Building a House in Portugal: Water Leaks, Mold & No Power 🇵🇹

Unforeseen Construction Challenges

• ⚠️ December brought significant headaches during the house build, including a massive water leak that forced them to redo walls.
• 💧 High water pressure in the area caused pipes to explode, leading to a big leak inside the house near the floor heating connection.
• 🦠 Mold growth was discovered in the house due to the water leak, requiring removal of walls and insulation, and also in the freshly built shed due to missing circulation and condensation.

Electrical System Limitations

• ⚡ They uncovered a major electricity issue, realizing their current construction electricity setup was not strong enough for their needs.
• 🔌 Frequent power outages occurred, especially when using appliances like the AC or washing machine, requiring manual resets at the gate.
• 💡 The limited power meant that using the newly installed jacuzzi to heat water would make it impossible to use anything else in the tiny house.

Jacuzzi Installation & New Year's Goal

• 🛁 A jacuzzi was finally delivered after an online order, presenting challenges for delivery and installation due to its size and weight.
• 🏗️ Construction workers managed to install the jacuzzi, but the dream of using it for Christmas was dashed by the electrical capacity problems.
• 🎉 Their goal was to celebrate New Year's Eve in the jacuzzi, despite the cold water and power limitations.

Overcoming Obstacles for Celebration

• 🛠️ For New Year's, they devised a plan to turn off all other electricity, drain cold water from the jacuzzi, and manually fill it with hot water from the tiny house boiler.
• 🔥 After much effort, including carrying buckets of hot water uphill, the jacuzzi reached a warm enough temperature (around 28-29°C) by midnight.
• ✅ Despite the challenges and temporary lack of electricity, they successfully celebrated New Year's Day in the warm jacuzzi, marking a good start to the year.

Future Outlook for the Dream House

• 🏡 Significant progress was made on the house in December, with floors almost done and terrace work advancing.
• 🗓️ They were told they might be able to move into the new house by the end of February, offering hope after struggling in the cramped, dirty tiny house during the rainy season.
• 🐾 Living in the 24-square-meter tiny house with two dogs during construction led to constant dirt, allergies, and a feeling of being overwhelmed, making the prospect of moving very appealing.