Ricardo dos Santos purchased the abandoned Finca, a type of rural agricultural property, in Spain last year – despite no one else wanting to take on the project in more than a century.
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The old house, which has sat empty since 1862, is situated in the heart of the Spanish countryside and surrounded by miles of rolling hills.
Ricardo explained the ambitious project will see the installation of electrics, plumbing, new structures, and complete restoration.
The decapitated and crumbling home was covered by overgrown bushes and required days of gardening to even access the property.
Stone terraces are scattered around the land, which also holds a 300-year-old well, according to locals.
“In June 2022 we put an offer on an abandoned Finca in Spain,” explained Ricardo.
“I don’t have experience in construction, carpentry, plumbing, electricity or agriculture.
“But I’ll research and learn everything I need to make this project happen.”
The optimistic renovator said the aim is permanently “living off grid, completely self sustainable, applying the principles of permaculture”.
Permaculture is creating self-sufficient agricultural ecosystems that can be lived off for the foreseeable future.
While investigating, Ricardo discovered snake infested land surrounding his future home – which he intends to have fully functional in two to three years.
“I almost stepped on a snake, and if there is something that gets me to freak out, it’s snakes, I will be very careful from now on,” he joked.
The DIY builder explained a broken 5,000 litre rainwater cistern, will provide for him once it has been fixed.
“The stone house needs a complete restoration,” he continued.
“On one side the stone walls are solid. On the other side, the stone wall collapsed and they made a temporary repair with bricks but I will repair with stones.”
Despite no construction experience, Ricardo is determined to complete the massive undertaking and live successfully off grid.
He has set up a GoFundMe, and several social media blogs to update followers on his progress.
This comes as other people across the world have chosen to live off the grid for good.
A hardy woman has revealed that she lives off-the-grid and boasted her ultimate outdoor shower setup.
She lives in a snowy forest in a Hansel and Gretel-style cabin, but shower time often takes place in a blizzard.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, a 19-year-old adrenaline junkie became hooked on the idea of living off grid while biking across the country.
They now live in the middle of the forest and have gotten used to taking freezing showers and not having access to a conventional toilet.
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