From Run-Down House to a Dream Home: The Roof Takes Shape and the First Major Systems Come Together

The construction project is entering a new phase. After months of planning and preparing the property, the work is now becoming increasingly visible. The excavator is busy outside, the first original stones are returning to the façade, and the roof is finally being installed.

At the same time, important decisions are being made behind the scenes. Before the house can become a comfortable home, its technical systems need to be carefully planned and coordinated. Dave meets with Niklas, Edwin and his colleague to discuss the next steps and work out how all the necessary installations will be integrated into the building.

As the project continues to move forward, this episode shows just how many different elements need to come together during a renovation of this scale.

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One Meeting, Many Important Decisions

The episode begins with a meeting on site. Dave and Niklas walk through the house together with Edwin and his colleague, who will be responsible for the different utility installations.

Their work includes the sanitary installations, fresh-water supply, wastewater, air conditioning, electrical systems and underfloor heating. Rather than simply starting work, the team takes time to discuss the different possibilities and coordinate the routes and connections.

Dave particularly appreciates Edwin’s approach. From the beginning, he has made a competent impression by taking the time to discuss the project, offer advice and consider different solutions instead of simply submitting an estimate and getting started.

With the construction schedule progressing quickly, these discussions are becoming increasingly important. The pool is already under construction, the utility routes are being prepared, and the first windows are gradually being ordered. The house is beginning to take shape in a very real way.

Three Heat Pumps for Different Requirements

One of the first major topics is the heating and cooling system.

The team discusses the use of heat pumps and where the equipment should be positioned. The location is particularly important because the distance between the units and the areas they serve can affect efficiency.

The decision is to place the equipment next to the technical room, on the side of the house without windows. This area remains shaded for much of the day and allows the installation routes to be kept relatively short.

The planned system consists of three separate heat pumps:

• One for the air conditioning and underfloor heating.
• One dedicated to hot water.
• One for the swimming pool.

Dave explains why he favours heat pumps for the project. In his view, their efficiency is a major advantage, especially when combined with electricity generated by the photovoltaic system planned for the property.

For a house in Mallorca, the ability to heat and cool the interior is also particularly relevant. The aim is to create a system that can respond to the different needs throughout the year.

Making Use of the Excavator

The work is not limited to the interior. While the excavator is already on the property, the team takes the opportunity to coordinate the trenches required for the outdoor utility connections.

These routes will connect the different parts of the property with the house and its technical room. They include the fresh-water supply, wastewater connections and the electrical infrastructure for the photovoltaic system.

The water supply is another important part of the planning. Water from the well and storage cistern will need to reach the water filtration and treatment equipment in the technical room before being distributed throughout the house.

The wastewater system requires its own connection from the building to the planned septic tank.

By discussing these routes together with Edwin and the excavator operator, the team can coordinate several outdoor tasks while the machinery is already on site.

A Small Planning Decision Dave Would Change

During the walk-through, Dave also revisits a decision concerning the space underneath the staircase.

The original plan included a small bathroom in this area. At some point during the planning process, this idea was abandoned after someone advised that the available space would be insufficient.

Dave explains that this was not a building-permit requirement. Looking at the room again, he believes it could have worked well as a bathroom, with space for a shower, toilet and washbasin.

Instead, the area is now planned as a storage room. Although this also has a practical purpose, Dave is less convinced that the layout makes the best use of the available space.

It is a reminder that even with extensive planning, some decisions only become fully apparent once you can stand inside the actual rooms and experience their dimensions.

Another important topic during the meeting is the electrical installation and the possibility of creating a smart home.

Dave is interested in integrating smart functions into the house, but he has a clear idea of what he does not want: a system that makes everyday things unnecessarily complicated.

His priority is simple. When someone presses a light switch, the light should turn on. Guests should be able to use the house without having to understand complicated programming or remember unusual controls.

The advantage of planning the electrical infrastructure at this stage is that the specific functions can be decided and adjusted later. Once the cables are in place, the smart-home configuration can continue to develop over the weeks, months and even years after moving in.

For Dave, a genuinely smart home should make everyday life easier rather than create new complications.

A Major Milestone for the House

While the planning for the interior systems continues, another major development is taking place above the building: the roof is being installed.

The roof materials arrive on pallets and are lifted by crane onto the first-floor terrace, from where the team can move them into position.

The roof structure uses concrete supports and 13-centimetre sandwich panels. These panels have an insulating core between their outer layers. A waterproofing layer is then applied before the traditional roof tiles are installed.

For Dave, seeing the first panels in place is a particularly exciting moment. Until now, looking up inside the house meant seeing open sky and daylight coming through the unfinished structure. With the panels installed, the rooms finally begin to feel enclosed.

The roof is not yet complete, but the change is already significant.

Traditional Roof Tiles and the Mallorca Look

The roof is finished with standard clay tiles, following the appearance required for the property and its surroundings.

Dave explains that there is little room for individual design choices in this part of the project. The shape and colour of the tiles are determined by the local requirements and the traditional style of the area.

As the installation progresses, the roof starts to give the building a much more complete appearance from the outside.

After the first rows have been carefully positioned, the roofing team is able to work more quickly. Within two days, roughly half of the roof has been covered, with the remaining work expected to take only a few more days.

For Dave, this is one of those construction milestones that makes the project feel real. The house may not yet have windows or completed utility installations, but it finally has a roof.

The Wastewater System Arrives on Site

Another important delivery arrives during the episode: the septic tank.

The system is a three-chamber septic tank designed to receive the wastewater from the house. Dave explains how the wastewater passes through the different chambers, becoming progressively clearer.

He also discusses systems that can treat and reuse water from the final chamber. Although he is open to modern technology, he decides that the project will not include this additional reuse process.

The tank is positioned in the excavation that has already been prepared by the excavator.

For Dave, this is another important step towards making the property independent and functional, particularly given the infrastructure requirements of the site.

Giving the Original Materials a New Purpose

The work around the property also reveals how much material can be reused.

The excavated stones are being sorted according to their size, colour and intended purpose. Some are suitable for the façade, while others can be used around the entrance and driveway.

Dave is pleased to see that much of what comes out of the ground can remain on the property and become part of the finished project.

Rather than treating every excavated stone as waste, the team is finding ways to incorporate the original materials into the new design.

This approach will become especially visible in the façade, where stones from the property itself are being brought back into use.

The First Drywall Profiles Are Installed

Inside the house, work begins on the first metal profiles that will form the framework for the interior wall construction.

Dave explains the difference between the UW profiles, which are fixed to the floor, ceiling and adjoining walls, and the CW profiles, which are fitted into them.

One of the important aspects of this work is accurate alignment. The new framework needs to be straight and properly positioned, even if the original masonry is not perfectly even.

This allows the team to compensate for small differences in the existing walls and create a more consistent surface for the next stages.

The profiles are initially installed on the exterior walls, where the project includes interior insulation and a vapour barrier. The interior walls are treated differently because Dave wants to preserve as much usable space as possible.

The framework is being prepared now, but the walls will not be closed up yet. The necessary utility lines still need to be installed first.

Measuring, Adjusting and Learning Along the Way

Dave also gets involved in installing some of the profiles himself.

The work involves measuring, cutting and positioning the individual sections, including connecting profiles where the ceiling height exceeds the length of a single piece.

As the episode shows, this is not always a straightforward process. A few measurements have to be corrected, some profiles need to be adjusted, and Dave discovers that even a small mistake can mean doing part of the work again.

The heat on the Mallorca construction site certainly does not make things easier.

Nevertheless, the first sections are completed, and the framework for the exterior wall insulation is beginning to take shape. Once the remaining areas are prepared, the team will be able to move on to the next stage and install the utility lines.

Windows: Precision Is Essential

The windows are also getting closer to being ordered.

Before custom-made windows can be manufactured, the openings need to be measured accurately. Some of the window reveals have only recently been plastered, which means that the final measurements for those openings cannot yet be taken.

Dave explains that this is particularly important because the windows will be made specifically for the house. If the measurements are wrong, correcting the problem later could be expensive and time-consuming.

The team therefore measures the finished openings and leaves the remaining ones until the plastering work is complete.

It is another example of how one stage of the construction process depends on another. Good coordination and accurate measurements are essential if the following work is to proceed smoothly.

Bringing the Character of the Old House Back

One of the most visible changes in this episode is the beginning of the new façade.

The freshly built exterior walls are first primed and sealed. This preparation is necessary before the original stones can be installed on the outside.

The stones come from the property itself, including material recovered during the excavation work. Each individual stone is selected and shaped by hand so that it fits into the façade.

The construction is not simply a matter of sticking decorative stones onto an existing wall. The façade is being rebuilt layer by layer, with the original stones forming the visible exterior and insulation incorporated behind them.

Dave is particularly enthusiastic about the result. The first completed section already gives an impression of how the entire house will look once the work is finished.

However, he also realises that the process takes considerably more time than he initially expected. Every stone has to be handled, adjusted and positioned individually.

The craftsmanship involved is therefore a major part of this stage of the project.

At the end of the episode, Dave addresses something that is important to him beyond the construction work itself.

As the project becomes increasingly visible, some viewers have started visiting the property in person. Dave understands that people are curious and that following the renovation can create a connection with the house.

However, he asks viewers not to come to the property.

He wants to be able to spend time there with his family in the future and to keep the site private. He therefore makes a clear request: regardless of the reason for visiting, people should respect the privacy of the property and not come to the construction site.

It is a simple request that helps ensure the project can continue without unnecessary interruptions.