Sorry about the outside window facade mix up with your builder. Construction, or in your case re-construction, (demolition, and start over) will test the mindset of anyone. You and Denise have a great vision, and I know it will all turn out in the end - BEAUTIFUL! I also to have to give Nancy a very GREATFUL shout out for helping my wife and I with our VRSA apartment remodel around the corner from Nancy and Denise. We are in Portland, OR - no where near VRSA, Nancy has helped us with electrical layout, walked the apartments this week, snapped photos, etc. THANK YOU again.
Oh NO!!! I am so sorry that you are going through this, but super grateful that you are sharing it with those of us who need to keep reminding ourselves that settling for an already built place - even if not perfect - will fit better into the "simpler life" that we promised ourselves in Portugal. When we bought in the US, we were careful to buy places that someone else had already gone through the complex renovations. We don't have your patience and perseverance (and creativity, probably). Hoping that it turns out even better than your plan. :-)
My heart goes out to you, what a cluster fuss. Communication requires a signal and a receiver, and that last part is the key to navigating Portuguese. It doesn’t matter which translator you use if the receiver is turned off. It’s normal here to not answer phones, emails, texts and verbal requests because it creates a lot of conflict, confusion and extra work. This may not make sense to us as Americans, but it is endemic. There is an old Portuguese saying, loosely translated, this not right, but this is the way it is.
When we first started to think about Portugal, I did A TON of looking at buildings that we might buy and renovate. I found some real gems and still look at the images I downloaded now and again, but somewhere along the way I started thinking about all the issues we have in our house in the US. Issues that were caused 30 years ago mostly by miscommunication and not taking a stand when things were being done very differently than had been discussed and agreed to. (All of which was done in English, with a contractor who is married to a dear friend (and live across the street from us, to boot)). I am proud to say that I managed to hold my ground long enough for them to "agree" that putting a support pillar in the middle of the walkway to our front door was NOT OKAY and come up with a better, more practical solution. So, now, I look at the images I saved and look forward to our apartment, hoping some day I will be fluent enough and familiar enough with our new home to flirt with the idea of renovating once more.
All of which is to say, even with your background in renovating, you are incredibly brave to have taken this on and I cheer your efforts with each update you share.
Wikipedia says: "Lost in Translation is a 2003 romantic comedy-drama film[note 1] written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Bill Murray stars as Bob Harris, a fading American movie star who is having a midlife crisis when he travels to Tokyo to promote Suntory whisky. There, he befriends another estranged American named Charlotte, a young woman and recent college graduate played by Scarlett Johansson. Giovanni Ribisi and Anna Faris also feature. The film explores themes of alienation and disconnection against a backdrop of cultural displacement in Japan. " Alienation...yes. cultural displacement...yes. Romantic comedy...definitely NOT.
I see a book in your future!! ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ by Frances Mayes recounts her dream settling in old farm
House in Tuscany - many many renovation nightmares. Another good read is ‘A Trip to the Beach’ by Bob and Melinda Blanchard who turned their lives upside down opening a restaurant on
Anguilla . O the problems and country laws they in countered! Bottom line following your dream is worth it.
I'm sure this isn't much consolation, but having just experienced a rainy Portuguese month, I think a towel bar heated by any means will be a blessing.
An aside - in the house where I grew up, water was heated by turning the furnace on - even in the summer! The trick was to shower quickly enough that the hot H2O didn't start rising in the cast-iron radiators! I will blame this system on my countrymen, the Italians.
Nancy, dear! I admire your wisdom and your patience . And once again , I’m grateful to confirm for myself that it’s a big no for me to buy to renovate . But imagine this enormous joy upon finishing your project !!! Wish you all the best in coming US holidays
While I certainly appreciate the candor with your construction woes, I am starting to get scared that we'll have a similar experience when it's our turn to build. So I am frantically absorbing every nugget of wisdom I can glean from your posts!
Oy vey! This brings to mind the statements I used to drum into my interns……………….. “this will come back to haunt you” and “you know you may think I am being anal BUT ……did you double check blah blah blah”
Our big one for us renovating here in Portugal was when they lay a floor by a kitchen or bathroom sink they sink these silver colored access plates into to the floor tile just in front of the sinks, ugh so visually horrible but was told like Nancy says “that’s how they do it in Portugal” thank goodness for floor runners and rugs!!!
So frustrating...I can't say building today in the USA is any different. I have 2 projects going on that will take over 2 years before they are finished (it should have been 9 months to complete). The only difference is they know exactly what I am saying, but I wonder if that even helps!
Nancy, what a stressful situation. You must be feeling a lot of frustration because I know you to be a very clear and precise communicator.
Two years ago we had to have a lot of work done after a house fire. At first it was very difficult to find the right balance between micromanaging vs giving the contractor the respect and latitude I would want if I was in his shoes. When I started finding cigarette butts in my garage and conduit so crooked you could see it with the naked eye it became very easy to find the right balance which was heavily tilted to the micromanaging side. It was very difficult once I realized that I could not trust the people in charge of rebuilding my house and the only solution was to stay on top of them daily which is hard to do on the days they don't show up!
I was looking at the pic of your future rooftop patio thinking of you and Denise sitting up there with all this hard work and frustration behind you. I can't wait to see that pic!
I admire your perseverance in all this. After enduring 9 months of renovation with contractors who do speak English, I can't imagine trying to do this in a foreign language. Best of luck and have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sorry about the outside window facade mix up with your builder. Construction, or in your case re-construction, (demolition, and start over) will test the mindset of anyone. You and Denise have a great vision, and I know it will all turn out in the end - BEAUTIFUL! I also to have to give Nancy a very GREATFUL shout out for helping my wife and I with our VRSA apartment remodel around the corner from Nancy and Denise. We are in Portland, OR - no where near VRSA, Nancy has helped us with electrical layout, walked the apartments this week, snapped photos, etc. THANK YOU again.
Oh NO!!! I am so sorry that you are going through this, but super grateful that you are sharing it with those of us who need to keep reminding ourselves that settling for an already built place - even if not perfect - will fit better into the "simpler life" that we promised ourselves in Portugal. When we bought in the US, we were careful to buy places that someone else had already gone through the complex renovations. We don't have your patience and perseverance (and creativity, probably). Hoping that it turns out even better than your plan. :-)
My heart goes out to you, what a cluster fuss. Communication requires a signal and a receiver, and that last part is the key to navigating Portuguese. It doesn’t matter which translator you use if the receiver is turned off. It’s normal here to not answer phones, emails, texts and verbal requests because it creates a lot of conflict, confusion and extra work. This may not make sense to us as Americans, but it is endemic. There is an old Portuguese saying, loosely translated, this not right, but this is the way it is.
When we first started to think about Portugal, I did A TON of looking at buildings that we might buy and renovate. I found some real gems and still look at the images I downloaded now and again, but somewhere along the way I started thinking about all the issues we have in our house in the US. Issues that were caused 30 years ago mostly by miscommunication and not taking a stand when things were being done very differently than had been discussed and agreed to. (All of which was done in English, with a contractor who is married to a dear friend (and live across the street from us, to boot)). I am proud to say that I managed to hold my ground long enough for them to "agree" that putting a support pillar in the middle of the walkway to our front door was NOT OKAY and come up with a better, more practical solution. So, now, I look at the images I saved and look forward to our apartment, hoping some day I will be fluent enough and familiar enough with our new home to flirt with the idea of renovating once more.
All of which is to say, even with your background in renovating, you are incredibly brave to have taken this on and I cheer your efforts with each update you share.
Nancy, it sounds like the movie "Lost in translation" very funny
Wikipedia says: "Lost in Translation is a 2003 romantic comedy-drama film[note 1] written and directed by Sofia Coppola. Bill Murray stars as Bob Harris, a fading American movie star who is having a midlife crisis when he travels to Tokyo to promote Suntory whisky. There, he befriends another estranged American named Charlotte, a young woman and recent college graduate played by Scarlett Johansson. Giovanni Ribisi and Anna Faris also feature. The film explores themes of alienation and disconnection against a backdrop of cultural displacement in Japan. " Alienation...yes. cultural displacement...yes. Romantic comedy...definitely NOT.
I see a book in your future!! ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ by Frances Mayes recounts her dream settling in old farm
House in Tuscany - many many renovation nightmares. Another good read is ‘A Trip to the Beach’ by Bob and Melinda Blanchard who turned their lives upside down opening a restaurant on
Anguilla . O the problems and country laws they in countered! Bottom line following your dream is worth it.
I'm sure this isn't much consolation, but having just experienced a rainy Portuguese month, I think a towel bar heated by any means will be a blessing.
An aside - in the house where I grew up, water was heated by turning the furnace on - even in the summer! The trick was to shower quickly enough that the hot H2O didn't start rising in the cast-iron radiators! I will blame this system on my countrymen, the Italians.
Nancy, dear! I admire your wisdom and your patience . And once again , I’m grateful to confirm for myself that it’s a big no for me to buy to renovate . But imagine this enormous joy upon finishing your project !!! Wish you all the best in coming US holidays
While I certainly appreciate the candor with your construction woes, I am starting to get scared that we'll have a similar experience when it's our turn to build. So I am frantically absorbing every nugget of wisdom I can glean from your posts!
Oh boy- oooof! I can relate to your frustration. I am sorry and I hope you get what you want!
Yikes!
So frustrating!! Hang in there….
Oy vey! This brings to mind the statements I used to drum into my interns……………….. “this will come back to haunt you” and “you know you may think I am being anal BUT ……did you double check blah blah blah”
Our big one for us renovating here in Portugal was when they lay a floor by a kitchen or bathroom sink they sink these silver colored access plates into to the floor tile just in front of the sinks, ugh so visually horrible but was told like Nancy says “that’s how they do it in Portugal” thank goodness for floor runners and rugs!!!
So frustrating...I can't say building today in the USA is any different. I have 2 projects going on that will take over 2 years before they are finished (it should have been 9 months to complete). The only difference is they know exactly what I am saying, but I wonder if that even helps!
We are all cheering for you!
Nancy, what a stressful situation. You must be feeling a lot of frustration because I know you to be a very clear and precise communicator.
Two years ago we had to have a lot of work done after a house fire. At first it was very difficult to find the right balance between micromanaging vs giving the contractor the respect and latitude I would want if I was in his shoes. When I started finding cigarette butts in my garage and conduit so crooked you could see it with the naked eye it became very easy to find the right balance which was heavily tilted to the micromanaging side. It was very difficult once I realized that I could not trust the people in charge of rebuilding my house and the only solution was to stay on top of them daily which is hard to do on the days they don't show up!
I was looking at the pic of your future rooftop patio thinking of you and Denise sitting up there with all this hard work and frustration behind you. I can't wait to see that pic!
I admire your perseverance in all this. After enduring 9 months of renovation with contractors who do speak English, I can't imagine trying to do this in a foreign language. Best of luck and have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.