As most of you know, I manage four holiday homes in our mini village with 20 houses :). One of them belongs to my parents, who are only there in the spring and autumn and therefore rent their house, suitable for two people (and possibly a baby), in the summer.(https://slovenievakantie.jimdofree.com/english/holiday-houses/holiday-house-zidanica/).

Two other houses are located together on one plot with lots of privacy, can accommodate up to 16 people and are owned by an owner in Ljubljana (https://slovenievakantie.jimdofree.com/english/holiday-houses/holiday-houses-gradenc-estate/).

The fourth house is house Ivanec, located between the vineyards, next to my parent’s house (https://slovenievakantie.jimdofree.com/english/holiday-houses/holiday-house-ivanec/).

When my parents started building their house in 2012, they quickly got to know their neighbor, Lojze. A Slovenian who had lived and worked in France almost all his life. He came to Slovenia a few times a year for a week or two. Soon after, he retired and came, just like my parents, twice a year for a few months. Unfortunately, he could not enjoy his retirement for long because in 2017 he died unexpectedly. The house went to his son, who unfortunately rarely visited because he had his own home and a busy job. So the house remained empty.

Because I had already been managing the houses of the owner from Ljubljana for 2 years and I really enjoyed doing this, I contacted Lojze’s son a good year after the death of his father and asked if he would be interested in renting the house out to tourists. In good consultation, we then agreed that Bine and I would clean and refurbish the house and that I would then rent it out and receive part of the income. He gave me a nice budget for refurbishing the house.

We started in the spring of 2019. And what a job that was! But also one we enjoyed. Of course, the house had not been lived in a lot and although Lojze had a lady friend who often stayed there with him in his last years, the house was furbished for at least 10 people! Not only furniture but crockery and clothing as well. The house was packed! I believe there were 6 tables and about 20 chairs in it. We sorted everything out and threw away or burned a lot. Everything inside was dark, even the ceiling was made of wood painted dark brown. Bine sanded it completely and painted it white. The walls in the living room were blue. They also were painted white. The place immediately seemed a lot bigger. I went to the Slovenian Marketplace looking for some nice stuff to decorate. We reused the pieces that were still good.

I boxed and stored lots of glassware, dishes and pans. I selected the best stuff and left it for the guests. The house is now intended for a maximum of five people (and a baby) so it really didn’t need 50 plates, 35 pans and 160 glasses ;). We worked almost every weekend for a few months, but it was so nice to see how it got more and more beautiful. Fortunately, my Bine has two right hands. Without him and my parents, it would not have been doable. They sanded, painted, carpentered, hung things, moved stuff, etc, etc.

I love to decorate houses and try to achieve the best possible result for as little money as possible. And that worked out pretty well here too, if I do say so myself. The results were impressive. The house is of course a bit older, but it has become cozy and nice and exudes a pleasant atmosphere. It was quite exciting to receive the first guests that year, but in the meantime, I have already welcomed lots of couples and families and I can proudly say that I have only received positive reviews from everyone. I have already received a number of bookings for the coming season, and Bine and I have started preparing the house for the next guests that will arrive in April. We have trimmed a lot of bushes and trees around the house so that guests can enjoy the great view to the fullest. For the next season, there are a number of larger projects on the agenda, such as renovating the bathroom. I’m already looking forward to it! For those who are still looking for a nice, affordable holiday home in a beautiful, green environment, away from mass tourism …… now you know where to come to ;). Welcome!