Renovation of Existing Property - Our Way to the House

I have been following here for quite a while, but this is my first post, simply because your project is the first that is even remotely comparable to ours. For explanation: we have been living for twenty years in a 150-year-old half-timbered house in Leipzig, first as tenants, and ten years ago we were able to buy it. After the purchase, it took us two years to realize that it was now ours. Since then, renovations have been carried out gradually, trying to preserve as much as possible. It seems to me that you/you all are proceeding very methodically and sensibly. First tearing out the old stuff in the basement and properly rebuilding it is a solid foundation for everything that comes later (we should have done that too). As with an old garden, it also makes sense with an old house to first "experience" it (fortunately, we had enough time during the ten years of renting) rather than gutting everything from the gut feeling, which one might bitterly regret later (your laundry room floor is great, nice that you kept it!) Many thanks for the beautiful documentation, I am curious how it will continue. Best regards, Marie

What is your plan for the next few months? And congratulations on the pregnancy, that is an exciting time, especially with the first child. But I can only advise you to get as much done as possible before the birth.

Thank you very much, in two to four weeks it will get serious. Therefore, work will initially continue cautiously. A rubble container needs to be filled again. In the garage, two full BigBags are waiting for that, and then the rest of the former shower can also be removed. In the garden, all kinds of stones and slabs have also accumulated that need to be disposed of there.

The main project for the coming year will be the heating. So dismantling the old radiators, closing the niches under the windows, laying the pipes, and the entire installation in the basement. However, the technology there should and may only be done by a plumber (district heating compact station with heat exchanger for heating and hot water including storage).

Also important is the small WC at the entrance. Here the waste pipe is almost worn out and, in addition, a large bundle of pipes (water, heating, sewage, electricity) has to go through it.

Otherwise, there is still plenty of visual small stuff that takes a lot of time. For example, the oil paint in the hallway and basement stairs (plaster, paint, wallpaper?), the missing frame of the kitchen sliding door, the garden. We definitely won’t get bored even with just the three of us.

It seems to me you/you all are proceeding very systematically and reasonably. First tearing out the old stuff in the basement and properly rebuilding it is a solid foundation for everything that comes later.

We want to create the foundation first before the nice things can come in some places. It would be far too unfortunate to have to remove it again because the substructure still needs to be replaced.

That is why I am already trying to find ideas and incentives for the conservatory replacement/extension in order not to completely block all possibilities and always have a goal in mind.

The new year has begun and since the beginning of January, the three of us have been living in the house. Of course, this means that work on the house has been put on the back burner for now.

The most important project would be to replace the downpipe to the guest WC in the basement. For now, only there in the basement and without having to open anything in the WC room.



The heating will definitely not be renewed this year, but wherever possible, preliminary work has already been done. Instead, the priority is on the new study room and then on the WC below it.

The work must be well planned, because the entire electrical system for the upper floor and hallway must already be routed through these rooms.

At least the weather has allowed us to continue tidying up the garden. Now the stump of the hazelnut tree and the remains of the compost have been removed. In spring, everything must then be well aerated so that grass will grow in the garden again.


The container problem is solved, because there is a new toy in the fleet that allows more flexibility at lower cost:

Congratulations on moving in! The trailer is great, we would love to have one like that too. With a tipping function, that's worth its weight in gold.

What is the plan for the garden? It looks very neat at the moment.

Congratulations on moving in!

We have been living in the house since Easter 2019. Only a third resident has now comfortably settled in and taken over the former study.

The trailer is great, we would love to have one like that too. With tipping function, that's worth gold.

Oh yes. I will have enough garden waste, need soil and gravel, and have to dispose of construction debris. I didn’t want to shovel all of that down myself.

What is the plan for the garden? It looks very tidy at the moment.

Definitely two fruit trees will be planted. Not visible in the picture, a vegetable bed has already been prepared. And the new resident will surely soon ask for a sandbox.

Congratulations on the [Nachwuchs]!