Do you live in Istria or have a holiday home here? Need some help from time to time sorting things out, resolving intractable issues, or just understanding the way this complex country works? Look no further, Helping Hand is … well, it’s here to help! As Brits having lived and worked in Istria for...
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An update on the changing sewerage situation in Istria and its impact on home owners. So … let’s talk sewage! Trenches are being dug all over Istria: diggers are closing roads, delaying traffic and limiting house access. If this hasn’t affected you yet, it soon will as Croatia (with EU funding assistance), is installing...
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Example based on a working agreement for restoration of a 100-year old stone house in the old quarter of a historic town. Details for an agreement depend, of course, on the specifics of the project. Working agreement between Helping Hand (part of Anson-Bryant Usluge d.o.o.) (HH) of ADDRESS, Croatia AND CLIENT of ADDRESS for...
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Today Croatia is a popular destination for foreign, second-home buyers looking for a place in the sun. Holiday homes are a new relatively idea to many of us coming from northern Europe, but not to most Croatians. For many Yugoslavians, under a communist government, a second home by the sea or in the countryside...
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In Croatia, every rental property for tourists must be inspected and registered before it can be legally let. Like a hotel, it receives a classification depending on its level of facilities, and the certification plaque must be displayed. This process is normally only done once, at the start of the property’s rental life –...
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The list of requirements for a holiday property comes in an official government document. It’s a long and all in Croatian, but don’t panic – I’ve just translated it for you into English and added some thoughts. Because of its size (17 pages) it’s attached as a downloadable PDF, simply click on the link...
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All Croatian rental properties should have an official rental plaque, which confirms their property has been officially inspected and given a tourist classification. So how do you get one? First you need to get your property inspected. Then, when you have been assigned your tourist classification, you will receive official confirmation with a ‘Rjesenje’....
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As July finishes and August begins, the weather stays unusually hot and dry. The missing bedroom furniture arrives – with a twist (again!) – and I battle on with furniture assembly and dodgy air-co. But the heat’s taking its toll and then, when the water’s turned off … Furniture: well, sort of …...
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Had a strange phone call Monday afternoon, a few weeks ago. “Hello, I’m your neighbour in Kovaci. Would you like to buy my house?” As I said, strange. My caller was Dejan from Raiffeissen Bank Austria and he was calling about the red-brick monstrosity, next door. It had recently been repossessed and Dejan wanted...
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Wednesday was one of those strange Croatian days. We had the pool fixed, the plumber came to repair the Little House boiler and a ton of gravel arrived in the drive. None of which we were expecting when the week started: all we’d expected were visitors. The holiday season was nearly upon us and...
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In glorious weather, work shifts outside and moves on apace. The pool emerges from its formers and is back-filled into the garden, and work progresses rapidly on the šupa. The house gains a front door and the windows arrive, but the stairs disappear! And I finally make a decision about tiles. Dramatic progress...
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As well as a three-bedroom terraced house, our property at Kovaci also has a barn. It’s a lovely building, in great condition, but restoring it along with the house would have been a big financial step too far – or so it seemed. Then, when P went to the UK, I started daydreaming… ...
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Kovaci will be a holiday rental property. So as well as complete restoration, it also needs furnishing from top to bottom, and equipping with everything from light fittings and wardrobes to teaspoons and linen. In early February, while the builders continued working and P went to the UK, I started furniture shopping. Would I...
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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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Are you looking to buy a holiday home abroad – and hoping to fund your dream with some rental income? It may come as a surprise, but not all ‘tourist’ properties can be rented out … no matter how suitable they may look or what you are told. Before you make a possibly expensive...
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