Now their dream is for their children and grandchildren to live in the century-old house they restored with their own hands.
Povilas talks about how they are renovating the old house, tidying up the surroundings, and doing all this while living there and raising a large family on “Instagram” and “Youtube” – on the account and channel “Adventures are calling”.
– Povilas, let’s start with your family’s story. When and how did you decide to move from Vilnius to the Šilutė district?
– The idea of living in the countryside came even before our wedding – we talked about it twelve years ago. We lived in Vilnius, but as the number of children grew, we realized that both the apartment and the big city itself were becoming too cramped for us. It was time for a change.
Initially, we looked for a house in the Vilnius area, but we couldn’t find an option that met our expectations. That’s how we unexpectedly ended up in the Šilutė district. We had nothing in common with this region before, but now we feel at home here. It’s interesting that we got married in Šilutė. My wife and I joke that we want this to be our last move – the place where we started this stage of our lives and where we would like to continue it until the end.
– Most people, especially young families with children, look for newly built housing. Why did you choose an old house?
– In fact, from the very beginning, we only looked for old houses – we even set a condition that they should have been built before 1960. We were always drawn to historical buildings, we even dreamed of manors, but we quickly realized that such projects would be too big and too expensive for us.
We wanted a house with a history that could be brought back to life, not demolished. One of the important criteria was that the house should be brick. That’s why we couldn’t find a suitable option in the Vilnius region. There are many more old red brick houses in Lithuania Minor.
– What attracted you to this house? What is its history?
– Initially, we were more attracted by the place and the surroundings themselves, rather than the history. However, later we started to delve into it. Officially, the documents state that the house was built in 1925, but it turned out that such a date was often entered when precise data was lacking. After delving deeper, we found evidence that the house stood as early as 1866, so it is even older than thought. The more we learn, the more interesting it becomes. It seems that the older the building, the more stories it holds.
– Did you manage to find out who lived here before?
– Most of our knowledge comes from the stories of local people. We met the children of the last woman who lived here – they told us many details. It seems that a wealthy farmer lived here. It’s interesting that now there are only a few homesteads in this place, but in the past, there were even about 100 homesteads here. Our house was one of the first in this village, it even had a telephone line – at that time, it was a great luxury.
– What condition did you find the house in and where did you start the work?
– The house had been uninhabited for about ten years. In the summers, the former owners would still come here, but the general condition kept deteriorating. When we started tidying up the house, we initially even worsened the situation – we had to dismantle, peel, check what was hidden under the finishes. Renovating such a building is a process where you don’t fully know what you actually bought.
We moved in quite early, as soon as there were clean habitable rooms. Of course, first we installed water, sewerage, and sorted out the electrical inputs. We had a bath, a toilet, but, for example, the toilet walls were still just a frame. That’s how we lived – gradually settling in.
– What is everyday life like living and renovating a house at the same time? Many people would be intimidated by that…
– It’s a slow process. But we don’t aim to finish everything as quickly as possible – we are already living here and tidying up as much as we can. Of course, when you work every day, progress seems small, but looking back – the change is obvious. We try to document everything (Povilas records and uploads all house and environment renovations to the “Adventures Are Calling” YouTube channel – ed.), and then you see how much has actually been done.
Renovation proceeds sometimes faster, sometimes slower – depending on life circumstances. For example, our sixth child was born recently, so the pace naturally slowed down even more.
We don’t aim to finish everything as quickly as possible – we are already living here and tidying up as much as we can.
– Do you think such a project can be implemented by everyone?
– I don’t think so. You need to have at least a minimal desire and inclination to do everything yourself. My wife even says – if I couldn’t or didn’t want to do a lot myself, we certainly wouldn’t be living here.
There are people who do everything themselves, and there are those who earn and hire others. Both paths are good, but for me personally, it would be boring to do only one thing and leave the rest of the process to others.
– What are the biggest challenges you have faced so far in renovating your home?
– The biggest challenge is motivation. Sometimes, when work moves slowly, it starts to seem like maybe all of this wasn’t necessary. Then we remember why we are here and move forward. Another thing is the constantly growing to-do list. It seems you plan one thing, and three more additional tasks appear. For example, we started tidying up an outbuilding, and eventually one wall collapsed – we had to start everything from scratch.
The biggest challenge is motivation. Sometimes, when work moves slowly, it starts to seem like maybe all of this wasn’t necessary.
Our friends help us a lot – we organize work parties. When more people gather, work gets done much faster, and at the same time, it becomes a time for socializing: we not only work but also spend time together. Work parties are a forgotten thing for some, but I like to invite friends, I say – “I have no one else to invite”. And they come!
Our friends help us a lot – we organize work parties. When more people gather, work gets done much faster, and at the same time, it becomes a time for socializing
– Such homes, built, renovated, and nurtured with one’s own hands, acquire not only monetary but also personal value. Do you hope that this house will become your family’s heritage?
– I would very much like that. We have six children, so the probability that at least one of them will want to live here is quite high. However, these homes are already becoming a gathering place not only for our family but also for friends and relatives. We want it to be that way in the future – for it to be a home you always want to return to. I think it’s a great gift for children – to have a place where you grew up and where you are always welcome.
In the project “Change your attitude, not things”, organized by the Environmental Project Management Agency, we will share real stories about how to preserve items and help them live not just a second, but many more lives.
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The article was prepared as part of the project “Waste Prevention Promotion”.
