michael hare

❤️ Help Us Save Priedamu Village We bought an ancient abandoned village in the mountains of Asturias — and we’re determined to bring it back to life. In February 2023, my wife and I took the keys to Priedamu, an ancient village hidden away in the mountains of Asturias, northern Spain. We knew it was going to be a huge challenge, but nothing could have prepared us for just how much work lay ahead. The village had fallen into a terrible state of repair. Apart from the main house, there was very little that was habitable. Years of neglect had left broken roof tiles, fallen buildings, rubbish and years of decay throughout the village. When we first arrived, we spent around a month simply clearing away the years of debris and broken tiles so we could safely begin the restoration. And that’s where our journey really began. ️ From an old cow shed to a home Since then, we’ve worked our way through the village, one building at a time. One of our biggest achievements has been taking an old cow shed and completely transforming it into a beautiful home, including an outdoor kitchen area. We’ve also reroofed four other properties, along with carrying out countless other repairs and improvements to try to protect the buildings from further deterioration. We’ve never had a huge budget or a team of contractors behind us. Instead, we’ve relied on friends, family and volunteers who have given up their own time to come over and help us. Some have brought their building skills. Some have simply rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in. Every person who has helped has become part of the Priedamu story. ❤️ We’ve had some serious setbacks Restoring an old mountain village isn’t easy. The weather in Asturias can be incredibly harsh, and we’ve had our fair share of setbacks. We’ve had storms and bad weather damage the property, including having our solar panels and roof torn off — twice. There have been countless other unexpected problems along the way, and every setback means more work and more expense. But we’ve kept going. You may have seen us on Channel 4 For the last three years, our journey has also been filmed for Channel 4’s Help! We Bought a Village. We’ve recently appeared in Series 5, and the response we’ve received since the programme aired has been absolutely unbelievable. We’ve had so many wonderful messages from people who have followed our journey and have become interested in Priedamu and what we’re trying to achieve. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support. And now we’re asking for a little bit of help. Why we’re starting this GoFundMe The truth is that the project is becoming increasingly expensive. Every roof needs materials. Every building needs repairs. Every trip to Asturias costs money. Then there are tools, transport, equipment, solar repairs and all the unexpected problems that come with restoring buildings that have been neglected for so many years. We’ve put a huge amount of our own time, money and energy into Priedamu already. We don’t want to see all that work stop now. Our aim is simple — to save Priedamu from falling into ruin and give this incredible old village a future. So after so many people on social media suggested that we set up a GoFundMe, we’ve finally decided to give it a go. If you can help, we’d be incredibly grateful. Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help us keep the restoration moving. The money raised will go towards things such as: * Roof repairs and restoration * Building materials * Tools and equipment * ☀️ Solar and electrical work * Clearing and maintaining the village * Transport and travelling to Asturias * ️ Restoring more of the old properties And if you can’t donate, please don’t worry. Sharing our GoFundMe with your friends, family or on social media would mean an enormous amount to us. We’ve come a very long way since we picked up that first key in February 2023. From clearing years of decay and broken tiles… To turning an old cow shed into a home… To reroofing four more properties… And with a huge amount of work still ahead of us, we’re determined to keep going. Priedamu has been standing for generations. We just want to make sure it gets the chance to stand for many more. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far — our family, friends, volunteers, everyone who has travelled over to help, everyone who has followed us on Help! We Bought a Village, and everyone who has sent us a message of encouragement. And thank you to anyone who decides to become part of the Priedamu story. From the bottom of our hearts — thank you. ❤️ Michael & family ️ Help us save Priedamu — one building at a time.