Planning 1000 miles away

Our purchase trip only lasted 3 days: view, sign and fly away. Leaving only one night to convince my young starting builder brother to take on the works. My husband is master of persuasion I think, perhaps should have indeed started his own cult like his old friend joked. They shook hands over a beer and a deal was made. I don't think my dear sibling realised the scale of what was ahead. On the outset the barn conversion looked good and nearly complete. A bit of plaster boarding, filling, paint and done. Add soffits and removal of internal cladding and DONE! The reality was anything but that.

The following autumn was spent trying to put together a plan, find tradesmen who would be able to carry out more specific jobs like plastering external stone walls, fire safety assessment and potter to finish half built fireplace. Sourcing materials and approving (or disapproving) completed stages. Finding solutions to problems that exposed themselves step by step as my brother peeled away layers or tried to complete various stages. The barn was listed in Building Registry as animal shelter, meaning that it could not be used as a house. We needed to complete the building works during 2 years (local timeline for Building Regs Notification) and apply for change of use and list it as dwelling. All this whilst holding down 9-5 jobs, tending kids and general house work in UK.

Lots of frustrations were on the way. The project that came with the house was partially incomplete and incorrect. There was little to no documentation on done works, leaving us wondering and scratching our heads at how things were done and set up. In fear of hoax calls most people in Estonia do not trust calls from foreign numbers. So I would call my mother, ask her to call chosen trader and inform him that I would call. Three connections later I would finally speak to who I was after.

Ahead of us was a big mess of a daunting bundle of various works with seemingly long enough deadline - 2 years.