Plastering Disaster, $2k Expired Cement Mistake | Ep. 17 – Building a Home in Zimbabwe While Abroad

In this episode, we begin plastering, a major milestone in the build, but one that quickly turns into a hard lesson. After installing windows and doors in the previous episode, we moved on to electrical conduits and plumbing in preparation for plastering. You will see how we chased the walls, installed PVC conduits, fitted the DB box, and completed all internal and external plumbing for the cottage and staff quarters. Just as plastering got underway, things started to go wrong. Due to a nationwide cement shortage at the time, I accepted 150 bags of cement without asking the most important question. How old was it? What followed was a complete plaster failure. Two day old plaster crumbling to powder, days of labour undone, and a painful but honest loss of around 2,000 US dollars once materials, transport, and labour were accounted for. This episode is about transparency. It shows why mistakes must be fixed early, why cutting corners never works, and why building from the diaspora requires tough decisions and accountability. If you are building in Zimbabwe, especially while living abroad, this episode will give you real insight into the risks, the process, and the lessons learned the hard way. #BuildingInZimbabwe #DiasporaBuild #PlasteringInZimbabwe #ZimbabweConstruction #BuildingFromAbroad #HomeBuildJourney #ConstructionMistakes #RealBuildCosts #LearningTheHardWay