Ukrainian Elmira, together with her mother, managed to partially renovate an old abandoned house in Kamyanske within six months, which they bought for 245 thousand Ukrainian hryvnias (4.7 thousand euros). The woman talks about the renovation and installation process on her YouTube channel.
According to the house owner, the environment was in very poor condition when they bought the property. Old building debris lay at the entrance, and the yard was cluttered with various items and trash.
“This pile looked like ordinary branches, but in fact, there was everything: parts of old sofas, bed springs, many bottles, old carpets,” Elmira said. Some of the trash was removed, and flower beds and a small relaxation area were set up in the cleaned space. The old toilet was dismantled, and the slate and stones were kept for further use.
Decided not to demolish the 23 sq. m house
Despite the small area of just 23 sq. m, the owners decided not to demolish the old building.
“In my opinion, this is not really a real house at all, but rather a former summer kitchen with an annex,” the woman explained.
In the future, the family plans to build a new house and leave the old cottage as a guest house or summer house.
Renovated as cheaply as possible
Due to winter, the work proceeded slowly, so more active renovation began only in spring. The owners tried to save as much as possible and reuse old items.
For example, they made a bed from an old sofa and decided to restore a Soviet-era wardrobe instead of throwing it away. The old stove was also renovated separately.
“Many did not believe it, but it is really true,” said the house owner about the stove renovation, which cost about 350 hryvnias (7 euros).
They also set up the kitchen area with their own hands. For the countertop, they used boards and beams found in the shed, and covered the structure from above with plastic film.
According to the owners, they spent about 2.5 thousand hryvnias (48 euros) on setting up their kitchen.
Within half a year, the house became suitable for living.
The owner says the result exceeded initial expectations. The house can now be lived in seasonally, and the yard has completely changed.
“There were many moments when it seemed that everything was happening very slowly and there was still a lot of work left,” Elmira shared.
In the future, corridor renovation, facade repair, gazebo construction, and new flower beds installation are still ahead. The family also plans to grow raspberries and strawberries.
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