posted by dilwyn1 on Black and white, Cottage renovation, Herefordshire, Holiday cottage, Uncategorized

We are now the official ‘owners’ of a chocolate-box cottage in Dilwyn, Herefordshire. I say owners, of course that’s really the building society, but we have happily taken on the custodianship of 300+ years of history with the intention of refurbishing it for our very own holiday home.

It is a bijou residence, a cosy bolt hole, that will provide us with a haven of calm and a friendly community within our ‘spiritual home county’.  But before we can nestle in, there’s quite a bit of work to do. We began this journey at the weekend when we collected the keys, crossed the threshold (more of this later) and stood amid the 1970’s interior trying to imagine the end result.

When we initially viewed the cottage a couple of months ago, we tried to see past the orange paint work, parfum des chats and numerous cobwebs and envisage its potential.

Legal exchange on Thursday and completion on Friday saw us standing in our empty shell by Saturday, the previous occupier vacated (although the cobwebs still present), we took the opportunity to gather a few crucial measurements to help our plans get off the ground.

Hubby decided to carry me across the threshold – the ultimate romantic gesture, especially after 15 years of marriage – and has since been seen rubbing his back at every opportunity.

I hope this is not a portent of the burden which we may carry into the future!

Tags: black and white, cottage, dilwyn, herefordshire, holiday, refurbishment