Brittany and Drew Neumann at all times knew that giving up van life would require a really particular property.
The couple, who’re YouTubers, had been residing on wheels since 2015. After a yearlong journey round North America in an outdated camper owned by Drew’s mother and father, the couple acquired married, purchased their very own van, and spent the following two and a half years touring round Europe and Africa for his or her honeymoon.
After returning to the US in 2018, they continued with van life till mid-2020, once they began fascinated with settling down.
“We needed to have our van, however we additionally at all times needed to have a base camp,” Drew, 36, informed Enterprise Insider. The purpose is to have a house to stay in and have the ability to begin a household.”
In search of a everlasting dwelling
They knew they needed a spot pretty near the seaside, comparatively quiet, and with a lot of open land.
“We went to Hawaii and checked out land. We went to Northern California, we seemed within the deserts of Arizona, however nothing actually felt proper,” Drew stated.
Ultimately, they determined to strive property searching in Portugal when pandemic restrictions had been lifted, and the borders opened up in 2021.
“It was the one different nation throughout our honeymoon travels the place we stated we might cease rolling,” Brittany, 36, informed BI.
The primary property they seen was an deserted watermill within the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost area, and so they had been instantly smitten.
“I knew in my bones it was the one for us,” Brittany added.
Nonetheless, the property, which they estimate to be a number of hundred years outdated, would require lots of work. The Dutch couple who owned it had began renovations however weren’t capable of see it via.
The watermill sat empty for seven years, save for some rats and building supplies that had been left behind.
“It was sort of like Pinocchio, Gepetto’s workshop. It had lots of the supplies for constructing, instruments, and issues that had been going for use for the construct, which was large for us coming with nothing,” Drew stated.
However as a lot as they cherished the watermill, the dimensions of the work required to restore the property was daunting, so that they continued in search of one other place for the following two years.
“We searched everywhere in the nation for something that was a little bit bit simpler, however simply as inspiring,” Brittany stated. “Not one of the different properties all through these two years of looking did it for us.”
Ultimately, the allure of the deserted watermill was too laborious to withstand, and so they lastly bit the bullet.
Within the mountains
The couple most well-liked to maintain the quantity they spent on the property — which spans about three hectares — personal.
Whereas foreigners usually are not restricted from shopping for property in Portugal, they needed to be good concerning the foreign money conversion charges since even a small fluctuation might imply hundreds of {dollars} in distinction.
“We watched that very rigorously. And in September of 2022, the US greenback was value greater than the Euro. And so we had been capable of switch some huge cash at the moment to Europe,” Drew stated.
The property is located within the Monchique mountains, about half-hour from the southern coast. The closest village is about quarter-hour away, whereas the closest worldwide airport is about an hour’s drive away.
“It is 7,000 individuals, so it is sort of an agricultural village within the mountains with many cafés,” Drew stated. From my understanding, the city was thriving within the ’70s and the ’80s, however lots of the youthful individuals have moved away to the cities.”
Residing on-site
Over the previous yr, the couple has been slowly chipping away at renovating the property whereas residing out of a van on-site.
“Earlier than beginning work on the land or the watermill, we discovered a stage spot. We put in our Starlink satellite tv for pc pole. We discovered how one can pump water from the stream into the tank that fills our camper,” Brittany stated.
Whereas they’re counting on photo voltaic power of their camper, they plan to attach the watermill property to the grid sooner or later.
“We wish to do a hybrid system as a result of, within the winter, we simply need that assurance. There might be weeks of grey skies that will not cost our photo voltaic panels,” he stated.
For the reason that watermill is on a industrial licensed property, the couple should observe sure guidelines to transform it right into a habitation license.
“One is that we will not change the prevailing footprint of what was already authorized,” Drew stated. “So we will not make the home bigger. All we will do is go up and end every part after which put within the electrical and water.”
The primary main a part of the work was fixing the leaking roof.
“Once we first got here right here, it was simply gushing down every time it rained, and we had been placing buckets all over the place,” Drew stated.
Though the couple is engaged on the venture full-time, in addition they have a group of contractors serving to them out.
“We now have a very robust expat group right here,” Brittany stated. “And each Friday, this group will get collectively. By gathering with them and asking questions or saying that we’re in search of roofers, we discovered a beautiful workforce.”
She stated that as a lot because the couple is happy to tackle some renovation initiatives, sure duties require technical expertise that they lack.
“They constructed the roof, and so they’re at the moment serving to us end the elements that we will not end,” she added.
Regardless of the watermill’s location in a comparatively quiet space, the couple says getting the development supplies hasn’t been too difficult.
A part of it’s because of the couple having the ability to communicate a little bit little bit of Portuguese, because of the language courses they have been taking twice per week for the previous yr.
Not solely is it an indication of respect for the native individuals and tradition, it additionally permits them to type friendships with the individuals they work with, Brittany stated.
“Slightly than being seen as a foreigner or one thing, it simply actually permits us to attach higher with who we stay round and who we rent,” she added.
Navigating the challenges of designing a big area
The couple’s largest problem thus far was determining how one can work with a bigger area.
“The van, as a result of it was 80 sq. toes and small, was very manageable for Brittany and me to do ourselves. This watermill venture, we’ve to produce other individuals concerned,” Drew stated.
It was very completely different from something they’d achieved earlier than, particularly since they now needed to coordinate a bigger group, from discovering the appropriate contractors to managing venture timelines, he stated.
Moreover, designing the inside format of the watermill may be very completely different from that of a van.
“We’re used to residing in such a small area and having one factor carry out a number of duties that having a lot more room to construct within feels laborious,” Brittany stated.
Now, Drew added, even the lavatory within the watermill is concerning the dimension of their van.
Regardless of the challenges of renovating an deserted property, the couple says that they had been ready for the dimensions of the work.
A few months earlier than they began the method of buying the watermill, Drew’s mother and father’ dwelling in Fort Myers, Florida, was devastated by Hurricane Ian — and the couple returned to assist with clean-up efforts.
“And that hurricane work ready us for the watermill work as a result of there are days the place I am like, oh, there’s nothing worse than shoveling gravel or no matter we’re doing right here,” Brittany stated. “And he goes, ‘bear in mind the hurricane?’ And I am like, ‘oh, by no means thoughts.'”
Large initiatives take time
The couple says they hope to be achieved with the watermill in one other yr, hopefully earlier than Christmas.
They’ve recommendation for these taken with comparable initiatives: Discover a comfy place close by to stay in the course of the renovation course of.
“Whether or not it is a camper van or a rented place within the village or close by city, I would not go greater than a mile out. I’ve heard that that may be extraordinarily inconvenient,” Brittany stated.
Residing onsite has been ideally suited for them as a result of their contractors have a tendency to point out up earlier than 8 a.m. most mornings, she stated.
“We all know when anyone comes and goes and so they can ask us questions associated to the venture,” she added. “We like being hands-on.”
At any time when they’re annoyed with their progress, Drew says they attempt to remind themselves that massive initiatives like this take time.
“I believe additionally when you set your thoughts to one thing and actually decide to it, it clears your focus and offers you objective,” he added. “It is superb for us to look at one thing rework proper earlier than our very eyes with every week, every month that goes into the venture.”
Have you ever just lately constructed or renovated your dream dwelling? In case you’ve acquired a narrative to share, get in contact with me at agoh@businessinsider.com.
