Handmade Home Personal

Moving to a Cottage in Rural Wales

A lot is changing for us. We are moving to a cottage in rural Wales! Before leaving our rental home I thought it would be fun to share some before and afters of our very first home together.

Head picture blogpost We are moving to a cottage in rural Wales by a Hopeful Home

God is faithful and He always provides. After a period of worrying and not knowing what we were supposed to do, God reminded us in a very confronting way how I and my husband never should have doubted Him in the first place. After a long time of searching, applying, and being rejected for jobs (Nathan for a new job and me just well.. A job) we heard extremely exciting news last week. Nathan has been offered a job for which we really hoped that this would be THE job. And for it, we are moving to a cottage in rural Wales.

About two months ago, Nathan’s mamgu sent him a link for a job in North Wales as a joke. Both me and Nathan originally thought that it was a bit ‘too crazy’ and put the idea aside. It was not the kind of job we were searching for and it would require of us to move to a location which is at a couple of hours driving-distance from most of our friends and family…

I, however, did not manage to ignore the question that hovered around in my mind: ‘Is it REALLY that crazy?’.

I soon saw the benefits of this job and how this job suited Nathan so well. So I asked him to reconsider it and to give it a bit more thought. To my big surprise, Nathan came home one day after work and told me how he too had started to realize that maybe this could be something that God had in mind for us.

Sometimes God hears our needs and comes with a solution completely different to what we think of. After a long time of praying, talking, and thinking, both of us started to get more and more enthusiastic about the job and the lifestyle change it would mean for us.

We would be able to live in a cottage in rural Wales and Nathan would be doing a job which really suits his interests and talents. Nathan decided to apply for the job and we slowly started to tell our family members and close friends that we were considering this job.

A couple of weeks ago Nathan heard that he was invited for the interview and the both of us went on an amazing road trip to the location where the interview would take place (and where Nathan would be working and we would be living).

After the interview, both of us still felt very good about it, but we had no idea whether this really would be something that God had in mind for us. Last week, however, we heard the happy news that he got the job and everything seemed to fall into place.

The both of us are very excited and nervous, because the new job starts in a little under a month. So there is a lot to arrange in a short time!

Nathan and I moved in together after our wedding and when we move to the cottage, we will have lived in our current house for six months (before our wedding, Nathan lived in this same house for another six months with a housemate).

We will have lived here shorter than expected, but we are so grateful that we were given the opportunity to spend the first months of our marriage in this lovely house. We really made it our home with the means that we had and after having moved to Wales (I am originally from the Netherlands) this house was a lovely place to settle down.

Because of our upcoming move, I thought it would be real fun to show some before and after pictures of our rental home!

LOUNGE

Before photo of the fireplace wall lounge
BEFORE
After photo of the fireplace wall lounge
AFTER
After photo back wall lounge
AFTER

Before photo front window wall lounge
BEFORE
After photo front window wall lounge
AFTER

Before photo staircase lounge
BEFORE
After photo staircase lounge
AFTER

Before photo wall beneath staircase lounge
BEFORE
After photo wall beneath staircase lounge
AFTER

KITCHEN & DINING ROOM

Before photo entire kitchen
BEFORE
After photo entire kitchen
AFTER

Before photo back window wall kitchen
BEFORE
After photo back window wall kitchen
AFTER

Before photo left wall kitchen
BEFORE
After photo left wall kitchen
AFTER

After photo dining area
AFTER
AFTER

DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY AND TOILET

Before photo entrance hallway
BEFORE
After photo entrance hallway
AFTER

BEFORE
After photo downstairs toilet
AFTER

UPSTAIRS HALLWAY AND MASTER BATHROOM

Before photo upstairs hallway
BEFORE
After photo upstairs hallway
AFTER
After photo wall above stairs
AFTER

Before photo guest bathroom
BEFORE
After photo guest bathroom
AFTER

Before photo guest bathroom
BEFORE
After photo guest bathroom
AFTER

GUESTBEDROOM

Before photo guest bedroom
BEFORE
After photo guest bedroom
AFTER
After photo guest bedroom
AFTER
After photo guest bedroom
AFTER

MASTER BEDROOM & EN SUITE BATHROOM

Before photo master bedroom
BEFORE
After photo master bedroom
AFTER

Before photo front window wall master bedroom
BEFORE
After photo front window wall master bedroom
AFTER

Before photo right wall master bedroom
BEFORE
After photo right wall master bedroom
AFTER

Before photo en suite bathroom
BEFORE
After photo en suite bathroom
AFTER

OFFICE

Before photo office
BEFORE
After photo office
AFTER

Before photo office
BEFORE
After photo office
AFTER


It has been so much fun to see the old pictures again and to make the new pictures in order to compare them. It is funny how I have felt like I didn’t get a lot done in the house because when I look at the pictures I see so much difference! I can’t wait to show you pictures of our cottage!

UPDATE 30-12-2020: Read the blogpost about our move here. And find more information about the historical property Nathan used to work in here.

When you look back at the past half-year, do you feel like you have changed a lot of your home interior? Also, has it ever happened to you that you had to move within a short period of time?

Always with much love,
Jenna