SaronicNet real estate agents with property and houses for sale in Hydra Island Greece one of the Greek islands in the Argo Saronic Gulf
Σαρόνικνετ Μεσιτικά Γραφεία με οικόπεδα και σπίτια για πούληση στο νησί Ύδρα, ένα από τα ελληνικά νησία στο Αργοσαρονικό κόλπο

Courtyard Town House For Sale Hydra Island Greece

This is what I wrote to the owner after first seeing it - " Gosh! It is absolutely adorable - gorgeous - I love it. The house has such a wonderful atmosphere, and of course can only be lived in by someone who is going to appreciate it's finer points and is prepared to give it the TLC (tender loving care) it deserves. The disadvantage of no view is far outweighed by the gorgeous entrance courtyard, the stairs to the upper back terrace, the wisteria and lemon trees and above all the sense of privacy and tranquillity. The spaciousness of the rooms, the layout and the light are delightful. And having three or even four definite proper bedrooms instead of the usual box rooms crammed into awkward corners, plus the massive kitchen and excellently proportioned living room, will have a lot of appeal."

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In the more workman like environment of my office, I stand by what I said - this house is a real find. It is structurally solid, well-proportioned and good value for money. Originally built circa 1880 and sympathetically renovated in 1973, it has the charm of a more gracious, less harsh era and even though it is now in need now of some care and attention, it still retains a gentile atmosphere. Being ruthlessly careful with a budget to complete necessary renovation I would estimate spending €50,000 on replacing & treating all the windows, shutter and pergola, plus upgrading the electrics. You could go further but I would be hesitant to over-work any modernisation so as not too loose the uniqueness of this property. Perhaps you could budget for another €10,000 to upgrade the kitchen and another €10,000 to make the bathrooms less "chilly", but neither are absolutely necessary. And to be completely frank, anyone with good DIY skills could drastically reduce their budget if they are prepared to scrape and repaint most of the shutters, windows and doors themselves.

Ground Floor: Double street door to large, paved, private courtyard bound on two sides by the L-shaped house and high walls to the other sides. On the ground floor of the shorter side of the L, is a large room used as a guest suite with a private shower room and plenty of built in wardrobe space. Wide external stone steps from the courtyard to a large terrace, covered with a pergola supporting a magnificent wisteria, over looking the courtyard (the roof of the guest suite), which gives access to the back bedroom on the first floor. There is a small storage room built under the external stone stairs. The fresh water cisterna is under the entrance courtyard with a well head close to the kitchen entrance. The guest suite is independent from the rest of the house.

The kitchen/dining room is in the corner of the L-shape on the ground floor and is very large. It is traditionally styled and has lots of cupboards, drawers, two marble sinks and simple fittings. More than enough room to have a dining area. There are double doors to the courtyard and double doors into the central living room.

The ground floor, central living room has double doors opening into the courtyard with a window either side. It is the middle room of the longer side of the L, with the kitchen to the corner of the L and a sitting room on it's other side to the end of the longer side of the L.

This sitting room, even though it faces the street in front of the property (but it is a very quiet street) could be used as a fourth double bedroom or possibly an office or study.

First Floor: Internal wooden stairs lead from the main living to a landing. There is a family bathroom in the middle of the landing which is in good working condition.

To the front (of the longest side of the L above the sitting room) is a large double bedroom with a medium sized balcony terrace that overlooks the surrounding buildings.

To the back (above the kitchen) there is another double bedroom which has access to the large upper terrace at the back of the courtyard (over the guest suite).

Notes: Definitely one to view early if you are looking for a truly authentic Hydra house that doesn't need a huge amount of work doing to it. All utilities connected to the main town supplies.