Follow me, as I renovate our family home (with a lot of help from my cousin), sharing all the ups and downs, exciting discoveries, and inevitable challenges of a full-scale renovation. It's going to be a journey! First things first... the roof, which is reinforced concrete is in desperate need of replacement. We will need a work permit and replacement quotes. The house has been built close to other houses, so things could get tricky.
After two months, I am still waiting for my permit for work to begin. In the meantime, I thought it might be useful to share some info on the current estimated 700,000 - 800,000 restoration projects (genuinely abandoned, dilapidated, or permanently unused homes) across Greece. If you are thinking of buying a renovation project in Greece, the One Euro scheme doesn't apply here. Properties are listed and can cost a fair bit of money depending on their location.
I learned about inheriting the house from my cousin, Leonidas, after he sent a friend request to me on Facebook. Our fathers were brothers and were separated after the war. My father was sent to the US with his older sister, who suffered mental illness following the abuse from German soldiers. My uncle stayed in Ano Meros with Yia Yia to rebuild the house and the olive farm after the Nazis destroyed the village and killed all the men.
Both my dad and uncle were our conduits and kept the whole family updated on each other. Leonidas only speaks Greek and my Greek is dreadful. My older brother suffered brain damage at birth and as a result, specialists recommended we not be bilingual in order to make it easier for him to thrive. The Greek community was small in Kansas (no one my age), but this was where there were more activities for my brother.
We lost touch with Stelios' family when my father died. I was in university and Leonidas was busy with his new family. The only time I managed contact again was when Uncle Stelios (through the help of translators) helped me to get my Greek passport. Because the Nazis has burned the village and all records, my uncle got the entire village to sign an affidavit that I was indeed a member of the village.
I returned to Ano Meros just after our oldest was born to find Stelios and his family, but we didn't get to see them. As fate would have it, one of the biggest storms to hit the island was forecast for that day and the cleanup from it lasted until we had to leave.
We are going to bring the home back to a traditional Greek style inside and out. This front door will be replaced right after the roof is finished!
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