I have been constantly struggling with our local real estate bureaucracy bullshit machine for the last three or four years now. See first of all, my seventy something year old grandma was forced into knocking hundrends of wooden doors with tiny gold plated numbers over a four square meter shed, built in the 90s on a little square that technically now belongs to the proud Republic of Lithuania. Ooops. Step by accident on a government owned Monopoly square- loose somewhat 5000 euros. Madness. And the case is still unfinished. Even more madness.
The smart and hard working man that my grandpa was before his unfortunate death in 2018, he left me a lovely bohemic city centre apartment with niches and stuff. All snow white and happiness. It was a business. Pre covid, of course. I live in it now.
During the pandemic I had to close down. During the pandemic our 1920s art deco on the inside styled building was listed up for renovation. And the renovation would surely be a good thing since its pure concrete walls with some suppressed hundred year old oakum leftover at best. I declined instantly. Said sorry.” Besides my skill, lost exactly everything this year lady. Just broke up...Now kinda broke here, too. It aint ea… “ or something like that. She sugarly smiled at my face and explained that the project will be prepared in a couple years, approximately costing 5500 euros. Got to know a neighbour at least. How the hell does it take two years to draw a shitload of squares, by the way, just bulbed up in my head. She was very pushy. “How many apartments in this building are currently in full use?”- I asked. She wasnt sure. “See, 5500 euros split in how many parts here? For the project. Pushed and executed by the City Centre Architecture beaurau. Materials? Afterwards. If I could find the other owners, we might legally cooperatively do the exact same thing, but for less money? A little quicker? Signatures? Talented student to draw those lines on a few A3 sized sheets of paper? Do you know how government byfriendly building companies make the money? They have a separate team to perform every single job there is. Starting with metal fences, ending with façade painting or garbage takeaway after the job is done. At least it should be paint. Old buildings. Worth preserving n shit. See I am pretty sure it might be so much cheaper renovating it independently. That way you have control over the price of every steel nail used up. Oh and hiring kids that are still learning the profession at schools, pumpin up the tank for small businesses should become a thing really. See, the large companies dont account for anything. Unless youre really bitchy and annoying. Like me. Even then it aint accurate. But mostly they just buy the materials real cheap from a larger concern, and then ask that nice accountant lady to list the usual prices, then the government officials do the same and in the end, that renovation costs. How much really? So, dear lady, I say its doable independently. Quite easy it is. Takes some time. But the officially hired bastards are all lazy anyways. Oh and they have bad jokes. Oh and personally I dont even need the renovation. See the separate entrances? Should probably just list my apartment with a diferrent number in that registry and thats it, right? Ill make a call. Tommorow. Or Friday maybe. Good day, by the way.
She was furious. For real theres like three apartments in this entire side of the house with people inside and the other corner is so unhappy. I lived without heating through half of this winter so I could have food, spotify and adobe running. Cant get any job with all my qualificfation in this country. And then they knock on my door asking for some more money that I dont have. Still. So I chose to freeze over loosing the apartment. Still was forced into lending a little off my poor mother. Wrote a shit load of miserable poetry. Started drawing. Finished Da Vincis biography. Still cant find a job. Swallowing the pride aint easy. Working as a cleaning lady is perfectly fine, but it would get my personal ego a little indignified. And now I am the bad neighbour to them old ladies, party pooping their long time dream about those shiny new walls. Haha. Legal robbery 101- no small business behind their table. Shady accounting on every end has been here since the Greek Senate if not before really. So. Dont be lazy folks. Give the young boys and girls some work and practice. It aint hard really. Listing how much the materials may cost to warm up, cover and paint a mathematically precise perimeter of walls…