My partner and I had been thinking about finding a cute cottage near Tallinn, the capital of Estonia to create our dream homestead for our future children and ourselves. The thing was that we were on a tight budget and of course the closer to the capital you get, the pricier land becomes.

So there we were,, searching for a miracle. For an old livable cottage with running water and electricity that might need a little renovation. Near the city but far enough to feel like a countryside. Cause let’s be honest we were not that kind of a couple to survive in a rural area. Even if that was my dream since forever. To be so far from everything that all you hear is the birds, all you see is the bright sunny sky and a wild forest with deers, boars and other animals.THE DREAM.

But then you ask yourself, how will the future kids go to school and other places, how will you get to work, how long will you drive to the stores, hospitals and so many other places. The ugly truth is,, it would be too hard and complicated, not to mention expensive. So we stuck to plan B.

We knew it was impossible to find a place like that within our budget,, but as Lady Luck wished,,

WE FINALLY FOUND IT !

Only 15-20min drive to the capital, closer to a smaller city, lots of land, so many old fruit trees and bushes, a little sauna and a greenhouse for my favourite vegetable plants. Only a few neighbours further away and all this fit just in our budget. Yes the house needed a little more work than we hoped for, but it was still livable and we could save some money by moving right in and not renting an apartment anymore.

A year later and the first phase of our renovation is done. Heart of the house,, KITCHEN AND THE LIVING ROOM,, are finally feeling like a home.

before

after

There are so many things yet to do but not everything has to come to you in the blink of an eye. Sometimes these things take time and more money saving than you first plan to. It is okay, life is not supposed to be rushed. We sometimes forget it when looking at the half done floors and ceilings,, but in the end of the day, our house is warm, there is food on the table and love in our hearts.

Everything else will come with time.

So don’t rush yourselves either. Not everyone is rich enough to reach their goals in a month or even a year. Let us normalize simple living and find warmth in the process.

I will share more interesting renovation details and process pictures in a future post. There is so much to tell and so much yet to show,,

With great Love,

– Brita