Since independence in 2007 and the explosion in foreign property investment since 2004 the tourism market changed from the local neighboring countries to Russian, European, British and Irish.

This means firstly, the property boom gave an influx of foreign capital (cash) and secondly, the car market expanded. Car rental in Montenegro was thus created to meet the demand from foreign visitors.

Until recently, most international tourist arrived by air to the closest airport to Montenegro which is Cilipi near Dubrovnik in Croatia. It was convenient to hire a car at the airport and use it in Montenegro.

Therefore Car rental in Montenegro became dependant on how and to which country visitors arrived. Some Montenegro car rental firms decided to increase business by offering to drive to Cilipi, collect their customers at the airport and drive with them to Montenegro, then reverse the process for the return journey.

The term also includes showing the tenant or guest into the property, making sure everything is working and answering any questions related to place and intended stay.

The Meet & Greet in Montenegro service also includes checking out the tenant or guest, casting an eye over the condition the accommodation is left in and noting any broken, misplaced of missing items of furniture and fittings. If everything is alright the property owner is informed so the deposit can be returned, or if the deposit is held by the agent, given back.

It is important to remember the tenant or guest will likely comment on their stay in Montenegro and the service they received from the Meet & Greet in Montenegro process. This may have an effect on whether the satisfied or not tenant or guest returns the following year. In other words, sustainable tourism will be hallmark of any holiday destination and to everyone’s benefit.

The ratio between annual rents received and the cost of the investment is known as the yield. Property rentals in Montenegro should produce an average net yield of 5% for residential properties and 7% for commercial properties as of today’s date of September 2009.

Commercial rentals and bare land (leasehold land) normally receive an all year round income whereas residential properties generally expect to rent for the three months of summer holiday period.

Although domestic Property rentals in Montenegro are being increased by extending the tourism period to the shoulder months of May and September. In popular coastal towns such as Kotor the winter cultural season can bring rentals to nearly all year-round.

Property rentals in Montenegro tend to be more attuned to the domestic market as foreign tenants are those who require a regular change over. Given rental enquiries are through one or two internet sites, it is the property owners who make the arrangement and the agent is required to “Meet & Greet” and organizes the cleaning, laundry, and maintenance.

The service ranges from the simple activated intruder alarm to the sophisticated camera operated system connected to the internet so the owner of the property can monitor at anytime his property. Our security systems in Montenegro take account of the fact that most of our customers are away and need a rapid response tea m and Police callout if an alarm in activated.

Our security consultants in Montenegro advise on burglary prevention as well, which means a “smart house” system of timed switching on of lights and appliances to suit the property owner’s requirements.

The overall effect of this is to give the impression to a potential intruder that someone is living at the property. Again our Security Consultant in Montenegro can connect all systems direct to the individual controlled through the internet and to our control room here in Montenegro.

It is important to remember that crime here in Montenegro is very low compared to other EU countries and America. It would be wrong of us to give the impression

Property maintenance in Montenegro needs a team of men who are skilled in most building repairs techniques and to go around in a well equipped van and be responsive within a few hours of a callout.

We have such an organization in place and a team of workers ready to perform any Property maintenance in Montenegro at short notice. For more difficult and costly repairs it is important the owner of the property is informed of the likely cost.

This is presented in a schedule of work format prepared by one of our building surveyors and costed. The owner of the property must agree to the costs before work can commence.

Only when works are completed and inspected by our management staff can we be satisfied the job has been done properly. Property maintenance in Montenegro has to be taken more seriously with proper management and accountability in place if the service is to be professional and efficient

World Green building Council in Montenegro promotes and encourages the adoption of sustainable property development based on sound environmental and economic principles. It provides an independent accreditation system for buildings which allows comparison with other buildings both nationally and in time internationally.

World Green building Council in Montenegro raises public awareness about the impact buildings have on Greenhouse Gas emissions and what must be done urgently to reduce this global problem which affects our children and grandchildren. Buildings and communities are responsible for over 40% of greenhouse gas emission world-wide.

Fully accredited GBCs are members of the World Green Building Council. Membership of the World GBC is only granted after an extensive probationary period. There are currently 13 full members, including Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, UK and USA with 8 at the halfway ‘emerging’ stage. In Europe, there are 9 at the initial stages of formation, including Croatia and Romania.

Environmentally sound practices are the future for all building development. Not only to satisfy EU requirements but also because clients increasingly will demand that buildings fulfil such conditions.

This is especially relevant in present market conditions – ‘green’ buildings have a marketing advantage. At present there is no forum for enabling coordination or cooperation between the industry, associated professions and government in Montenegro on achieving sustainable development. It provides a method of encouraging higher professional standards through knowledge transfer.

Architects, engineers, investors, financiers, product manufacturers, cost consultants, energy suppliers, surveyors, developers, contractors, occupiers – anyone involved in the complex process of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining and operating buildings can be members of World Green building Council in Montenegro.

The City of Podgorica has donated a very attractive site on the banks of the River Moraca for this energetically autonomous building. The special equipment for the ecological technology and building services will be financed by the Austrian Development Agency and implemented by the World University Service Austria.

The building itself is being financed by the Montenegrin government and will have a usable surface area of approximately 1400 m². Completion is scheduled for 2009.

The project is the result of an invited architecture competition held in 2005.The building, which opens up to the riverbank, is embedded in the landscape and presents itself as the horizontal counterpart to the adjoining Millennium Bridge, Podgorica newest landmark.

The various UN agencies operating in Montenegro (UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, IOM and UN consultants) will be brought together under a single roof slab that is perforated with large openings for natural ventilation and lighting purposes. Photovoltaic cells floating above the roof slab act as a shading device while also providing enough energy to meet the building’s estimated annual energy demands. The ventilation system works on the displacement principal, using the heat generated in the interior to drive the movement of air.

Although Montenegro defines itself as an ecologically benign state, owing to its untouched natural beauty, there is a need for action in the area of environmental protection. This project has been seen as a welcome opportunity for the country to ‘put its money where its mouth is’: the building should serve as a prime example of ecological construction in Montenegro.

Other noteworthy and positive impulses emanating from this project are the promotion of sustainable building principles by the NGO Expeditio and the Austrian Development Agency’s financial and academic support to the Faculty of Architecture in Podgorica for the establishment of a course on ecological construct

The problem is that often Graphic design in Montenegro oversteps the mark and presentations are too unrealistic so when the project is finished buyers complain the end result looks nothing like the original graphics. Developers have tried many ways of covering themselves with careful wording but at the end of the day misrepresentation can cause many legal problems and claims

Graphic representation or rendering, as it is sometimes referred, is a business in itself. It involves the digital drawings from the architect, input of products and colours from the interior designer and agreement of the investor or client.

The approximate cost of Graphic design in Montenegro is 2,500.00Euros for seven pictures and text made ready for presentation into a pamphlet or brochure.

We have one Graphic designer in Montenegro and one Interior designer on our team and are able to outsource any additional work with outside contractors and designers. This gives us flexibility and at the sometime a dependable service. I other words, we are able to produce quickly designs and graphics using in house professionals and computer knowhow.

There is no difference in confidence in some “Off Plan” developments in Montenegro. Often the genuine reason is the developer could not sell enough of the apartments to start or complete the work and doesn’t have the resources to complete the work without selling.

Being then unable to pay back the deposit and stage payments there is unhappiness all around. This has happened too many times thus giving rise to considerable caution of any “Off Plan” development in Montenegro.

The successful “Off Plan: developments in Montenegro are those that can demonstrate “due diligence”. By this means an independent and respected institution such as a recognized firm of accountants, lawyers, bank of insurance bond company will report, sign or even issue a guarantee as to the bonafide of the developer and his organization. This will give some comfort to the “off Plan” investor.

Alternatively, the “Off Plan” can be built to its shell, frame and roof and sold as an “off Plan” in Montenegro taking only the deposit for the value of what has been built again with guarantees the project will be finished.

The modern method of the digital survey involves the placing of SAT Stick to indentify the position and relevant height of a particular spot. The stick thus moved around will give a measured picture of the land.

For any neighbour dispute of boundaries the Geometer topographical survey in Montenegro will need to be done by two Geometers, one each acting for the neighbor concerned. The two registered Geometers would first try and agree with the neighbours the disputed boundaries.

If not, the matter would likely be referred to court for a decision. Many instances boundaries are marked physically and visually in nature by buildings and stone walls. The digital Geometers topographical survey in Montenegro invariably shows distortions and in those cases usually the physical boundary probably built, in the case of a stone wall many hundreds of years ago, is taken as the actual boundary.