Taking up residence

Unexpectedly, we got a call that said that while they cried as they left, our new old house was free and ours a few days early. We decided we would head on over, take some pictures and clean the kitchen again before we start moving anything in. I took these and have processed them in black and white to soften some of the grime - there is a lot of work ahead.

The house is built around the chimney, which is the only real solid part of the home and services all of the ventilation. There is currently one fireplace, but we are open to the potential of putting a second one in on the floor above - but it is far from a priority as we will not generally need it for heating, it is more atmospheric.

The stairs are fantastic and once they have been cleaned up and repainted, they should make a nice feature in the home. We are also taking out a few walls to let the light reach deeper into the house and clean up the lines. There are a lot of doors that close off and complicate spaces unnecessarily and once we are able to open them up, there will be a grander feel to the stair well.

Currently, the house runs on oil heating, which will be the first thing we change as it used between 3 and 4000 liters of oil per year - which is both expensive and not great for the environment. We were planning on putting in geothermal heating where they drill a very deep well for the exchange system, but with the recent advances in an air/water exchanges that have improved them for Nordic conditions, we are leaning that way. The house is large so the cost and type of heating is important, especially in a country where it can drop to -30C (-22F) occasionally.

Our neighbours dropped by for a stickybeak to see what the place looks like empty. The neighbour is my wife's best friend for over 30 years and live in a similar kind of home they have been renovating the last decade or more. This isn't a small task ahead, especially since we are going to be doing as much of it as possible ourselves and I am hoping that they can help out a little.

A lot of the house is original, which means it has to be torn down and replaced, as it has been in there since the 60s. However, there is a lot of character in the home and we are going to try and preserve some features while still updating into some very modern styles. The bathroom and second toilet are going to be very minimal.

The house is split into three levels, with the basement being cold, which is where the only shower is currently. Originally, there were two families living in the house, so there were two kitchens and lounge rooms, so we aren't likely to run out of space too soon. The size of the house isn't why we bought this place though, it was the land, location and that when we walked in, it felt like it could become our home. This space below is the basement-level garage and since it fits two cars, this space will eventually be where I have a bit of a place to get my hands dirty.

It also has two attics that run the length of the house and we are looking to warm them and turn them into closets, as despite the size of the house itself, the two bedrooms do not have any storage space at all and we will have to build them in. Our daughter's room is actually an old kitchen and has weird spaces, complete with holes that run outside that brought air into the potato cupboard.

And of course, there is a sauna, something that I have missed since I haven't had an apartment with one for fifteen years. This one is wood-fired, which means I am going to have to buy some wood from somewhere to heat it. We have a birch tree that has to be removed close to the house, so in time that will provide firewood for quite a few years, but felling that is some way off.

The ex-owners left us a pile of books next to the keys for the house, including a key with a question mark, as they had no idea what it was for. Th book on top (House Doctor) is supposedly famous for these kinds of houses and explains why and how things should be done a certain way. For example, the house needs to "breathe" properly in order not to get mold, it needs enough airflow.

The nicest part of the day was how excited and comfortable our daughter was there, curious as to what things were, but confident enough to roam the rooms by herself exploring. She is very keen to get in there, but is worried that our dog is going to get lost and be upset.

For the work that needs to be done as well as what we want to do, we do not really have a large enough budget, so will have to compromise and postpone a fair bit. With the ongoing global health crisis and the expected continued economic collapse, we are even more under strain - but for now, I am not going to think too much about that and just enjoy the feeling of finally having our own space to grow into - to breathe so we don't get moldy. This has been a lifestyle decision for us, one where we have more work to do, but it is ours.