Turning abandoned land into a sustainable homestead. OFF-GRID CABIN BUILD 

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Emily, just a little tip about the pine needles in your raised beds: If they have turned brown after they’ve fallen off the trees, they are no longer acidic and make a great mulch for your garden. In fact, any organic material falling on your raised beds, either turn it back into the garden soil or else put it on a compost pile. Organic material is a free treasure for your gardens!

As an old crusty practical person my wife listens to me mutter throughout your videos and in a couple of videos time you mention the very thing I was muttering about! I must say it is a pleasure to watch you learn as you go and to see the appropriate use of safety equipment to protect yourselves. Well done and keep up the amazing work, it will all be worth it in the end.

I can remember your first video and the daunting tasks that lay ahead. Just look at what you have achieved John and Emily, very well done guys.

Love seeing Maggie in the middle of what's going on . Great progress with the roof ❤

I think the only thing you can do is get rid of those pine trees otherwise they’re going to be a complete bane of your life. You could always plant a couple of other trees.

For pine needle and debris in your gutters, there is a mesh you can put onto the gutter and it helps an awful lot. The roof looks fantastic. Finally it's happening for you. Bravo to you both.

Oh my. You will have enough courgettes (zucchini in Canada) to feed the whole neighborhood. They are very prolific! We usually plant two and still end up giving lots away.

Hi My two lovely’s, I thought you had forgotten us we miss you, So nice to have you back look forward to all your videos looks as if you are getting on very well it shouldn’t be long now before you are in with your feet up, Take care of yourself and stay safe.🛠️🛠️⭐️⭐️👍👍🌹

There is no problem with paying attention to your dog. Love the videos, please keep them coming.

I am so pleased to see John using safety equipment. I watch a few U tube renovations and not all use safety equipment. Just remember no one plans to fall but it just happens so quick and a lot of damage can be done. Once that happens there is no turning back. Keep safe

You guys look so happy and healthy. You Emily, are positively glowing and look beautiful. This life is obviously agreeing with you and I’m really pleased how things are working out for you. You both deserve your dream, because you work so hard.. keep it up guys, you’re getting there. Look how far you have come xxx

Those roof boards fitting so snugly was really satisfying to watch!

Blueberries love acidic soil and pine needles are great for this. Blueberries take up quite a bit of room and probably wouldn't do well in your greenhouse. They are better suited as a hedge. And take a couple years to become established. They are great in for use in homemade wine. Pine needles are also good fuel in your smoker when tending to bees. Most home improvement stores have guards that slip under shingles and attach very easily to your gutters. I installed them 4 years ago. I was cleaning gutters twice a year prior and haven't cleaned them since.

Your in the video advertisements are so well placed and smooth that I find myself watching through them as part of the show, great work.

For your roofing for your next build, you should always stagger your joints from row to row. You don’t want 2 rows lining up at the same joint line. It does give water easier ways to find a way into the seams. It gives a bit more stability too. Good work on the roof! You will be a good roofer by the time you build all your units!

What a massive milestone. Congratulations. You should both be very proud.

Being Welsh I know all too well how bad the rai can come down and what debris can end up in the gutters, If I were you guys I would use Gutter Guards to prevent the needles blocking them up. Its a clip on mesh that allow the needles to be pushed off the edge and not taken into the gutter. Great video again

Maggie is a real star!

I always look forward to seeing these videos, so glad the roof is on! Looking great x

Oh wow, you are both an absolute pleasure to watch. I love how you’re learning as you go and aren’t afraid to admit it. Nice to see safety measures being used and I love your kitchen. Looking forward to your next instalment 🥰

So much closer to getting all dryed in!!!🎉 Maggie is such a treasure, love her! Thank you for sharing this journey 🙏 😊 Great achievement!!!!

Pine needles make fabulous mulch! Collect up the pine needles and add the to the top of the garden beds each year rather than digging your bed, this way it’s more of a no dig style, easier to maintain and the pine needles go to good use and keep the weeds down! Also the gutters you could try some sort of gutter guard, I’m not sure how practical it is but worth a try.

❤❤❤happy sunshine you had at last and how happy and you both look making great progress indeed

What a lovely video, Emily you've done so well with your plants, they look so healthy and what a fantastic idea to give the surplus to the food bank. Gorgeous healthy looking chickens and the best dog in the world, and the roof on at last. It's all marvelous! I'm so happy that it's all coming together for you, there can't be a more deserving couple. You are both amazing❤

Emily, what a lovely idea to donate fresh vegetables to the food bank ❤️

Get gutters (aluminum) that have a perforated cover so that only water flows through. Mine are called Smart Screen (🇨🇦). There is no getting up on a ladder to clean them out. I just brush them off every fall. 🙂👍👍🇨🇦

Photographer to carpenter. Good job John!

If your pine trees are Scotch Pine, then the needles are hard to deal with. My neighbour has many (not native here in Canada). The needles cover your roof (bad if it's shingles), plug your eavestroughs and prohibit growth, even grass. They don't break down and are a general pain in the neck to deal with. Cones too. Maybe Scotch Pine are nice in Scotland, but they are bad here. My advice, chop them down and save yourself a lot of grief :)

Hi guys I’m an Irish man and love watching your videos Maybe one day we will meet and stay in one of your places Would love it as you are putting so much effort and dedication into this project The very best of ☘️☘️☘️☘️luck

Try mulching your veggie boxes, the plants do so much better and the soil gets healthier and healthier as time goes on. You can use grass clippings or leaves, it genuinely is a game changer

stinging nettle is an incredible source of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals for your chickens.

Another great video, nice to see people having a go at something which they wouldn't normally do. Little tip for the future when ever you board anything like the roof, stagger your joints so first row start with full boards of osb second row start with half a sheet so the your joints are half bonded 👍 the same with any type of boarding/flooring

I never cease to be amazed at the two of you and your endeavors. I hope you have continued success. Will keep watching and rooting for the best for you.

On the pine needles in the gutters, you need to put some wire or plastic mesh on the gutters so the water can go thru but the pine needles accumulate on top of the gutter. Think of something similar to chicken wire that would be cut to fit the gutter size

I've, just now, found your youtube page. Love's, give yourselve's a huge "pat on your back", you two are amazing, realky. You've done SO much and work SO hard, so dont be SO hard on yourselve's love's, be PROUD 🤗 You're both working full time job's, and doing this 😊 i cant wait to see the your finished home 👏👏👏👏👏👏

I swear all gun dogs are made of Velcro, they must always be touching or be near their humans at all times, and it’s absolutely endearing.

The pine trees and the sound of the wind whooshing though them is worth keeping! In Australia we have products called Leaf Guard, or Gutter Guard that prevents the debris from blocking gutters and lets the water through to the downpipes/tanks

Well done guys - getting that building square enough to just fit the sheets is quite impressive

You can grate zucchini, salt it then wring out the excess water and add it to meatloaf, banana bread, salsa, stirfry, scrambled eggs, sauteed onions and mushrooms, muffins, soups, anything, really. It is also good raw in salads like cukes. Because of the very mild flavor, it can be added to sweet dishes as well as savory. If you dehydrate it and store it in the freezer you will easily be able to have it year round.

Maggie!! ❤ I, too, am absolutely obsessed with your dog 😊. Love that she gets prime time in all of your videos.

To help with insects in your veggies. You can use neem oil. It's non-toxic and organic. This will help preserve veggies and respect all your hardwork.

You do realise that once your campsite is fully operational it's going to be fully booked forever. Happy days 😀 All the best guys. Dal chi o gwnpas

use a gutter guard like gutter shutter or the like

From Australia I love watching you videos. They are well presented not in your face talking heads. A simple few words on what you are about to do then your into it. Wonderful.🇦🇺🦘🇦🇺🦘

Gutter guards help with protecting your gutters. Also pine needles raise the acidity level in your soil so choose plants that can take the raised acidity level. Check your soil often with a soil meter.❤

Courgettes are amazing to grow. They need friends for cross polination but give them a good 18 inches apart and when they start to produce fruit you can remove quite a bit of the giant leaves without hurting the plant. A bit of feeding works wonders and daily slug patrole too.

Hooray! Finally, guys, a roof!! You're doing so well! I really enjoy the progress on your land, even the little things like drying laundry! When you feel like it's a good time make a before and after with your little drone camera! :D

Yay! Roof!!😊🎉

Obsessed with watching you guys. I love the care and attention you take with every step and seem to have so much gong on and yet you "Keep those plates spinning" cannot wait to see how everything turns out especially that Cabin. I wish you both every success because you deserve it.

The trees by the cabin are pretty small I would just cut them down, and that would be the end of it. Glad you have good weather again.

Delighted to see the roof on at last! I wish you many more dry days, so you can crack on with the cabin.

So exciting ❤ I just wish we had an episode every week. I understand that is time consuming so I will wish you both well with the next stages until you can post again. ❤

We use pine mulch in Florida to cover our plants when gardening. If you get watermelon there your Chickens will love it.

Hello Elm and Jon: congratulations on getting the roof covered. A big job well done and now just a cover and you will be weather tight. You two are doing what you can and work around the weather and just think of what you two are doing. You are building a house and planting a garden, doing what you can and still working a full time job. Hats off to you two and now celebrate a big mile stone here.

I’m loving how your house build is going. Congratulations on your patience xxx

This is the most precise house ,I have ever seen. Good job.

So glad your roof is on before the rain comes again…Congratulations both with your ongoing project, it’s a pleasure to watch your progress.

What you call corjetts we call zucchini and it's a favorite in the states. We do have a pest called the vine borer beetle, they are a menace and will kill your plants. The squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae) is a clear-winged moth that is active from mid-June to July. The moth is orange and black, and is often mistaken for a wasp or bee due to its movements and bright orange hind leg scales. The moth is harmless to people and plants like squash, zucchini, pumpkin, and melon, but its larvae are destructive.

For the pine needles - yeh as previous commenter sid if they are "browned off" theyre useful however they dont break down quickly compare to other tree -fall - personally I would look at either moving the bed or trimming the tree branches or cuting down - I know these arent optons you wanna hear but they are the best fixes Alternatively - build a roof over the bedding - the plastic corrugated type to let the light in but minimise/catch the needles. It means sweeeping them off the roofing regular but easier than cutting or trimming the tree plus should provide a partial greenhouse effect especially on duller days :)

Hope all is well. Miss seeing what you've accomplished.

Hello to you both- for the gutters you get a mesh called a hedgehog it traps the debris- beautiful garden you both work so hard and it’s so very neat 🤗🐕🔨🪚

Definitely weekly vlogs! Loving your excitement, enthusiasm and positivity - all the very best for the renovation, fantastic project 😊

I have a plastic brush called Gutter Hedgehog in my gutters. It keeps the pine needles out but does need a clear out every year or two.

Oh my! You were brave John putting the boards on the roof! Emilie you've inspired me to try growing a few plants/veggies myself. Is there anything you'd suggest for a novice to start off with? Awesome videos guys, can't wait to see what you're up to next! 🫶🏼

Good job with that roof, despite the weather.

Chicken wire along top of gutters would help block most of the needles

Well done . Perfectly square first time. Legends.

You guys did amazing, with your fear of heights! No challenge to big for you in future! Love your veggies, great crop coming soon x

Great episode, excellent to see the roof going on and the weather was kind to you , the plants have come on really well .Happy days . All the best Martin

Great video. Watching since you took the old caravans down. You have come along way.👍🌻🌞🇨🇦🇨🇦. So much work. Amazing 😍🇨🇦👍

What you're doing is really inspiring! I'm glad you're sharing this with the viewers. I look forward to starting a project of my own one day

I just found your channel and have binge watched all the way up to date which has kept me very entertained, good job taking the plunge and working your arses off. For future reference (and for the future versions of this cabin that you'll inevitably build), just tack a 4x2 along the bottom edge to give yourself somewhere to stand for the sheet near the ridgeline.

Things are coming along nicely! 😀

Great work guys, also I love reading the comments section, so many helpful people with amazing tips and advice 😁

You make that look easy. And wow did they fit well. Great work accuracy and the time and effort to make sure things are square paid off

Well done, can't wait to see the next stage. Wishing you both continued success.

Learning on the job, living the dream! A great watch as always. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Marcus

Stop clogged gutters with fine mesh wire balls, there are plenty of commercial options available too such as mesh guards and long brushes you pop into them.. also have you considered rain chains to a waterbutt from the roof? Love how exactly those roof boards fit in the trailer!

OMG really missed you two ,great ur back on yeyy roofs lookin great ,cant wait till next one ,love ur doggxxx

Hard work is so rewarding. Well done.

I love watching you both learning on this exciting journey. Your garden is doing great!

Looking beautiful! Might be time to change your intro from the rubbishy old caravans to similar to the last shots of John and Maggie. Just look at that lovely green vegetation with your cabin in the middle. Big promises of what’s to come and it’s going to be just so pretty. I look forward to your videos every week. Cheers from Central Australia.

strim or brush cut that meadow before it gets out of hand! you know its been wet so everything is growing HUGE this year, my hawthorn is nearly as high as my house!

Great progress well done to you both, Maggie is just adorable!

I would be obsessed with Maggie too! Cutie patootie!😂

If you are planting strawberries, you should give them their own box / bed. Most varieties spread after year 1. You will get several sprouts that become new plants from runners. Second year, the main plant will put out berries nicely and for 1 to 2 more years. They then start dying off. Your sprouts will be doing well by then. You can overwhelm a bed quite easily with a few plants in a few years! Best of luck with the garden. I am about to start planting my garden in the next few weeks too. I am running late!

Your roof looks amazing. Well done. Your gardens are beautiful. ❤

Well done nice & secure inside & the plants are looking so good . Take care.

Great to see you all (inc pooch) enjoying this spell of good weather (well up to this evening ⚡⚡☔). Great progress on the roofing and the garden, and so kind of you to donate any surplus to the food bank. Hoping you get some more dry weather to progress the house build. Thanks, Paul, Swansea.

Good job guys ❤

Coming together nicely

You are doing a fantastic job building your own home, the roof is coming along nicely too, and it’s good to see that you’re using safety gear when on the scaffolding tower, Emily your plants look amazing too, there’s nothing better than eating fresh produce that you’ve grown yourself 😋, and Maggie she’s beautiful, the only problem I have with your videos is that they’re not long enough lol, but I know it takes a lot of time editing and that you’re busy people, looking forward to seeing the next video, tfs x Julie

Hey, tip for keeping gutter clear of junk try using gutter whiskers. I use them on my house in NZ won't use anything else.

I watch you from Ireland, and i must say very impressed with both of you .I am also obsessed with my dogs. Your build is looking good.

Looking awesome guys already looking forward to seeing the next one 👍👌

Just binged watched your journey very jealous of you. What a fabulous job you're doing for the guttering maybe you could make some kind of trap and collect the rubbish and separate the water into a few barrels near the grow patch

Smashed it again guys, love your videos. Things are really taking shape now. Keep up the good work.

so awesome to see the progress that has been made. everything is coming along you must be proud of yourselves

In Florida they use pine needles as mulch to keep moisture in.