the selectedcrafts tribe if you want to join me on this adventure!
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