A 200-year-old sheep barn in Wales is becoming an off-grid home for a couple who sold their house to take on the project. Living in a campervan, they have spent two years learning building skills as the transformation progresses.
Here's what to know
Content creators Andrea and Dan (@abetterwayforus) documented their progress in a YouTube video, showing how they established essential services on land that initially had neither electricity nor running water.
Work on the barn had to wait: Getting those basic services in place occupied the couple's first year.
"We bought some tools, watched some YouTube, and learned how to build timber frame sheds to house the water and power supply," the couple explained in the video.
Running water was established alongside an independent electricity supply using solar panels, inverters, and battery storage.
"We also learned how not to build sheds," the couple noted.
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More background
Soil supported the base of the barn's back wall, which rose about 6.6 feet (2 meters) above the front wall. The roof, meanwhile, had fallen in before Andrea and Dan were ready to begin work on the building.
Rebuilding the stonework on proper foundations required dismantling sections of the barn, an approach settled on through discussions with planning officials.
Excavator operator Gary handled digging around the barn and preparing its foundations with a 20-ton machine. For construction of the two-story timber frame, the couple hired specialists.
Stone from the original barn went back into the building in the hands of stonemasons, following the construction team's installation of the timber frame, steel beams, and rafters.
What's being done?
Andrea and Dan also had to address wastewater treatment.
After attempts to revive an approximately 15-year-old system with jumbled internal parts, they had a Graf sewage treatment plant installed and commissioned. The replacement came with a warranty, giving them reassurance that it was operating properly.
Damp ground and dormant trees dictated the timing of the couple's woodland planting. Alongside the construction project, they planted 1,140 trees to establish a woodland they hope to watch develop over the years.
Power and water still need to be brought into the house, followed by heating, ventilation, and insulation. Before that, Andrea and Dan plan to lay 3,000 roof slates and learn to install skylights.
One YouTube user who had followed the project from the beginning offered encouragement for the work ahead.
"Watched you since the beginning and have enjoyed your videos of ideas, accomplishments throughout this process. Was just waiting for your next video update. You may have a way to go to finish, but you'll have a lifetime in this home. It's going to be beautiful," they said.
Where can I learn more?
Andrea and Dan aren't the only homeowners figuring out how to power a converted barn or build a life off-grid. These stories cover a barn owner's solar decision and unconventional home conversions.
• A U.K. barn conversion owner with room for 35 panels received a solar quote for just 12.
• A U.K. couple transformed an ex-military truck into a home, creating an off-grid alternative after feeling boxed in.
• A Pennsylvania family plans an off-grid move to 10 acres, drawing on Amish know-how.
• After seven years in a van, a man converted a shed in New Mexico for $12,000.
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