Buying an old property and renovating it to your own style and taste can always be a great experience and opportunity to showcase your own personal design. There are many things to consider when renovations are required.

Firstly, if you are renting or moving into the property you need to consider if you have enough time to complete the required renovations. If you need to move in right away or if summer is only a month away, a not renovated property won't be ideal. There are key items that are on long lead times in dalmatia due to supply and demand like carpenters, kitchens, tilers and builders in general.

Carpenters are hard to come by and most have secured all there jobs that need to be completed for summer by the end of the previous year. Most large kitchen companies will give you a 3 - 4 month lead time estimate. The long lead time also applies to bespoke windows and glass doors. If you are able to put in a modular kitchen from Ikea, Lessnina, Prima etc this could be an easy solution - provided you are able to do a bit of handy work, arrange a basic layout and put together some flat packs!

Major renovations like changing plumbing / electrical works or retiling bathrooms need to be thought out and well organised. Finding trades to complete these works can be tiresome but also rewarding as when you manage to find one local to complete the works for a reasonable price they will know other trades that they can recommend to you.

A local tradesman can also provide insight on where to buy the most affordable material for your renovations if you are new in Croatia and not sure where to start. They always have a store to recommend for any query you have!

Another thing to consider is if you will be in Croatia during the renovations or if you will be abroad managing the renovations. It is highly recommend that you are at your renovation daily making sure the tradesman are doing as requested. Tradesman normally take on a few jobs at a time, and spend a day at one and a day at another typically. Therefore, by being present during the process this can cut down the time it takes for the works to be completed.

If you are considering building an extension of your property, a look into the requirements for filing for an extension should be considered as this process is timely and costly. Extensions should only be considered if it is certain you meet all the requirements, the application will be approved and the extension will add significant value to the property. I will cover the extension process in another blog!

At Croatia Property Advisor, we have created a curated team to complete renovations from the design to end product. We are able to provide a bespoke service based on your requirements. If you are considering a renovation or would like some advice before purchasing an unrenovated property, feel free to contact us on the below form!