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» Village Restoration |
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| Village Restoration |
The way climbed steeply up an alleyway, like a narrow gully between the
houses. This property I was going to see was in a part of the village I had
never explored. Which was the house? Yannis the builder pointed to a three
storey wall, with glassless windows staring out from the cracked walls.
‘This is what Susan’s just bought,’ he told me. ‘It dates from 1788, and she
wants it restored to its original appearance. It’s going to be a stunning
home.’
I was a little dubious, since the basement smelled damp, and the upper two
floors were full of bird droppings. But I trusted Yannis’ judgement as the
restorer and project manager, and a return visit only two weeks later
justified his foresight.
Gone was the dirt, and a home was starting to take shape. The walls,
composed of the lovely mellow sandstone of the region, like giant golden
beach pebbles, each one a different size and shape, had been stripped of
their decayed rendering. The roof beams were already in place, and the
insulation fitted.
‘We cleared out the interior and salvaged the old woodwork,’ Yannis
explained. ‘We’re going to reuse the materials.
‘The stonework on these old houses is so lovely, you don’t need to render or
point the walls. Just fill in a few of the larger holes, and it’s done,’ he
continued. ‘Where we are going to paint, it’s going to be done with natural
colourings. Susan wants everything to be authentic.’
Inside, the basement walls had been stripped and rough-rendered. An
underfloor damp course will take care of the musty smell. ‘All the beams are
fine,’ said Yannis, and these wonderful plank floors are going to stay as
well. This is how they’ll look when they’re polished.’
He tipped some water over a section of flooring and scrubbed, and the wood
turned a lovely mahogany colour. The old plank doors and window frames,
burnt of their old paint, were to be kept too.
‘It’s amazing how much money can be saved by re-using what’s on site,’
enthused Yannis. ‘You don’t have to buy in new materials, and you save
hugely on transport costs as well. Fixing the roof from the inside and
pinning the cracks also saved a lot of money, as we didn't have to get a
building permit.’
Two months later, and the house was complete. Owner Susan had from the start
called in the Corfu Heritage Preservation Foundation, which works closely
with Luvcorfu Properties, the agency which found her dream home, to advise
on the restoration project. They encouraged her to retain the lintels,
chiselled from old sandstone.
The old house had come back to life. Susan had found some old furniture, and
the top-floor bedroom, with its lovely view out over the rooftops and across
the valley, had a traditional brass bed.
According to Corfu travel agent Noula Mouzakiti of San Stefanos Travel, the
property is exactly what many clients demand, those who prefer to holiday in
a traditional village environment rather than in a beachside resort. Susan
can look forward to a good return on her investment.
Noula was the final component in the machine which, in selling and restoring
a ruin and then bringing it back into use, has saved a small part of Corfu’s
history. Harry of Luvcorfu Properties believes that the quality villa
operators, finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable properties on
the coast, will start to consider rentals in the less tourist-saturated
inland countryside. ‘Since summer 2001 we’ve relocated 50 families to
Corfu,’ said Harry. ‘Most of these residential tourists have picked village
and country locations where they mix with the locals and enjoy the
traditional way of life. In addition, there have been many more purchasers
who’ve bought holiday homes, which, when the new owners are not in
residence, they wish to rent. This is where travel agents can help,
especially ones like Noula, who sell via the Internet.’
With stock markets tumbling globally, property is an excellent investment,
particularly in countries where prices remain relatively low. In Corfu, the
efforts of Luvcorfu Properties to encourage the preservation of old
character properties offers very exciting possibilities.
The recent high level media attention they have gained, including a feature
in the Telegraph and reports on Wish You Were Here and A Place in the Sun,
has focused interest on old properties in Corfu, many of which are bargains.
‘This exposure guarantees that interest in old homes in Corfu will grow,’
emphasized Harry. ‘Prices on the island are as low as they will ever be, and
demand will ensure that values increase.’ |
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