A Belarusian Man Renovated a 178-Year-Old Apartment in 'Granny Style' Himself and Turned It into a Business. See How It Turned Out
Strolling through the center of Grodno, you can see buildings that have long passed the 150-year mark. In one such two-story building is Denis's apartment. He invested his parental inheritance in 30 square meters and for three years, evenings after work, he came here to do renovations. It turned out atmospheric. Realt tells the story of the apartment that Denis rents out.
The courtyard of the blue two-story building in eclectic style at Sovetskaya, 19 is guarded by high gates. The house has a rich history. Most of the buildings on this street at the end of the 19th century belonged to Jewish families. Offices and shops were located on the first floors, while the second was reserved for rooms. During Soviet times, the house's area was divided into three apartments.
At one time, there was a bookstore, an insurance company, a bakery here, and dentist Abram Fin worked and lived here. By the way, for some time the two-story building was named after him — "Fin's House". Later, Rosenberg's pharmacy, a photo studio, and many other establishments opened here. Denis also joined the residents when he bought an apartment here.
Denis affectionately calls the one-room apartment of 30 square meters an inheritance from his parents. A few years ago, his mom and dad moved to the village, sold their apartment in the city, and divided the money between their sons. Denis and his wife were considering investing in rental property.
— My wife was considering St. Petersburg. Honestly, I found it hard to imagine how to run such a business remotely: receiving payments, keeping an eye on things. But we still decided to go and see what the market offered. The realtor advised us to look at an apartment in an old building on Nevsky Prospekt, saying that although the price was high, it justified itself. The cost was prohibitive for us, but at that moment, I thought not about St. Petersburg, but about our Grodno — a city rich in history and old houses.
The couple began to study various advertisements. There were plenty of options, but in such matters, one must consider the condition of the house itself, the entrances, and the possibility of making minimal re-planning.
— Early in the morning, I stumbled upon a good fresh advertisement. We called the realtor, who immediately invited us for a viewing. The apartment was in a grey shell state: plywood on the floor, walls somewhat prepared for plastering and painting. The location and the enclosed courtyard added potential, so we didn't have to think long — by lunchtime, we were already at the BTI (Bureau of Technical Inventory) registering the apartment.
Denis, like everyone, wanted to start the business as soon as possible. But the plans were slowed down by the prices for construction and renovation work.
— Good teams are in demand, so they require appropriate payment for their services. We didn't have that kind of money. When I was told that laying one square meter of trim would cost 7-10 dollars, I was finally convinced that I would do everything myself. Many will say that my move is completely wrong. But I didn't see the point in taking out a loan for renovations and then, figuratively, paying it off for 10 years with rental income.
Professional builders estimated 3-4 months for the renovation, but it took the apartment owner 3 years to do everything. Almost every day after work, Denis came here and learned something new. He drew information from books, video tutorials on YouTube.
All these years were accompanied by late returns home, constant fatigue, and rework. He doesn't regret his decision, saying that he spent his time productively and has something to be proud of.
For specific tasks, the man still enlisted specialists. Including to learn how to do it himself.
— That was the case with decorative plaster. I worked in tandem with two finishers. The work was painstaking. Cracks with golden veins spread across the entire area. This, by the way, was the most expensive part of the renovation. Such a type of finish, in my opinion, adorns the apartment and emphasizes its age. And since the house has wooden ceilings and the walls here are constantly "moving", natural cracks appear that are indistinguishable from the created ones.
The 3.50-meter ceilings make the one-room apartment feel larger. Thanks to this height and a small re-planning, the man allocated a separate sleeping area and a bathroom. The fact is that the dwelling was sold with a toilet, but without a bathtub. Finding even such an option in the market of century-old houses is already a great stroke of luck. Some don't even have that.
— I planned to furnish the apartment in vintage style, but not so much as to do without a shower, — the young man laughs. — A solution was found quickly: I cut off part of the kitchen area. At the same time, I divided the zone into two levels. The first housed the bathtub and washing machine, and such a mezzanine from the kitchen side became the bedroom.
During the renovation, Denis also remembered his engineering education. The lack of a bathtub was not the only nuance. Hot water in such apartments literally takes time to arrive.
— You wake up, open the hot water tap, and go make yourself coffee. Minutes will pass before the water reaches the tap. Of course, an intermediate boiler should have been installed. But I only thought about this after all the renovation work was done. I turned to plumbers, specialists who install boilers in cottages. No one wanted to take it on, saying it was long, complicated, and the work was expensive. I couldn't leave everything as it was, so I rented a soldering iron, bought polypropylene pipes, watched a video online, and started to build.
Denis didn't want to create another typical rental apartment. When furnishing, he relied on his travel experiences.
— We always stayed in apartments that were arranged as if you were visiting someone's home. The interiors there were lively: they spoke of the city and its owners. I was always happy when I managed to meet the hosts. I myself welcome guests and show them around. Based on their requests, I can help plan a route, suggest non-obvious places.
The man is passionate about history, so the walls and shelves are adorned with photographs of Grodno from various periods. The photos show Vitaut's Fara, which was blown up in 1961 by order of the authorities. Before that, the Gothic church had existed for almost 570 years. Also here are views of the Old Castle before reconstruction and the appearance of the drama theater.
— Public transport once ran along Sovetskaya Street. At the beginning of the last century, the first bus depot was located in one of the local courtyards. As an avid amateur cyclist, I couldn't overlook gentlemen and ladies on bicycles. This two-wheeled transport is also connected to the city's history, as bicycles and Neman brand motorcycles were produced in Grodno. Now, such specimens are very rare and quite expensive.
The man filled the room with items from his childhood. A bookshelf took its place in the corner of the room. Here is a collection that his parents had been collecting for years.
— I've read almost everything here. Sometimes I find a book and remember looking through the pictures when I was five years old. These pages take me back to a carefree childhood. If there were more space, I'd put up three more shelves," the interlocutor smiles.
Soviet furniture holds a special place. A huge chest of drawers with a Stalin-era sideboard was purchased through an advertisement. Denis was worried that such a retro model would now cost a fortune, and he even prepared to go home without it. But the owner valued the Soviet solid wood piece at 150 rubles.
— I had other plans for it. I wanted to use it instead of a kitchen set. To remove the top and hang it as cabinets for plates and cups. But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Denis embodied all his creative ideas in this apartment. He says that he created not the most popular interior, but thereby attracts the attention of people with similar interests and approaches to travel.
— Someone might say this is a 'granny-style' place. Yes, there's no TV, no audio system, but this one-room apartment reminds many of us of the home we grew up in. And how do we feel at home? Comfortable — and that's the most important thing.
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