This old farmhouse has been empty for years. There is still no comfort, no finished plan, and we are learning everything from scratch. This time, Nikky is completely on her own for the first time — a bit nerve-wracking, but also an important step in making this place our home.
These early weeks are about settling in, pushing our limits, and discovering what life in rural Piemonte really feels like when you face challenges solo, embrace practical creativity, and keep going even when things get difficult.
In this video, you’ll see:
💡 Making DIY lamps from old demi johns (balloon wine bottles) to bring warm light into the farmhouse
🔌 Tackling a critical electrical issue — repairing the wiring under pressure (and getting hurt in the process)
📹 Installing a security camera to keep the property safe while we’re away
🩹 Dealing with the realities of solo work: first-aid, problem-solving, and staying calm under stress
🛠️ Learning practical skills on the fly and adapting when plans change
🌙 Quiet, cottagecore moments as dusk falls over the Langhe hills
We want to do as much as possible ourselves, learn every step of the way, and slowly build a life connected to nature, simplicity and the seasons. This is not a renovation we already master — it’s something we grow into.
Completely alone for the first time — a small but meaningful milestone in our journey from the Netherlands to this little farmhouse, building something lasting one day at a time.
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Link to the Reolink Atlas PT Ultra used in this video:
https://reolink.com/product/altas-pt-ultra/?aff=1432
Don’t forget code NikkydeGraaf5 for 5% off!
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If you’re new here: we’re Nikky and Dylan, a sister and brother duo who left the Netherlands to start over in Italy. On this channel we share every step of our journey — the wins, the setbacks and everything in between — as we restore our abandoned farmhouse and document life in the Italian countryside.
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💬 Question for you: Would you dare being alone in an abandoned farmhouse?
👉 Subscribe to follow our journey as we turn this forgotten house into a home, one project at a time.
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🌍 Stay connected:
Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.it/hz/wishlist/ls/207LBCI3NMJHI?ref_=wl_share&language=en_GB
Print store: https://nikkydegraaf.pixieset.com/printstorebynikkydegraaf/
Instagram: @nikkydegraaf
Paypal: nikky_de_graaf@hotmail.com
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#AbandonedFarmhouse #MovingToItaly #ItalyVlog #FarmhouseRenovation #StartingOver #LifeInItaly #RuralItaly #SlowLiving #CountryLiving #OffGridDream #RestoringAnOldHouse #ItalianCountryside #NewBeginnings #HomesteadLife
47 Comments
Nikky, it makes me very concerned for you that you keep mentioning that you are alone and secluded .
Please don't discuss that on videos, as there are so many weirdos in the world that could track your whereabouts.
I hope you have a gun for protection.
Nikky, I believe you and Dylan have a lot of really vintage antique type things that if cleaned up, could go to auction or online type sales and you could make some money on them. My husband and I are antique collectors, and he mostly collected glass and porcelain, and he has much knowledge of old glass, (especially old bottles) so if you come across something and you don't know what it is, feel free to send a message and ask us as we might know. Those bottles are rare to find and highly sought after, I believe they are called, "Demi Jons"! Do the large bottles have any signage on them (on bottom or around neck)?
Nikki, I love your Vlog. I like the honesty and depth of dedication, but You are why I originally stayed to watch and why I subscribed. Your boundless positivity and great attitude, and actually 3 physical traits that remind me of my sweet mama: the way your hair curls, your eyes, and your smile. Her mother was from the Netherlands and Mama looked just like her. So you personally make me smile on many levels. I look forward to the Vlog every Sunday. And I'm excited to see what you and Dylan do with this gorgeous place. You are 1000% a blessing to this American Nana. Thank you, luv.
One day you'll make some friends and when your brother has to leave you could get one of them to stay with you.
I have a few reolink cameras. One charge a year is only if they are always on standby. Any time they are recording they use power.
Have you had a tetanus shot? I worry for you working on your own. Safety gloves
I hope you go to a dr for a tetnis injection and to check your burns
Find the source of the toilet tank leak, which could be from the bolts and washers, and replace those, or if a crack in the toilet tank itself, clean and sand the area around the crack, apply waterproof epoxy 'designed for porcelain', and let it cure overnight before refilling the tank and testing for anymore leaks.
I love love love your videos and the length is so nice you can actually just sit back relax and get deep into it
Oh Nikky it looks like it hurts. I'm praying for you so clean it good and take care of it. I love yo ur YouTube videos and will enjoy following you on your journey in repa11/iring the old farm house. I love the big bottle's very much and how you made them into lamps. I'm from the United States I'm 75 year old lady so your work brings me great joy. Thank you to Dylan and you. God Bless and keep your videos coming. This is Sandy from Wisconsin USA.
Stick a bunch of balloons at the driveway entrance on the road for the delivery drivers, they’re hard to miss and will cheer them up 😊
My dear, 'sei una pioniera' – in Italian you are a pioneer!!! Love your adventure, your 'photography' is gorgeous!! I confess, I'm a little jealous of your and Dylan's adventure, but surely do cheer you both on!! Goodness, looking at the rooms of the farmstead, you can see the potential of this place!! Wow, well done you for securing this place. You've got happy days ahead of you.
Aw I loved at the end how Dylan went straight to the kitty to give a kiss! So sweet. I love it when men love cats, it shows they are good people.❤🐈⬛🐾🐈⬛❤️
You guys have a very special place there and I look forward to seeing it transform. I also would enjoy more, watching the work actually being done.
Hello the lamps are beautiful. I love those glass bottles. Can you imagine drinking all that wine? Please be careful when you are there alone.❤
Oh goodness me Nikky, I’m so glad that you didn’t injure yourself more seriously, do take care of yourself. The lights look fantastic and I’m glad that you said ‘when Dylan gets home’, it’s so lovely to hear you refer to it as home, your heart is clearly becoming more settled. Great video, keep chatting throughout the videos because it means that we are all together, figuratively speaking of course. x
Fantastic video, hope your hand is healing well, Nikky. You all are doing a great job!
You and Dylan are special people on an adventure…thanks for bringing all of us along!
Hello 👋 😊
Nikky you're so brave! I admire your courage being alone. I know you do what you have to do. 😊 So glad you have some cameras now.
That gives some sense of security. The place is looking good! It'll be even better when your couch finally shows up!😊
Love the DIY lamps! 👏 So glad your injury wasn't too bad. That's scary, especially being alone. I'm happy that Dillan made it back home safely. I'm sure he loved all the things you did to make the place feel like home 😍
Keep up all the good work.. it'll pay off in the end! Looking forward to your next video! Thanks for sharing! Stay safe and warm! Blessings to you both! 🙏 💞 Ciao!👋🥰🦋⚘
You have the talent for story telling and sharing your experiences visually and by your explanations. Thank you for taking us along on your journey.
So much has been accomplished in just three weeks. You have made your home cozy and charming. Your cat and dog also approve. 🙂 The bottle lamps you created are just beautiful! Very creative great idea with the bottles that have been sitting unused for decades right in the old farm house. Some day when you renovate the oldest farm house, it will be really lovely. The large windows will bring in so much light.
So great that you value your grandma so much and that you talk to her often, making it possible for her to share in your adventures. Hopefully when you have the house more renovated, she might be able to come for a visit.
You might need to look for the other cut end of the Power cord to make sure that it doesn’t have power running through it because it could start a fire.
Hope you are okay after the accident with the scissors. Take care
We like your channel and we have the same dream, we wish you the best. Just a piece of advice. Talk less and work more , mostly of your audience are people that want to do restoration of a farmhouse or similar. How about starting getting rid of all the trash inside the building , then you will have an idea of what will be your priorities. Best of luck!!!
Hello Nikki. I see a fence along the driveway and a dome frame you can use as a green house to start plants. You can cover with thick plastic. Do you have plants started? Your old chairs can be used in the garden with flower pots.. The nicer ones I like to paint or stain and hang on the wall for decor. You can place decor on the seat. Best of luck this week. Glad you are able to bath and use the bathroom. Keep on keeping on.
Я сегодня впервые встретила ваш канал, Никки, я заинтересована и я подписана. Удачи.
Dear Nikky – I am so concerned for the injury to your hand. Please take care. Working with electricity can be very dangerous. I suggest you make a sign with your names and place that next to the road so delivery drivers know where they need to come. Please take care as injuries can be scary when you are there alone. ❤❤
Your a hard worker love watching your progress from new Zealand
I hope you have a well stocked medical kit? ❤❤
Did you get your tetanus shot?😢
are you in north of Italy?
When you are all alone don't push to the limit, take care of yourself, little by little everything will be ok.
By the way learn italian i know it's hard but important coraggio e buona continuazione, non preoccuparti delle critiche dopo tutto lo sappiamo bene che le donne parlano con facilita', as we say here 2 women and is a market.
Starting to look cozy ❤
Very much enjoying your new adventure. Alas for the cuts on Nikky's hand & Dylan having to drive 12 hours to sit an exam – but so glad to see that the cats & dog have been settling in well. Nikky is a brave young lady to stay in an unfamiliar place in the middle of winter, all by herself – but she did it & nothing bad happened.
I like this place. From the electrical fittings, etc, it looks as if electricity was installed during the 1960s. It is common for Italians to enjoy relaxing with extended family in summer houses; probably, the family were using their grandparents' home as a holiday home for gatherings during the summer & hunting during the winter. I find this farmhouse & farmyard charming & I personally like the bathroom. I'd love to dive in there & look for a nice little table & a chair for the bathroom, & make the kitchen homely. Fortunately, there is plenty of furniture lying around; it is like having a private flea market!
It won't be long before spring arrives & with it glorious light & open windows with fresh air flowing through the rooms. Meanwhile, another draught curtain for the cellar door might help a lot. XXX
Nickey…..If you make a cozy cat shelters around your place they will come and sleeping in when its freezing cold there! they are free to go or stay and you also have an eye to them!
I've seen someone clean these bottles on another channel by putting sand/loose gravel in them with some water, then swirled it around to help dislodge the grime.
You will never make a video that everyone likes. Nobody ever will. Some people unfortunately just want the world to be miserable. You are making videos about your journey, so share as you like and let everyone worry about themselves. If they are unhappy, there is nothing you can do to fix them. Love your channel and glad i got here at the beginning. Thanks, or Ciao'.
Water en zand in de fles, dan schudden. De cap is een leuke lampenkap
Hope you’re healing well from the cut. I am in Australia and enjoy your videos. Looking forward to seeing the progress from you and your brother’s hard work.
I adore joining you for your journey. You have a treasure trove of old things that can be a beautiful, useful, and valuable part of your home.
Hey Nikky, first off, you are so brave! I'm just wondering what town or village you might be close to (no need to disclose your exact location, of course). Just thinking about how you might be getting daily or weekly supplies and also food for you and your pets. Maybe you are close enough to walk? Subscribed and cheering you on from Utah!!
Hi Nikky, I love watching your progress making your house a home. The mother in me cares about your progress. Please take care of your injury. 🙏 the jars look so pretty at night. You're a beautiful soul. I look forward to your videos.
Hi, I'm so glad you've moved to my area. We're practically neighbors, we're in Saluzzo. Washing wine bottles is very difficult if you don't have a suitable brush, but I can recommend washing them with water and a little sand, the coarser the better, and then rinsing well with water.
You need a wood chipper to clean up that property. You’re welcome.
Nikky, your videos are always amazing, enjoyable and inspirational. You and Dylan are following a dream and it is now a reality, I wish you all the success in the world, if anyone deserves it you two do. I love watching and this long video was super, it's like settling down to watch a film, but by far better because this is real life. Hope your hand is healing and it's good that Dylan is back with you. At least Spring is on the way and the nights and mornings will be lighter and warmer before too long. Take care and I look forward to next week's video. xx
Nice video❤😊
So sorry, but I wont be watching your videos because all you do is talk. I prefer watching people work, even if its repetitive. God bless you and your brother in all that you do and hope you accomplish what you desire.