{"id":3500,"date":"2026-09-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3500"},"modified":"2026-09-29T15:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T14:15:42","slug":"a-maynooth-couple-bought-a-one-bed-in-a-montenegrin-harbour-town-for-the-price-of-a-family-car-and-fly-out-four-times-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-maynooth-couple-bought-a-one-bed-in-a-montenegrin-harbour-town-for-the-price-of-a-family-car-and-fly-out-four-times-a-year\/","title":{"rendered":"A Maynooth couple bought a one-bed in a Montenegrin harbour town for the price of a family car and fly out four times a year"},"content":{"rendered":"

They land just after dawn, when the Adriatic<\/strong> looks like poured silver<\/strong>. From the bus window, mountains tilt<\/strong> into the bay and fishing boats doze<\/strong> beside stone quays. Aoife and Ciar\u00e1n, both from Maynooth<\/strong>, wheel a single carry\u2011on<\/strong> to the curb and grin in the soft salt<\/strong> air. \u201cWe still feel like we got away with something<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife says. \u201cA tiny place by the water<\/strong> for the cost of a family car<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t set out to become owners<\/strong> abroad. They wanted more weekends<\/strong> with sun, a quieter rhythm<\/strong>, and a way to travel<\/strong> without expensive hotel tabs<\/strong>. \u201cWe ran the numbers<\/strong> on a whim, and it stopped us in our tracks<\/strong>,\u201d says Ciar\u00e1n. \u201cMontenegro kept popping up as this pocket\u2011sized<\/strong> answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A one\u2011bed with a big horizon<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The flat is a one\u2011bedroom<\/strong>, nothing grand, just off a harbor promenade<\/strong> where nets hang like drying lace<\/strong>. It sits two floors up in a stuccoed<\/strong> block painted the color of ripe peaches<\/strong>. There\u2019s a narrow balcony<\/strong>, a galley kitchen<\/strong>, and floors that click under bare<\/strong> feet. \u201cSun on the tiles by 10am<\/strong>, breeze by noon<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife laughs. \u201cIt\u2019s simple<\/strong>, and it\u2019s ours<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They bought after a long<\/strong> weekend that was meant to be pure holiday<\/strong>. A local agent showed three places<\/strong>; two felt tired and a bit far<\/strong>. The third opened to a sliver of harbor<\/strong> and a lemon tree leaning across the lane<\/strong>. \u201cWe looked at each other<\/strong>, and that was that<\/strong>,\u201d says Ciar\u00e1n. \u201cIt was the price of a well\u2011specced hatchback<\/strong>, and the fees were transparent<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The harbor town with time on its side<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The town moves at a measured<\/strong> pace. In the morning, you hear the shush<\/strong> of brooms and the clink of cups<\/strong>. By afternoon, swimmers slip off quays<\/strong>, and kids race scooters under cypress<\/strong> shade. In the evening, the water turns ink<\/strong>, and the restaurants spill amber<\/strong> light.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cLocals have this grace<\/strong> with time,\u201d Aoife says. \u201cThere\u2019s work, of course<\/strong>, but there\u2019s also a sense of enough<\/strong>. A walk, a swim<\/strong>, a chat on a stone step<\/strong>.\u201d They learned a handful of phrases<\/strong> and a rhythm for grocery<\/strong> runs. Tomatoes come from a woman who weighs them with a smile<\/strong> and a brass scale<\/strong>. Bread is a warm paper<\/strong> bag by eight, gone by noon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Flying out four times a year<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They keep it simple<\/strong>. Two trips bookended by shoulder<\/strong> seasons, and two tucked in winter<\/strong> and high summer<\/strong>. Flights run from Dublin via Tivat<\/strong> or Podgorica, often with a quick connection<\/strong>. \u201cThree hours in the air<\/strong>, a coffee in the middle<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s very doable<\/strong>,\u201d says Ciar\u00e1n.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a small bag always ready<\/strong> in Maynooth: swimwear, plug adapters<\/strong>, spare keys on a red lanyard<\/strong>. They arrive, open the shutters<\/strong>, and let the place breathe<\/strong>. Then the ritual: local cheese<\/strong>, cherries if they\u2019re in season<\/strong>, and a first dip<\/strong> from the stone steps<\/strong> at the end of the street<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What the numbers really look like<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The purchase price was the hook<\/strong>. But the carrying costs sealed the deal<\/strong>. \u201cWe were braced for hidden surprises<\/strong>, and they didn\u2019t materialize<\/strong>,\u201d says Aoife. Annual property taxes<\/strong> are modest, utilities are light<\/strong>, and there\u2019s no pricey service<\/strong> charge. Airfare averages less than a long weekend<\/strong> in London once you watch fares<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t renovate with gusto<\/strong>. Paint, a reliable boiler<\/strong>, mosquito screens<\/strong>, and secondhand furniture<\/strong> chosen for sturdiness over style<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s not a showcase; it\u2019s a base<\/strong>,\u201d Ciar\u00e1n says. \u201cWe wanted to keep the numbers calm<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Annual costs they plan for: basic utilities, local property tax, a contingency for small repairs<\/strong>, and four round\u2011trip flights<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Living like locals, not like guests<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Owning changes your posture<\/strong> in a place. You notice the wind<\/strong>, the way ferries pivot<\/strong>, the bakery\u2019s Wednesday break<\/strong>. You learn which caf\u00e9 won\u2019t over\u2011steam your milk<\/strong>, and that the harbor cat likes sardines, not tuna<\/strong>. \u201cYou stop hunting for the \u2018best\u2019 and start enjoying<\/strong> the nearest,\u201d Aoife says.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Hospitality has been a teacher<\/strong>. Neighbors gifted a basket of figs<\/strong> and the number of a handyman<\/strong> named Marko who solves everything with a ladder<\/strong> and a length of twine<\/strong>. \u201cWe fix what we can, we ask when we can\u2019t<\/strong>,\u201d Ciar\u00e1n adds. \u201cIt\u2019s humbling in the best way<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The trade\u2011offs and the small rules<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    It\u2019s not all rosy postcards<\/strong>. Winter can be damp<\/strong>, schedules are seasonal<\/strong>, and bureaucracy has its mazes<\/strong>. \u201cWe learned to bring extra patience<\/strong> and extra copies<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife laughs. \u201cAnd we accept a little friction<\/strong> as the price of being here<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They set house rules<\/strong> to avoid creeping stress<\/strong>. Never chase a perfect upgrade<\/strong>. Keep a three\u2011item repair<\/strong> list. Pack in layers<\/strong> and buy beach gear locally<\/strong>. \u201cWe protect the lightness that got us started<\/strong>,\u201d says Ciar\u00e1n.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Why it feels bigger than four walls<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    For them, it\u2019s not just a flat<\/strong>. It\u2019s a reset button<\/strong> every few months<\/strong>. It\u2019s spring rain hitting warm stone<\/strong> and winter sun on a quiet quay<\/strong>. It\u2019s fresh anchovies crisped with lemon<\/strong>, linen dried in the breeze<\/strong>, and books finished before the battery<\/strong> dies.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cWe bought a small space<\/strong> and gained a wider life<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife says. \u201cIt makes Ireland feel richer<\/strong>, too, because we come home<\/strong> charged, grateful, a bit more open<\/strong>.\u201d And so four times a year<\/strong>, they step off a plane<\/strong>, turn a key beside a peeling door<\/strong>, and rediscover how far a modest purchase<\/strong> can carry your days<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3505,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3500\/revisions\/3505"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}