September 10, 2007

On Another Strictly Private Note

Seems my ability to blog has nothing to do with how many time I have or what other things I have on my mind, so I guess the fact that I will move house sooner or later *again* won't affect my blogging all that much. However, I'd still like to share what is currently on my mind.

Rooms on the first floor.
I will be moving even further East, to the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) close to the Czech border. We are buying a Renaissance house in a small town there. It's dead cheap (as far as Renaissance townhouses go) and in fairly good condition, although a lot of renovation will be necessary to make it habitable. But it's structurally sound and, additionally, the office for the protection of historical monuments poured hundreds of thousands into it after the re-unification (and millions into the entire historic town). It boasts 30 rooms according to the estate agent's blurb, but after renovation there may be less because it had been used for shops and offices and some of the rooms on the second floor are rather small. The first thing will have to be to update the electricity and plumbing, which are still up to GDR-standard, to add a bathroom and a kitchen. As far as heating is concerned, I think we will go for fireplaces and ovens, both for financial and for reasons of independence.

The hall from the entrance.
There is a backyard, romantically placed behind high walls with huge trees. It has great potential as a small garden, which the dogs will enjoy. And their humans as well, of course.

Not too surprising, the already existing furniture will only fill a small part of the house. It's a great challenge to furnish a place like that on a small budget. The fact that it is a period house makes it both at once, more difficult and more easy. I am studying Renaissance patterns like mad and sometimes I think if I had all the money in the world to do it would be much less fun and I try not to feel daunted.

3 comments:

Panday said...

Editrix,

That is a beautiful house! Living in New Mogadishu... I mean Detroit, makes me very, very envious. ;-)

We just don't have houses like that here in the US. Instead, the oldest ones would likely be found in the eastern coast, date back to the 1700s, and look like a plantation mansion.

Are houses like yours as expensive as I imagine?

The_Editrix said...

Stephen, here in East Germany, real estate is incredibly cheap.

If you care to email me at editrix at editrixoffice dot com I will gladly tell you the price. Btw, I do NOT get any commission from estate agents. ;-)

That house was built thirty odd years after Columbus hit the shore of San Salvador.

Cornelius said...

I congratulate you, Editrix, for your "new", beautiful house, and for the courage to go through the trouble of remodelling instead of buying one of these hideous prefabs. And, as a "judicious German patriot" myself, I thank you very much for bringing part of our country's architectural heritage back to life. Good luck to you, and enjoy making yourself a new home.

Best, Cornelius