PROPERTY ON LUSTICA
Luštica Peninsula
Luštica has an area of 47 km² and stretches 13 km in length. It was properly connected to the rest of the mainland in the 1970's, when a paved road was built by the military.
It is arguably one of the loveliest and most unspoilt parts of the Montenegrin coast, still managing to retain the essence of unspoiled natural beauty, simplicity, and the calm of how things used to be.
The warm Mediterranean climate supports a rich, dense vegetation, with terraces of olive groves interspersed with pine forests. Pomegranate, strawberry, and fig trees are also grown in abundance. Its rocky and sandy shores are home to dozens of charming small beaches and coves.
I've seen, and at night, heard, jackals calling to one another, along with the songs of nightingale and the calls of scops owls. Tortoises can often be spotted slowly crossing the narrow, winding roads, while mongoose dart about and wild boar roam deep within the thick vegetation.
Luštica has an area of 47 km² and stretches 13 km in length. It was properly connected to the rest of the mainland in the 1970's, when a paved road was built by the military.
It is arguably one of the loveliest and most unspoilt parts of the Montenegrin coast, still managing to retain the essence of unspoiled natural beauty, simplicity, and the calm of how things used to be.
The warm Mediterranean climate supports a rich, dense vegetation, with terraces of olive groves interspersed with pine forests. Pomegranate, strawberry, and fig trees are also grown in abundance. Its rocky and sandy shores are home to dozens of charming small beaches and coves.
I've seen, and at night, heard, jackals calling to one another, along with the songs of nightingale and the calls of scops owls. Tortoises can often be spotted slowly crossing the narrow, winding roads, while mongoose dart about and wild boar roam deep within the thick vegetation.
Milovići Property Purchase
In January 2007, I decided I was going to buy one of the two old, ruined properties I had viewed and liked so much on my trip to Montenegro the previous November.
I had no desire to be one of those foreign buyers who want their large houses separated from the local community. I was drawn to the partially abandoned, very old stone villas that were still attached to the newer, inhabited parts of the villages.
That way, I could still be part of the local community, which is exactly why I bought two ruined villas in a village called Milovići, on the Luštica Peninsular in the Municipality of Tivat.
After completely the purchase of these ruins, I thought the best course of action was to wait a while, possible a few years or more, to see if infrastructure on Luštica would become more viable, which would make the project less complicated and allow the work to proceed more efficiently.
In January 2007, I decided I was going to buy one of the two old, ruined properties I had viewed and liked so much on my trip to Montenegro the previous November.
I had no desire to be one of those foreign buyers who want their large houses separated from the local community. I was drawn to the partially abandoned, very old stone villas that were still attached to the newer, inhabited parts of the villages.
That way, I could still be part of the local community, which is exactly why I bought two ruined villas in a village called Milovići, on the Luštica Peninsular in the Municipality of Tivat.
After completely the purchase of these ruins, I thought the best course of action was to wait a while, possible a few years or more, to see if infrastructure on Luštica would become more viable, which would make the project less complicated and allow the work to proceed more efficiently.
Tivat Planning Department
I waited four years before deciding to begin the process of obtaining planning approval for this Milovići project and, in April 2011, after being recommended a local architect who would submit my drawings to Tivat Municipality planning department and organise the project, we started the planning process.
However, it did not go as smoothly as expected and took years for him to supposedly complete the project.
In April 2015, I was in Tivat to meet my architect to discuss the finalisation of this building project, but he never turned up for our appointment and instead via a crude text directed me to collect the finished project from another person's home, whom I did not know. Straight after rushing around trying to collect what I thought was my finished Milovići project, I went to a meeting with yet another prospective Montenegrin builder.
Luckily, this new builder turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. After years of unsuccessfully trying to find the right man for the job, I was relieved to meet someone who spoke perfect English, was very Intelligent and good-humoured, and who immediately set out to investigate how near completion the planning process really was, as we now realised something was not right with the project documents I had just collected.
This is when we discovered that the architect had been very dishonest, something my very new, highly efficient builder uncovered.
I waited four years before deciding to begin the process of obtaining planning approval for this Milovići project and, in April 2011, after being recommended a local architect who would submit my drawings to Tivat Municipality planning department and organise the project, we started the planning process.
However, it did not go as smoothly as expected and took years for him to supposedly complete the project.
In April 2015, I was in Tivat to meet my architect to discuss the finalisation of this building project, but he never turned up for our appointment and instead via a crude text directed me to collect the finished project from another person's home, whom I did not know. Straight after rushing around trying to collect what I thought was my finished Milovići project, I went to a meeting with yet another prospective Montenegrin builder.
Luckily, this new builder turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. After years of unsuccessfully trying to find the right man for the job, I was relieved to meet someone who spoke perfect English, was very Intelligent and good-humoured, and who immediately set out to investigate how near completion the planning process really was, as we now realised something was not right with the project documents I had just collected.
This is when we discovered that the architect had been very dishonest, something my very new, highly efficient builder uncovered.
Zabrdje Property Purchase
On this April 2015, I was feeling somewhat disillusioned because my new builder discovered that the architect completely ripping me off for quite a lot of money and handing me a supposedly finished project where nothing had actually be correctly submitted.
To cheer myself up, I decided to go and view a beautiful property in Zabrdje that I had seen online and had long wanted to visit.
This house was even more beautiful than I could have imagined from the photos, and I immediately decided to buy it.
The property consisted of one partially build villa and one completely ruined villa in Zabrdje, on the Luštica Peninsular, within the Municipality of Herceg Novi.
On this April 2015, I was feeling somewhat disillusioned because my new builder discovered that the architect completely ripping me off for quite a lot of money and handing me a supposedly finished project where nothing had actually be correctly submitted.
To cheer myself up, I decided to go and view a beautiful property in Zabrdje that I had seen online and had long wanted to visit.
This house was even more beautiful than I could have imagined from the photos, and I immediately decided to buy it.
The property consisted of one partially build villa and one completely ruined villa in Zabrdje, on the Luštica Peninsular, within the Municipality of Herceg Novi.
These ruins were located in the very old part of Zabrdje called Mitrovići, which the locals abandoned in 1950's and 1960's, when Tito aimed to transform the country into an industrial power and encouraging people to move to the larger towns and cities.
Some residents continued to use their old homes occasionally for leisure, but after the structural damage caused by the 1979 earthquake, that became impossible. These very old traditional villas were built in the 17th century, long before anyone considered buildings to withstand earthquakes.
After Tito's death in 1980, people slowly began returning to the area. The Montenegrins built themselves more modern, earthquake-proof homes right next to the old, damaged stone villages they had abandoned many years earlier.
Some residents continued to use their old homes occasionally for leisure, but after the structural damage caused by the 1979 earthquake, that became impossible. These very old traditional villas were built in the 17th century, long before anyone considered buildings to withstand earthquakes.
After Tito's death in 1980, people slowly began returning to the area. The Montenegrins built themselves more modern, earthquake-proof homes right next to the old, damaged stone villages they had abandoned many years earlier.
Milovići Project Starts
As I had found such a perfect team of builders who could start work right away, in late May 2015, I decided to begin work on the Milovići project, which would soon be approved, while I waited the possible years it might take for the Zabrdje project to be completed, so that I would not lose this great of team builders.
As I had found such a perfect team of builders who could start work right away, in late May 2015, I decided to begin work on the Milovići project, which would soon be approved, while I waited the possible years it might take for the Zabrdje project to be completed, so that I would not lose this great of team builders.
In February 2017, the Milovići project reached the stage you can see in the photos above and below.
We have at last got the Zabrdje project documents finished, after I had to purchase another piece of land next door to create a larger garden and parking space. We will now move all building work to Zabrdje and come back and finish this project afterwards.
We have at last got the Zabrdje project documents finished, after I had to purchase another piece of land next door to create a larger garden and parking space. We will now move all building work to Zabrdje and come back and finish this project afterwards.
Zabrdje Project Starts
In February 2017, the workers left Milovići project and moved to Zabrdje to start the project there.
You can see what happens next on my blog.
In February 2017, the workers left Milovići project and moved to Zabrdje to start the project there.
You can see what happens next on my blog.
