Montenegro Girl x
6 steps to renovating my apartment in Kotor Old Town
1600 miles awayIf you are a regular reader of the blog, you will know that I am getting ready to start renovating my apartment in Kotor, Montenegro later this year.
But even though I’ve renovated it before, a project like this abroad – 1600 miles away from where I am actually living in England – is a daunting prospect for me. A long and arduous road stretching before me filled with potential pitfalls and uncertainties.
After all it’s not so easy to nip over at the end of the day to check if Bob the builder has put the kitchen taps on the right way. I am on a mission to simplify my life, but the thought of renovating my apartment in Kotor feels anything but simple.
As an INFJ my thought processes and natural approach often end up making things feel, well, very complicated. If you have no idea what an INFJ is, then suffice it to say I am the person who will be wrestling with the information well into the night long after everyone else has made the decision and is putting their feet up with a glass of wine watching Game of Thrones.
So, you can probably understand that the thought of renovating my property abroad makes me feel a little apprehensive.
But I am also not one to back away from a challenge if it is truly meaningful to me. No sirree.
And this little 47m2 apartment in beautiful Kotor Old Town does mean something to me. It has a certain old-style period charm that I love in a country that I’ve fallen for. But more importantly it is part of my dream to quit the rat race and live a simple life in the sun.
So, I thought it might be helpful to set down the process of how I want to renovate my apartment in Kotor from start to finish in 6 steps. A 6-point plan based on my scheduled visits to Montenegro.
I’m never one to hold back from a good planning session. And it may also help some of you lovely readers who are thinking of buying or have just bought a property for renovation in Montenegro.
After all … I do love the thrill of the plan. (Or is that meant to be the chase??)
6 steps to renovating my apartment in Kotor Old Town
1. Project brief
At home in UK early 2019
– Prepare list of jobs and draw up project brief
– Find potential project managers
– Email project brief to potential project managers
I’ve written about all this in How I’m planning another renovation of my small apartment in Montenegro.
2.Research trip
Montenegro April 2019
– Meet interested project managers to go through project brief
– Visit shops to research fittings and fixtures
– Get an initial kitchen plan done independently (for comparison)
Aims to achieve:
– Get minimum 2 written quotes for the work (as soon as possible after trip)
– Appoint a project manager (as soon as possible after trip)
– Have good idea of choice and price of fixtures and fittings available (showers, cookers, tiles etc)
I wanted this to be a thorough research trip. The weather in Montenegro is cooler in April (around 17-23 C degrees) and it is a good time to trawl around the shops. (Come to think of it, I’m not really sure if there is a bad time to trawl around house-related shops!)
At this stage I have asked for quotes excluding some fixtures and fittings (such as taps) as I haven’t decided all these finer points yet and I may source these myself, either by buying locally or bringing over from the UK. For example, I am thinking of bringing some feature ceiling lights over from the UK if I can’t find the right style locally or they are significantly cheaper in England. I will probably try to buy locally if I can though.
I’m always wary that quotes can come back way more expensive than what I have anticipated, so, I find it useful to have some comparison prices to help me gauge if builders are pulling a fast one, as they say.
Or if I have been wildly over-optimistic and it is time to get back to the drawing board.
Getting an initial kitchen plan and quote done separately will be useful for this reason. I discovered Objekta, which has a showroom at Radanovići. They make kitchen cabinets to whatever size you require and have a fabulous range of cabinet fronts, worktops, lights and all things kitchen-y. They can do supply only if required but also do the full installation (they just don’t connect water). Fantastic find and they speak excellent English. They do furniture too.
3. Meeting with appointed project manager
Montenegro May 2019
– Meet appointed project manager to go through quote in more detail
May is one of my favourite times to visit Montenegro and this time I will also be visiting with my teenage nephew. So, I will be leaving plenty of time to enjoy some rest and relaxation in the sun in between firming up plans with the appointed project manager.
I may still find time to dive into a shop or two along the way as well.
4. Finalise all details
Montenegro July 2019
– Choose (and buy) fixtures and fittings
– Finalise all details with project manager
– Get apartment ready for work to commence in autumn.
I will be in Montenegro for a month in the summer. By then I should have a clear idea of the kind of design I want for the interiors and be familiar with what is available.
The work is planned later this year in autumn, as building work is not permitted in Kotor Old Town during the main summer season (around May-September). So, this trip is the time to make the final choices for fittings and fixtures.
I will choose and pay for items like tiles, taps, appliances at the local shops and leave my project manager’s details with the shop, so he can arrange collection / delivery at a later stage when required. This seems common practice in Montenegro and was what I did when I renovated the property first time around.
One thing I have been astounded by is that there is so much more choice available now compared to 2005 when I renovated my apartment the first time. Stores along the main road from Tivat to Budva are springing up every year and there is now a good range of shops selling all things home-related.
Granted, there is still not as much choice as England and online shopping in Montenegro is still not really available as an option. So, I am limited to the physical shops that are there. But actually, I think that this may not be a bad thing at all. Less choice will make it simpler.
Stores that are useful for renovating an apartment in Kotor
Here is a list of shops I have discovered in the Kotor and Tivat area, which I will definitely be visiting again when choosing fixtures for the apartment.
Kips – Montenegrin version of B&Q by tunnel in Kotor. Sells all things home and garden related.
Drvomont – tile and bathroom shop in Radanovići
Donković – tile and bathroom shop in Radanovići
Technomax – electrical appliance shop. From fridges to enormous TVs, there’s a great choice with a range of recognisable brands.
Finally, I plan to replace all the current furniture and most of the accessories/smaller items, but I will need to safely pack anything away that I want to keep and protect any larger items at the end of my trip, before I return to the UK
5. Progress check
Montenegro November 2019
– Check on progress of builders and work
All being well work should be started by October 2019. A short 4 day working trip is planned around now to check on the progress of work, which should hopefully be well underway by then.
My project manager should be keeping me posted with photos and updates as well. Montenegrins regularly use WhatsApp and Viber, as well as the usual emails and texts, so long distance communication should not be a problem.
6. Furniture and finishing touches
Montenegro March/April 2020
– Check work when completed and pay project manager
– Paint apartment (if not done as part of work)
– Buy furniture
– Do finishing touches
I may need an extra short visit to do this early 2020 but I am hoping it can be done during my March/April trip.
Given the shoddy painting job done first time, I am thinking of doing all the painting myself during this trip. (The jury is still out on this one though). This will be a longer visit, so I may drive out with paint and smaller items like accessories and table lamps at this point.
With the messy work out of the way, now is the fun part of choosing furniture and doing all the finishing touches. Previously, the furniture choice in Montenegro seemed to be between either low-quality flat-pack type or at the other extreme, exorbitant designer furniture costing thousands. I am hoping that I will find something stylish that comes in between these 2 extremes this time around.
I’ll keep you posted with progress and hope to be able to pass on some more information and recommendations along the way.
And I promise I’ll try to keep it simple.
Montenegro Girl x
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