Our Welsh Journey Bringing The Old Chapel Back to Life

The Old Chapel was built in 1858. It was used as a chapel until 2008, when it was converted into a home. In 2022, a fire damaged much of the left side of the house and about 3/4 of the roof. We are on a journey to restore the chapel back to a home.

Trip 2, Part 1 Trip 2, Part 2 Trip 2, Part 3 - Trip 3

Trip 1: Completion and Clean-Up

My mom and I arrived in Wales on 24 August, but due to a bank holiday, we had to wait until Tuesday to get into the chapel. Completion day involves impatiently waiting around for a notification from your solicitor that completion is completed. Then you coordinate with the seller’s agent to get the keys!

Picking up the keys, walking up to the door, and braving the spider webs.
The fire started in an outdoor shed and spread up to the mezzanine. The squares you see are blocks of insulation.
The kitchen and bathroom were untouched by the fire, but some drywall and cabinets had to be removed to insure there was no fire hiding around and the water damage didn't spread. I can't wait to clean up the stairs and see how they look!
There is a lot of debris from the fire sitting around the chapel. My goal on this trip is to clear the outside debris so it’s more pleasant for the neighborhood. I rehomed a variety of insects and one slug.
Today we worked hard on clearing out debris between the road and right-of-way to the public footpath. If your property connects to a public footpath, you are required to keep a clear path so people can access it. The picture on the left is the entrance to the chapel. On the ride you can see the adjacent footpath.

Meet our neighbor!

Look closely and you can see our neighbor across the street grazing.
Continue on to Trip 2