House sitting in anticipation

We are relieved to have overcome our recent illness and are eagerly anticipating the exciting adventures ahead in our upcoming house-sitting endeavors. Simultaneously, keeping a close eye on the developments of our house-build brings us immense motivation and joy, especially as it progresses smoothly. The anticipation of settling into our new home is a beacon of positivity, and we’re grateful for the optimistic turn of events. We eagerly anticipate a visit to the job site each week to watch the progress unfolding.

For our project, albeit not a passive house (PH), we have tried to embody those ideas and hopefully it will demonstrate some PH principles: electrification, good insulation, low embodied carbon, utilising solar energy, efficient radiant underfloor heating, MVHR system and high performance construction. In hind site, it might have been good to consult with a PH professional to assess our specific home and to work with our architect to create an effective plan, but for now we are happy to see how it performs with what we have got. After all it hasn’t been cheap!

If anyone is thinking of doing something similar, or even want to retrofit a renovation to PH standards, take a visit to the Passivehause Association in Portugal located in Pombal (their website is https://passivhaus.pt)

When we got to visit the site, we were immediately struck with the amount of work that’s been done since our trip there last week. The first thing we saw was the soil for re-grading the land at the front for easier access. Remember that the original drawing showed the foundations much lower to the ground. There was a huge amount being moved to bring the level up.

Sat on the soil at the front, was a large tank that will be placed under the ground near to the stairs, and its purpose is to store some of the rain water from the roof. We say ‘some’, as it’s only 3000 liters, and the roof can shed over 100,000 liters a year on average. So once that gets full it will either overflow, or we can transfer to other tanks in the future. Either way it was important to us to make use of the rainwater.

Next, as we walked around the house, it became obvious that the pipes for the underfloor heating had been laid. It is a shame we didn’t get to film it. We didn’t want to disturb anything, so we just had a nosey through the windows (in desperate need of a clean!). Wandering around, the lower part of the land we noticed it had been dug to lay the septic tank too. Our only concern here was that it had been dug right next to our walnut tree and had cut through some of the roots. We hope it can survive, but only time will tell.

Our next surprise came when we wandered further around to the back of the house. The pool area had also been excavated! On a positive note the large rocks were apparently just sat on the surface and once moved, the soil looked to be fairly clean and not the solid stone layers we feared. That meant that they needed to add some of the big stones to the bottom, possibly to help stabilize the foundation of the pool? There certainly has been a lot of work done.

This week’s visit was on a Sunday. Firstly because the weather finally cleared up and it was a lovely day, secondly because it meant no one was working, so we could walk around the house without getting in the way of any work. Thirdly, because the weather was so nice, Wayne wanted to explore the hillside next to the house. He had come across a website that gave details where apparently a cave was excavated in the past and ancient human remains were found. An ancient necropolis on our doorstep! Too cool not to try and locate, especially now we had the sunshine. To be honest the whole area is dotted with caves and history, from dinosaur fossils, Iron and Bronze Age finds, to the Roman’s and even historic events from the peninsula wars of the Napoleon era.

As you can see from the map (filtered for archaeological sites just in the Leiria district), we can be kept very busy exploring the vast history of the area!

So, back to the house-sitting! We have signed up for another year, and are already booked up for a few sits already! Who could have imagined we would love this lifestyle so much?

As we write this post, we are at a return sit for our friends near Batalha.
Batalha, located in central Portugal, is renowned for its historic significance and architectural marvels. The highlight is the Batalha Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcasing Gothic and Manueline styles. We are determined this time around to give it a proper visit, and not just walk around! The town offers a blend of cultural richness and modern amenities, with charming local markets, cafes, and shops. We love immersing ourselves in the town’s history while enjoying the convenience of the local amenities that cater to both residents and tourists. At least we don’t have to drive everywhere while here, as it is all in walking distance.

House sitting near this picturesque town offers the unique joy of caring for a cat and three charming pet sheep. Embracing the tranquil countryside, we find delight in the companionship of the cat and the endearing presence of the sheep, creating a truly memorable experience.

So, we will close this post here, and hopefully add another positive update in a week or so. Fingers crossed for good weather and more progress at the build site. (Especially for the cladding around the olive tree area, where rainwater was getting in last week now the UFH is in…)

Thanks for all the kind comments we get across all the different platforms and we hope to see you back soon 👍