Tony and Lorraine had been frequent visitors to the Silver Coast and had rented various different properties so they had a good idea of what they did not want! However a two week holiday had never offered time enough for them to finalise the purchase of what they wanted – an older property with plenty of adjoining land and suitable for renovation. As they knew, the older properties have the best positions and they were keen to be part of a village within easy travelling distance of the coast.

When they found the right property they completed the deal without delay and asked us to commission an architect to design a property which allowed for modern-day living without losing the charm and character of the farmhouse.

The property comprised a dwelling house with various add-on spaces such as an adega (where wine was made and stored) and a dreadful old lean-to shed with the rubbish of decades therein! It was a challenging brief for the architect to bring all the useable space under one roof and to create natural light which had not been a consideration in the original buildings. The result is a beautiful transformation and a property which rates amongst the most attractive with which we have been involved.

Work was hindered by very wet weather over the winter and concerns existed over the integrity of the original adobe walls. These were protected and retained where possible and work went on around them until the weather improved.

A telling moment in the project was when it suffered a visitation from the local authority’s building inspectors. After spending an hour making a thorough and detailed inspection they pronounced the project “impeccable” – we never saw them again.