In January 2011 we acquired a property in Kovaci, a district of Kaštelir, about 10 minute’s drive from the Istrian coast. Renovation work started as soon as we were given the key, and I’ll be bringing you regular reports, following our restoration progress. But before we start, what exactly have we bought and what...
Read More »
Because of the problems of getting tourist rental classifications for new houses, we had decided to look at old properties only and our last hunting session threw up a good possibility in Fabci. But there was another possible option: how about a finished, built-for-rental development, which came with all the necessary paperwork? What’s...
Read More »
Upstairs there is space for two double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, and a huge, en-suite double in the attic. It’s all in much better shape than downstairs. While old and dilapidated, the walls and floors are fine and just need refurbishing. The roof is in fantastic shape without a single leak....
Read More »
Downstairs, the house is divided into three rooms. Standing with the front door to your back, the stairs are on your left, the old kitchen is in front and the living room is on your right. The house clearly hasn’t been occupied for decades and, this floor at least, needs totally gutting. Amazingly it still has...
Read More »
The property consists of a traditional three-storey Istrian house, a barn and two outhouses on about 500m² of land. Looking from the parking at the entrance, the barn and house face each other at the end of a long thin garden. The outhouses are set next to each other on the left-hand side of...
Read More »
We only bought the house yesterday (Monday). By 9:30 am today (Tuesday), the builders are ripping it apart.
Read More »
In our our hunt for a rental property in Istria our little side-trip to Pula showed we weren’t cut out to be property developers, so we went back to what we know best – rental houses. The first place we’d seen, in Mugeba, was still a great possibility. But before we finally committed to...
Read More »
Like many people at the moment, we found ourselves searching for ways to generate more income and, in late December 2010, started looking to buy a rental property in Istria. Based on past experience, we knew it would take a while – and indeed, the hunt still continues – but in the process, another...
Read More »
Thinking about buying a property abroad? Follow our recent house hunt for a holiday rental property in Istria for some real-life experience of what it takes. The hunt begins… “Why don’t we buy another house?” This wasn’t quite the completely mad, extravagant statement to make out of the blue that it may seem....
Read More »
Thinking of buying a property abroad? Why not try Istria? With Croatia due to join the EU in July 2013, after three dead years life is beginning to flow back into the Istrian property market. In many ways, buying a house in Istria is all too easy. There are loads of attractive properties at fantastic...
Read More »
AM Color is the company for all your property’s interior and exterior needs. Established by Ante Miloš more than 20 years ago, it has a strong, proven record – with a long list of happy customers – and covers everything from full renovation to a final coat of paint, including: interior reconstruction constructing interior...
Read More »
If you’re looking for a builder, I highly recommend Miro and Toni Cabraja, otherwise known as AMT. They are the builders we use, and they’ve never let us down – so far! As well as handling the restoration work at Kovaci, they also built the Little House at the bottom of our garden, installed...
Read More »
Based in Pula, Aspectus offers a wide range of properties throughout Istria. It was founded in 2008 by Laci Debeljak, who says the secret of his success is simple: doing the best job possible for his clients. “Much of our business comes from referrals,” said Laci. “People come to us because we provide a...
Read More »
Based in Novigrad, Beatum offers all types of property in Istria, as well as a wide range of related services. What makes Beatum special is its owner, Zdravko Kneševic, who’s a real long-term property specialist. He established one of the first real estate agencies in Istria in 1991 – and has had happy customers...
Read More »
Based in Porec, Europartner offers all types of property. They focus mainly on Istria, but also have local representatives along the whole Croatian coast. A fully-qualified estate agent, Mara Miloš established Europartner in 2006 and today leads a team of three. She worked for many years in Austria and, with a background in banking...
Read More »
