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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Renovating an old property can be challenging – even when you delegate all the hard work. So, doing it for the first time, with a builder who doesn’t speak your language, might be called fool-hardy. I guess I was about to find out – let the work begin! Renovation projects in Istria come...
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Just a few before and after shots to highlight the transformation in our Istrian property, before and after restoration. The photos are mainly of the house and garden, as there was something to photograph before hand. With the barn, the place was so full of junk it was impossible to get in and there...
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While a holiday home must be lovely inside, outside is just as important – if not more so. It’s where guests will spend most of their time, so I wanted it to be special. Little did I realise how much work this would entail. Also see: The restoration tale continues with the house Downstairs and Upstairs, and...
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Upstairs, our Istrian house was in much better condition than downstairs but there was still an awful lot of work as the roof had to come off – and go on again. There was no inside plumbing, so two new shower-rooms needed creating and everywhere needed rewiring. Also see: The restoration tale continues with the house...
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Long, long neglected, the downstairs of our Istrian house originally had three rooms: entrance, kitchen and living room. Our plan was to turn it into an open plan kitchen-diner with a loo under the stairs and a snug library tucked behind. This major undertaking involved gutting the whole floor, stripping it back to the bare...
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A picture’s worth a thousand words and here’s the barn’s restoration tale. Even though it had four strong, straight walls and an old, but intact roof, it was no small undertaking transforming it from a storage dump into a cosy holiday home. Also see: The restoration tale continues with the house – Downstairs and Upstairs, and Outside Compare...
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At last we are ready. The formidable Tourist Classification lady visits, as we take the plunge and apply for our tourist rental licence. Websites are created and, with Kovaci close to being declared ‘ready’, our restoration project draws to a close. It’s been a long, hard slog. Was it all worth it and …...
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After the watering ban set-back, it’s a week before I can face Kovaci again. But I can’t put things off for ever. So with August going into its second week, I resume the battle. The air-co’s fixed … sort of … and Miro lends a helping hand; I play with furniture and go shopping...
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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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With P’s parents safely dispatched back to the UK, I plan to make fast progress at Kovaci, but it is not to be. Instead, I’m in for delays, frustrations and upsets as I battle on in soaring temperatures. Bedroom furniture starts to arrive, along with a host of problems … but at least the...
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Time is getting extremely tight and there’s an awful lot still to do at Kovaci. To have any hope of having guests this year, I have a real race on my hands. This is a crucial week: the kitchens go in and the pool is finished. But with soaring temperatures and visiting parents, do...
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At last, Miro’s finished – in a way – so I should be celebrating, but somehow it doesn’t happen. Soaring temperatures, kitchen delays and garden issues preoccupy me so much, this momentous event slips past unnoticed. My focus is on finishing in time for possible guests: but we’re now so far behind schedule, I...
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It’s a short one this time ‘cos, frustratingly, not a lot’s happening. A short rain burst seems to stop play at the start of the week. Then, just when it’s set to resume … I fly away! Will everyone be able to cope without me? The cold week June seems to be shaping...
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