Leka Deilida is a famous video blogger, an aspiring singer and… a foreman, a builder, a painter and a carpenter all rolled into one. Three years ago Leka bought an old hut on the banks of the Oka on a plot overgrown with nettles. She tells how she, a fragile girl, managed to repair the house herself.

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I was born in Belarus, at the age of 18 I first came to Moscow for a long stay – to help my sister with preparations for the wedding, and at the same time to earn money. We completed the first task.

There was a problem with the second one: I got a job in sales. But one day, far from perfect, all my proceeds were stolen. Moreover, this was not the only time I was robbed – once a bag with documents was stolen! After that trip to earn money, I still had to stay. I cried a lot then.

How I gained experience

Having paid off her debts, she returned to her homeland to make repairs in the apartment she inherited from her grandmother. By that time, the apartment had been empty for some time. Well, it was so empty: homeless people settled in it. You can’t imagine the smell there!

My dad, an ordinary village man with golden hands, helped me a little. He wasn’t feeling very well anymore, so he gave me instructions, and I did it: I glued wallpaper, repaired slopes, puttyed the walls, laid tiles… The result was decent, and I also gained experience. Who would have said then how useful it would be to me!

Then I returned to Moscow again – this time already prepared for the fact that in a big city you need to be on your guard. I rented a bed, started studying and got a job again – only in a closed office, where no robber could get into.

Sometimes I came to work at 6 am, although everyone started at 10: I used this time to study. I didn’t even have my own computer – so I used a work one. Working at this pace, I opened my own online store – this is how the first savings appeared. Soon I bought a car and realized that I wanted my own home, so that I would always have somewhere to return and where to register.

House with lilacs instead of a car

Of course, I dreamed of a new house – framed or made of timber: fashionable, spacious, bright. But financial resources, alas, did not allow us to make this a reality. Then I decided to sell my nice car and buy a very small house. And for change – a simpler car.

No sooner said than done. And so my sister and I are driving around the outskirts of the Moscow region in search of a house. One morning I woke up before the next viewing with the feeling that today I would find what I was looking for.

We came to a pretty village in the Lukhovits area to look at a house for sale there. The viewing didn’t go well from the very beginning. The owner said that the house was in excellent condition and that there was a whole line of buyers for it. But I saw that this was not so: the street sign “For Sale” was already completely faded in the sun!

Angry, she silently turned around and went outside. While my sister was apologizing for my rudeness and being polite, I opened the Qian and saw that literally opposite there was another house for sale – it turned out that we had parked the car near it.

I called the seller, who sadly replied that it was far away now, but I could climb over the fence and at least look at the house from the outside. I was greeted by a fluffy lilac at the fence – a good sign : on the way to the viewing, my sister and I made a wish that if there were lilacs near the house, then this would be our option!

I climbed onto the fence and sat on it for a long time – I couldn’t find a place to jump into boards with nails or into bushes: the area was incredibly overgrown!

The site was overgrown and abandoned The site was overgrown and abandoned

But I realized that this was the house I was looking for. At that time, I was only 52 kg with a height of 173 cm and, probably, a lot of dope, so any job seemed within my reach. I was sure that I could cope with both the thickets and the abandonment.

Secrets of the old house

The house (a room and a kitchen, and on the site – a garage and an outdoor toilet) cost me 450 thousand rubles, although it originally cost 600 thousand. The owners made a discount and, it seems, were very happy to get rid of such real estate. Later the neighbors said that it cost me a lot – I could have bought it cheaper.

Construction video from the author

Another interesting information from the neighbors – there is a cellar in the house. But I still haven’t found it. There is, however, an underground floor for storing screws, but you can’t even go down into it, and the neighbors say you can stand upright in that cellar. Where did he go?

When I received the keys and was able to wander around the site as a hostess, I managed to fall into a hole – luckily I didn’t get hurt. As it turned out later, there was a reason for the pits: they say that rich merchants once lived here – they built numerous churches in the surrounding area. One of them buried a treasure in our village, so “tourists” with shovels come here regularly.

A hole that was discovered after clearing the site A hole that was discovered after clearing the site

I admit, under the impression of this story, I myself hid the treasure. True, I have a simple one: a little money, decoration and a note. I hope someone finds it someday!

Clearing and action plan

The first time was spent clearing the property. Not only was the plot overgrown with nettles up to the top of my head, but the former owners also turned the house into a warehouse for unnecessary things – I had to take out a huge amount of garbage! There were even monuments from the cemetery there.

I had to throw away a huge amount of junk I had to throw away a huge amount of junk

At first I had no kitchen, no stove, no microwave – I ate cereal, fruits and vegetables, instant noodles…

Was/became Was/became

One of my first purchases was a penny washbasin, which I placed on the street. First, I poured water into it from bottles that I dragged dozens of to the site.

This is how it all began This is how it all began

Then I finally ordered a well – though it was not insulated, so it couldn’t be used in winter. So the question of winter accommodation is still open.

It’s scary at first, but then you get used to it

Almost immediately I noticed the ubiquitous polyurethane foam – with its help the previous owner solved any incomprehensible situations. Was the stove smoking? Foam her! Gaps in the fence? Foam too! As a result, I had to disassemble the stove – it was impossible to use it after the “foam” treatment.

Stages of home transformation Stages of home transformation