Woodwork heaven

[ellisn]

February this year my girlfriend and I purchased a house in a village in Bulgaria, the house is in need of lots of work but it is surrounded by valleys and forest and comes with lots of land and a couple of barns. We decided we would move there as soon as we can, everything is so much cheaper there and the village life is like stepping back in time, people bringing you home made cheese and yoghurt, nearest thing to a traffic jam is a donkey in the road. I have always wanted to get into woodwork, my grandfather was always a carpenter and all my memories of him involve wood chippings saw dust ... oh and playing the spoons. But I have been a computer programmer and the last few years living in a flat so woodwork has just been something I thought was something I wish I could have done. Well now I have the space coming, a barn to convert into a workshop and a house that gives me so many excuses, doors, kitchen bathroom .. well everything needed.

So my first step, buy some books, see what tools were needed, I was told that the tools in Bulgaria are not good quality and can be hard to come by .. by a Bulgarian.. so my purchases are happening here and now. Ofc reading the books I have been buying table saws, routers, bandsaws, planner thicknessers etc, and the last few weeks have been like Christmas. All needing to be compact as they will have to be taken over with our furniture so nothing fantastic but the best I could afford and the ones recommended after searching the internet.

But now... Hand tools, there is nothing more enticing than a nice set of chisels, a good looking hand plane or a gorgeous brass backed tennon saw. I am hooked, have the tools at my work storage, getting all my remaining stock covered in saw dust and getting lost in all the things about woodwork I never even knew existed... grain direction.. joint strengths... tool maintenance. I just can't wait to get out there and set up a real workshop rather than make do with 'playing' when I get a free moment at work.

So what is this message about... just saying hello I guess and making it so when you all get annoyed later with my thousands of questions you know who it is annoying you
Oh one real question.. some of the outbuildings are made with lots of wood, mainly from trees that grow on the land like walnut etc.. could any of this be useful?

Hope anyone who reads this isn't too bored just had to share my excitement I guess. And yes this excitement is still here after working a set of chisels on some waterstones.

Already not a fan of the Veritas MKII, just doesn't hold the chisel secure enough I think.

Neil

 

[ellisn]

To help visualise:

The Village:

The House:

The Grarden View:

Couple of the outbuildings:

From now on only pictures of tools I promise.

 

[Bigdanny]

Hi Neil,
I have been here for nearly 8 years now. Bulgaria is a bit rough at the edges and not for everyone but I think you and I have made a good choice. What area of BG are you in. I'm up in the far North West.

You are absolutely correct regarding tools. UK tools are better quality. I brought most of my machinery overland, over a period of a few years. Feel free to PM me and we can swap phone email etc. I can probably help you with the language. Its worth taking the time and effort to learn it.

I'm just off to the Saturday Market to see if there are any tools. There will be something like that near you. Last week I picked up 5 Kantenfix edgeclamps for about 5 UK pounds each.

Good Luck
Danny

 

[Bigdanny]

Oh and if you want to use the old wood then make sure you get a metal detector, something like The Wizard, A priory nail puller and a Good 3 foot crowbar and a spare set of blades for you planer thicknesser.

 

[dj.]

From the pictures it looks pretty idyllic, though from the state of the out buildings it looks like you`ve a lot of work on your hands.

Best of luck.


regards.

dj.

 

[Grahamshed]

You have the mother of all WIP posts there by the look of it. I wish you all the luck in the world.

 

[John51]

Most of the pics I've seen of Bulgarian houses have the stairs on the outside.

I'm curious as to why, anyone know?

 

[Baldhead]

I hope you are going to do WIP pictures of all the restorations, and as Graham said good luck, you have a lot of hard work ahead of you.

Baldhead

 

[Graham Orm]

I wish.....I was 20 years younger with the knowledge I have now.......I wish I had the money........I would be there in a heartbeat. Good luck and enjoy, the world is an angry place these days, looks like you have found a peaceful corner.

Hope you can get on line and keep us up to date with the progress, it will be fascinating to watch, don't worry about your skills, we will give plenty of guidance. :wink:

 

[aideym]

I wish.....I was 20 years younger with the knowledge I have now.......I wish I had the money........I would be there in a heartbeat. Good luck and enjoy, the world is an angry place these days, looks like you have found a peaceful corner.

Hope you can get on line and keep us up to date with the progress, it will be fascinating to watch, don't worry about your skills, we will give plenty of guidance. :wink:

x2 on that, although the house prices in Bulgaria look very attractive

 

[david123]

You are moving to Bulgaria, and we are moving to Devon (hopefully if we ever manage to sell our house) Not a million miles away from where you are now. I wish you all the luck in the world with your move, and hope all your dreams come true.

 

[twothumbs]

Well I can only wish you every sucess and future enjoyment to you and your partner. What a super project.....just don't get disillusioned on occassions. Whats the bet that you will be known locally as the mad English people? Best wishes.................now looking for the threads to come.

 

[ellisn]

Hi, yes very cheap. Cost only £4k and we have been told we overpaid as houses can be got for half that.

Danny, will pm my details. We hope to be moving out there in a couple of months. I run a small business selling photographic studio equipment and need to clear my current stock. The house is in a village called Dolni Boshnyak, about 20 minutes drive from Vidin, so also North West . My girlfriend is Bulgarian so language will be Ok, I am a very slow learner of the language but once there I guess I will put in a bit more effort. But will be very handy knowing someone there who knows how to say wood related words in Bulgarian. There are a couple of UK families in the village, one couple living there permanent and the other more holiday home. We are in the process of getting my brother a house there too.

Yes I will keep a WIP post going, so far we have had structural work done, new roof, the house is half buried - built on a slope - and we had to have it all dug out and water proofed, and we now have a cesspit, no toilet yet but the plumbing is there. I will rewire when we get there then it will be making some doors, external and internal. Should be fun as a first real woodwork project :shock:

Yes a lot of the village houses have stairs outside, ours doesn't have stairs (another thing I will have to tackle) we have to walk around from the outside. I think the houses were one floor living mainly, with grandparents living one floor etc not sure why the stairs are outside normally.

My girlfriend does carved leatherwork, mainly making archery equipment (www.artemisleathercraft.co.uk - not seen as a plug I hope as it isn't woodwork related). So she will need a workshop as well. Won’t be much of a selling opportunity there but we hope to shift items back to UK for distribution. Other than that haven't a clue how we will make money, maybe buying and selling houses but we will see. I'm a great believer in taking the leap and worrying about the practical things later :lol:

Now off to search ebay for metal detector, good idea that.

Neil

 

[ellisn]

Work so far:

The roof had to be done first and guttering added. Very pleased with the result:

Then the next serious problem was a downstairs wall, as it is buried it was so damp the wall was bulging and bricks falling out, before we could have the outside dug out to waterproof it we had to get the wall reinforced:

Then the outside dug out, reinforced with cement and then waterpoof layer and insulation, and a french drain to lead the water around the house:

And then the cesspit:

All the outside plumbing is in place so from now on it is mainly cosmetic work, the path put back outside the house and a bathroom to be installed. The rest will probably wait until we are there.

Then I will be posting pictures of wonky doors and feeble kitchen units all made by me

 

[Steve Maskery]

That looks quite an adventure.
I'm in the process of buy a place myself. I thought that I would have to buy a wreck and do it up. I was prepared to do that, but not really enthusiastic. I have done plenty of DIY in the past (not on your scale), re-wiring, putting in CH (when you could do all that without anyone bothering you) but I was a lot younger then. I really don't have that sort of energy anymore.
So I'm getting a nice old house in a very unfashionable town. It's not the rural idyll I had in mind, but if my eyes continue to deteriorate so that I can't drive it will be far more sensible than living in a village miles from anywhere.
So I get a house, it has a large derelict shack at the bottom of the garden, which is ripe for demolishing and redeveloping and I'm going to be very happy there.
I hope you are too, it looks fantastic.
S

 

[ellisn]

Hi Steve, so far all the work is being done by 'experts' too big a job for me and we don't have the time to be there so we are trying to get as much of the main work done before we go. Even have double glazing being fit within the next couple of weeks, a lot cheaper to have done there than here I was very suprised. But as it will be almost winter when we go we thought we had better get it done rather than sufferthe current broken rotten windows. Will just have to get the dors made as soon as we arive as they are not very draught poof... in fact they barely close. Good luck in your new home, it is great having adventures in life.

Neil

 

[MickCheese]

Neil

That looks idyllic but a lot of work. IT people can work anywhere there is a broadband line so consider earning your living at something you know well.

Best of luck with the refurbishment and I for one would love to watch your progress.

Welcome by the way.

Mick

 

[ellisn]

Thanks Mick, I will try to keep it wood related but will keep this post going until people start yawning. Have already found a neighbour through it in Danny and never expected that so glad I started this thread.


Neil

 

[david123]

Good on you Steve

Wish you all the luck in the world with your new home, and I recon that shack at the bottom of the garden will turn into a paradise.
Look forward to hearing all about your new WIP. (hammer)

 

[Losos]

But as it will be almost winter when we go we thought we had better get it done rather than sufferthe current broken rotten windows.Neil

How cold does it get in winter :?: we are in Eastern Europe and we get minus 22C so a good central heating system is essential.

Regarding the language, your partner might speak Bulgarian but that doesn't mean she knows all the technical terms and trying to explain to her in English what a 'waney edge' is and then getting her to put that into Bulgarian might be a problem DAMHIKT :lol:

Along with poor quality tools you will find poor quality work if you use outsiders and I found that so called 'tradesmen' always wanted to use my ladders and wheelbarrows and even some of my tools :roll: and they often want you to buy the materials for the job before they will start work :x

Are you going to remain a UK resident for tax purposes :?: Do you have any savings :?: Is Bulgaria in the EU :?: If it is then be aware that the European Savings Interest legislation now means that any interest you earn in UK (Including pensions, ISA's, Premium Bonds etc) will be reported to the Bulgarian Tax authorities and you'll have to prove you've paid tax on them in UK. In the case of Premium Bond prizes you won't be able to do that and may be liable to pay 30% to Bulgarian tax authorities (so if you should win the big one that's £330,000 :x)

Finally, what status will you have over there 'Tourist' 'Foreign tempory resident' 'Foreign permanent resident' etc. depending on which you go for will depend on things like drivers licence, ownership of property, and medical services. I would strongly advise that you get an EHIC before you go but this only covers accidents and emergancies any other medical services will need to be paid for.

Best of luck with your venture, one thing you should find is peace and solitude and you don't get much of that in overcrowded Britain.