A couple who bought a 500-year-old cottage in the Cotswolds, which the husband had dreamed of since childhood, are facing what they describe as the “grueling reality” of restoring it — a process filled with unpleasant surprises, from a crumbling roof to finding dead mice, insects and fungus on the walls.
Jacob Harrell and his wife Amber are documenting the entire process on YouTube, where their channel has over 250 subscribers, as the project enters its second year.
They have finally managed to install a roof with artisanal tiles and, for the first time after about 11 months of work, have slept in the house. However, the couple says the process has been both “exhausting and exciting”, with much work still to be completed, especially the interiors and floors.
The situation has become even more complicated after Amber discovered she was pregnant, increasing the pressure to make the house as habitable as possible.
Jacob says he had imagined living in this house since he was young, often passing by it. When the property came up for sale in 2024, the couple didn't hesitate to buy it.
Although they have not made public the full amount of the purchase and investment, they admit that they did not have sufficient funds to fully pay for workers or materials, so they are doing most of the work themselves.
When they first entered the house — which they said had been abandoned at least twice throughout its history — almost everything was wet and the old roof had allowed water to seep in.
The situation in an adjacent annex was even more dire: Jacob says that about 50 dead mice in various stages of decomposition were found there, a fossilized mouse, as well as “maggots everywhere” and other moisture-damaged remains. The space also contained toxic substances that had to be handled with care.
There were also serious problems with damp in the main house, exacerbated by the old heating system, including an oil tank and a traditional stove (Aga), which was not working properly.
With the arrival of winter, the situation worsened further, as rain and storms caused water to pool around the walls of the house, while the lack of insulation made living even more difficult. The couple managed to obtain a government grant to install an electric heat pump, but despite the subsidy, the costs remained high.
Later, serious problems were discovered with the electrical wiring and workmanship, causing the house to fail electrical safety certification. Jacob says what should have been progress turned into six months of disputes, rework, and corrections of previous mistakes.
However, the situation began to improve when the couple began work on the roof, removing overgrown vegetation, wasp nests and damaged layers of the old structure. At one point, Jacob says, he even had to use a blower to clear the debris in the attic.
Once the roof was completed and the house became more weatherproof, the couple described it as one of the highlights of the project. They were initially offered a thatched roof for around £77, but they opted for clay tiles as a more economical alternative.
Meanwhile, they have managed to purchase a surrounding plot of land, expanding the property to about one hectare.
Jacob described the moment of the roof's completion as emotional, calling it "a work of art," while emphasizing that the first year has been a great lesson in patience and decision-making.
According to him, restoration is not simply a construction project, but a long learning process:
"We're not builders. We're learning along the way. Most of our time has been spent simply trying to stop the house from deteriorating before we can improve it." /GazetaExpress/
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