The journey of the tank

I don’t think I will ever take the

absolute privilege of having your own toilet for granted ever again... it was one of those things that we sort of brushed over when talking about the project, with Brett assuring me 'we will have the loo set up in month one" and "not to worry"... Four and a half months later and we’re finally there, showering and toileting in our very own home. No, we don’t have windows or a door yet…but that’s what sheets are for!

To be fair, it was our first priority immediately after signing on the dotted line, just one that took a whole lot longer than either of us expected (noticing a theme here?). Our first thought was self installation, trying to keep the budget down we planned on buying a tank, digging a very big hole and going from there… a lot of people disagreed with this idea (apparently it can get messy if you get it wrong…who knew?!) and we ended up compromising by sourcing professionals to install the tank, but insisting we would take care of the rest - the measurements, digging the hole, pipework through the house etc.

We thought this would be simple enough to do, however the challenge came when trying to find a company that would allow us half of the responsibility. Many insisted on all or nothing, with the average quote coming in at around 12,000 euros, we were starting to feel a little defeated. Our luck changed mid July though, as we contacted a local company based in Gijon who fully got on board with our vision and how we aimed to get the job done. By the end of July we had paid our deposit, the plans were drawn up, digger booked and the install was scheduled for early September. With everything arranged, we got on with channeling the walls for electrics and put the tank to the back of our minds. A week later, Brett was talking through plans with his dad - Paul, who suggested it may be a good idea to check on the pipework before they arrive, just to ensure everything was as straightforward as we were assuming. (Rule number one.. you never assume!) Shockingly, no it wasn’t. The pipes did all join together but had been redirected to the side of the house out into the street, Yay! Channelling put on hold, we got to work with redirecting the pipes out towards the front of the house, across the street and eventually into our tank.

I don’t mean to be dramatic but I honestly think if Brett had to spend a minute longer on this task, we may be sat back in the UK laughing about that time we bought a house in Spain. The gruelling task of making the tunnel through the front of the house took 4 full days alone. Never mind the pipe work and the digging of the hole, but 2 weeks post the phone call from Paul and we had it ready….2 days before the digger man arrived and 3 days before the main install, who doesn’t enjoy a last minute deadline every now and then.

Finally the week arrived and first thing Monday morning our digger man drove up to our tiny village, watching him move tonnes of soil in less than an hour hurt a little when we thought back to how long it had taken the two of us to dig our little hole out the front of the house, but we didn’t like to dwell on it… we started the day in deep fog, followed by a downpour of rain and finished off with glorious sunshine - classic Asturias. By the end of the day we had a big ole’ hole to fill, and pure nerves about wether our measurements were correct… we didn’t have long to wait though as the tank arrived next morning. Watching it suspended on a crane and dropped into the ground became a village event, and all the neighbours came out to watch the grand spectacle. These neighbours are some of the kindest most genuine people we have ever met, never mind the fact that they bring their fresh homegrown vegetables to our door daily, or invite us into their homes for family barbecues, they also never wait to be asked for help. The minute the tank was in the ground we had all the guys gather around and help us load the sand in, directing each other on where it needed to go even helping us source the water from the local well. It was just incredible, a kindness that you never forget. With the tank in the ground we popped a bottle of bubbly and raised a toast, we were one step closer.

I haven’t mentioned yet that coincidentally my parents had booked a two week holiday to come out and see us earlier in the year, and very luckily for us it just so happened to tie in with all this work! Their two weeks relaxing by the pool idea took a slight detour as both mum and dad got stuck in helping us with everything, myself and Belinda got cracking with the heavy lifting - rearranging the stones into a wall around the edge of the land, filling in the hole with a couple of bags of pebbles/sand - you know just general hard labour - we don’t need no man…! The men got started with cutting out part of the road, digging, mixing cement in a cement mixer that came with the house and absolutely did not work anymore, and getting the pipe work across the road, it was all systems go, and by the end of the week we had it completed.

With the tank in the ground fitted and connected to our pipework the only job left was to install our temporary bathroom, it just so happened that I was scheduled to be back in the UK for the next two weeks, so this was a solo Brett job, and one he took in his stride. Within one week he had fitted a shower - using the shower tray we found in the reclamation yard all those weeks ago, assembled a sink with handmade drawers and, last but definitely not least sorted out our very own toilet! We can now wave goodbye to the campsite toilets for good and although we are a long way off being finished, having this chapter ticked off has made us feel like champions,I can also tell you right now that I will never ever for as long as I live, take for granted the simple pleasure of having your own loo!

Of course the hugest of thank yous to everyone who’s supporting us on this voyage! Paul for your never ending patience with us on the end of the phone, mum and dad who have enabled us to live this dream from day one and our incredible neighbours, we can’t wait to repay you all one day - free holidays for life! If any others reading this want the same deal, pop your gloves on and come and give us a hand, there’s still a whole lot more to do…..

Ellie x