Istrian stone villages often look timeless – a slice of history, frozen in time. Any modern buildings appear intrusive, at odds with an otherwise historic atmosphere. When we bought our property in Kovaci, we soon discovered this is an overly romantic view. As Valter, the property’s previous owner, explained, these villages have rarely been...
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A string of problems, inside and out, test my resolve, and mistakes test my temper this week. Do we find solutions and, most importantly, do I finally lose my cool? Now the pool won’t fit… I started this week with a visit to the house to discuss the garden with my gardener, Davor....
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Like most of Europe, Istria continued to freeze in the second week of February. But despite over-night temperatures below -10°C, work moves forward apace in the house and many decisions need to be made. With P away in the UK, I go furniture hunting and … complicating my life even further … started daydreaming...
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Week three of our Istrian house restoration project sees temperatures tumble and my confidence falter, as my translator Miran disappears … and things don’t seem to be going quite to plan. Abandoned? Week three did not start well. First, I was unable to reach Miran by phone to set up a progress meeting...
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In Istrian villages, older properties often lean against one another: buildings on one plot can get muddled with those on another, boundaries can criss-cross and so on. Very picturesque, but it means that during renovations, something that seems straightforward can rapidly get very complex, involving more and more people. Our place in Kovaci is...
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Work progressed very quickly in the first week of our Istrian house restoration project. Will things continue as rapidly and smoothly in week two, when the plumber and electrician arrive on site, the roof’s replaced and the sink debate runs on? One sink or two? Week two started with me investigating bathroom sinks...
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When house hunting, our ideal property would have been detached, on a big plot with distant neighbours. Unfortunately our budget didn’t stretch to that and the property we bought was an old stone Istrian house, part of a terrace in a village location. With sea views, the coast less than ten minutes drive away,...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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We only bought the house yesterday (Monday). By 9:30 am today (Tuesday), the builders are ripping it apart.
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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...
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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...
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