Renovating an old stone house on the Dalmation Coast in Croatia
Bill Swain
4 years ago
200-300 year old house in the center of Orebic. Structurally sound and with a new(ish) red tile roof.
It needs new doors and windows, plumbing, electricals, and possibly new concrete floors.
We'd like to open a new entrance on the south side of the house and a balcony overlooking the Adriatic on the top floor. This may prove difficult with stone walls one half metre thick.
We would also like to make the house energy independent with solar heat and electricity. Ideas and recommendations welcome.
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Comments (7)
Ben Uerorf
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Aging-Gracefully-In-Place: Tips for reno or new builds
Comments (34)Good morning to Dorset from Scotland! My husband had a birthday last week and is now saying we're 'pushing 60'. We're active and fit, lol, but sensible too-the day will come sooner rather than later when one or both of us is not able to claim to be spry. Because the little cottage is in such a sad cosmetic state it was listed at a rather amazing price and we locked ourselves into it too early thinking it was a perfect spot for us to grow old. Whoops, thanks to several posts here about doing a reno or new build with a mind to age-in-place we are having to admit that is not the house for us. Luckily the town is the 'gateway to the glens' and if we wanted to use it as a holiday let we could easily. It's also becoming a commuter town-the hardier type people from Dundee and Aberdeen are buying in to take advantage of the great mountain lifestyle whilst being able to easily commute to their 'day job'. We were not looking for an investment property-not especially keen on the idea but more and more we're thinking that's what we've got. We measured the borrowed wheel chair, and also took the measurements of the typical mobility devices available now (the ones that are adverted as being in-outdoors), and frankly held up against the kitchen and bath measurements, there is no way we can make the bathroom work. Up thread (I think it was Deborah Butler of Brickwood Builders) a wet-room was mentioned as being best to accommodate a roll-in shower but hard to do as a reno project. Looking at the floor-plan, home report, and our own measurements confirmed that on this wee cottage-there is no way to do that and no way a wheelchair or mobility device is going to be rolled in that cupboard size bathroom. The kitchen could be managed if we drop the pantry wall idea, but the bathroom we planned to make a shower room is not manageable at all, and there is no room to extend that space. We would have figured all this out but much further down Reno Road, lol, so this thread has been a huge help to us just on that! Because we're now doing a much simpler reno (dropping the wider doorways and sliders, the ramp, and a few other a-i-p doings), the cost to renovate that lovely wee home is much lower too. The only things we won't be able to do ourselves is the shower conversion and the rewiring. A huge savings that we're going to need to find the right place for us! We know now that we need to look for a home with room to enlarge bathroom and kitchen areas, and with a less tricky entry to incorporate a ramp. For starters:) We have to be out of our current home by 1st August when the new owners will be arriving from Australia. We've borrowed the use of a caravan from friends to live in whilst doing the cottage reno (now that's small space living!) and that's going to be a help but I sure wish I'd joined Houzz sooner! I would have started this thread BEFORE locking into a property too small for our needs. Too, rather than use it as a holiday let or sell it on, we may move into the cottage once the reno is complete but we do know now there is no way we'll be able to age-gracefully-in-place in it. Sigh. Oh well, our builder is happy-he wasn't keen on trying to fit those sliding doors:) Take-Away For the Day? Be sure the property has room to expand vital living spaces before making an offer that is sure to be accepted:(...See MoreNeed help with patio and garden design please
Comments (14)Hi there,potentially a great project.You have a superb blank canvas from which to create a landscape. Freshscaped will be able to assist you,I am sure. Meanwhile,if you seek inspiration.....have a look on my website under Portfolio sections; Landscaping and Poolhouses. A recently completed job in Kent where we added woodland,a stream,wild meadow, an eco office,and a superb Marston & Langinger orangery type building. I would be more than happy to put forward some ideas that Freshscaped could develop, or indeed assist with any Interior Renovations you may be doing also. I am based in Surrey,and work in London & the home counties. Best of luck,and do drop me a line if I can be of any inspiration to you. www.bellawhiteleyinteriors.co.uk...See MorePOLL: Do you bake your own bread?
Comments (61)I love making bread. Like someone else commented, it is very therapeutic. I have a bread machine which I use constantly. I also do some breads by hand. I make white bread for my other half, spelt loaves or wholemeal for me using a variety of seeds or honey, molasses, bran, oats etc. I also make bread rolls, croissant, baguette, tortilla (which takes seconds by hand and is then used to make wraps, enchiladas or quesadillas). I also make Pide (Turkish bread), roti chani(paratha), flatbread, roti, puri, bhatura, chapatti, Irish soda bread, dried fruit soda, boxy (an Irish potato bread usually eaten at Halloween), St Vincent bakes, Scotch pancakes, crepes, scones, pizza base, ciabatta and focaccia. I like Matthews Cotswold flour which I get in Aldi when they have it or on Amazon. I bought from Shipton Mill during lockdown as I had very little white and wholemeal flour left. They were excellent, reasonably priced as well. I had been struggling to find flour and Amazon had doubled the price of the Matthews ones and I couldn't get through to Matthews directly. I buy 12-16 kg at a time usually of the flours I use the most. I currently have about 10 different types of flours I am using. We never buy bread any more and my other half finds homemade bread more filling so he eats less and is full quicker. Even the dog comes running when I slice a new loaf. He only gets a few crumbs but he loves it. I would love to go on a bread making or even a pastry course as I want to learn more. One bread I haven't mastered yet is naan bread. I am wondering about buying a pizza oven as I think a standard oven can't do it is well. Or maybe I just haven't found the right recipe yet....See MoreWin tickets to Grand Designs Live - tell us your Grand Designs dream!
Comments (17)My partner & I bought a fishery with 2 lakes just over a year ago, the entire 10 acre site was very neglected, but we have renovated the lakes so that the anglers have a wonderful experience in beautiful surroundings. Our dream now is to renovate the house, reconfiguring the property so that we too can enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. There is also an acre of garden to landscape, we have many ideas but ideas on where to start would be fantastic...See More
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