Meh. Starting a blog is hard. We should have started the whole blog 3 years ago. Back then it was an adrenaline ride though. We’ll keep posting regularly until we reach current state.
It all started with us deciding it was time to own a place. We never planned building/owning a house as we are city centre animals. So we said “hell, lets get us huuuge apartment in the city centre”. With market prices in 2009, that was shit crazy idea.
We made an appointment with real estate agency that would find us something. Our primary goal was 3-4 bedrooms, first to second floor, old tenement, classy, to renovate. We never expected that we’d hit the jackpot…
A huge lightbulb appeared over my head when I heard the name of the street from our agent. She wasn’t sure if the place was really on market. She’s heard of it from her coworker, that lived downstairs form the apartment and knew the owners.
We scheduled the viewing and begged her to send us some photos. When I saw the original door handle, I just knew: “This is my future home for the rest of my life”.
And another great thing: a walk-in wardrobe. How cool is that?
We saw some more pictures that our agent took. With my professional skills and some googling I narrowed down the building, which I knew before and loved. I also deducted that there were only two apartments on each floor. I was a little bit rejected by northern/southern windows exposition, but decided not to be too picky. I already knew the neighborhood very well because the street is at the back of my university building. There is a nice park nearby, it is close to city centre. Perfect location.
When we entered the apartment on 12th of February 2009, we got scared. We didn’t expect such bad condition and how much work has to be done. No one has lived there for 10 years. Nobody took proper care of it. The heirs of the owner were fighting in court for rights and money. Owner’s daughter lived permanently in Paris. She’s made her ex husband her representative and boy that old guy was difficult to deal with.
We talked on the side and decided we are crazy enough and the price was really low. When we announced “we take it” to real estate agents and the owner’s ex-husband, they were shocked. “You’ve decided already?”. We laughed as it turned out there were several people before us and they were also terrified and undecided. One lady came once by herself, then she came to see the place with her husband and then she intended to come for the third time with some contractor. Well, we took the risk. Oh little did we know what was going to happen…
So let me take you to a little tour of “THE BEFORE”
You might ask yourself how crazy you’d have to be to buy this place. We were sold by these little historic details:
The apartment is on second floor, has two bedrooms that are joined with wardrobe, living room with balcony, kitchen with pantry, 88 square meters (950 sq ft). Original hardwood floors, original heating system with coal stove in the kitchen, original doors, some door handles, gypsum ceiling decorations in two northern rooms, tree in the back yard, astonishing front street view…
And so our battle had begun.
kemistry street 