Sleeping in the gallery, cooking in the sacristy

The short path from the parking lot on the road to the church is cleared. The snow weighs heavily on the trees. Some are dangerously crooked on the steep slope, others have not withstood the strain of the first winter snowfall and have fallen over. “That’s a lot of work for next summer,” says Real Estate consultant Franco Giovanoli, welcoming Rado Mrkonjic. Radois the good soul here. He repairs, cleans,clears the snow and maintains the grounds. And for the past three months,has been making sure that the former churchNairs near Scuol is presented in the best possible light when Franco Giovanoli comes to view it with potential buyers. The former Anglican church has been advertised for sale on the Ginesta Immobilien platform since September. The current owner wants to part with the property, which he has mainly used as a vacation home and seminar venue since 1985 and has renovated on an ongoing basis. 6.5 rooms, 275 m² gross living space, 90 m² terrace, a greenhouse, 18,380 m² of grounds, almost all of it woodland, four covered parking spaces. Cost: 2.6 million francs.

Convince potential buyers

These are the bare figures. But anyone who wants to buy a former church and live in itis notonly interested in the figures. This is where the work of real estate consultant Franco Giovanoli begins. The prospective buyers, most of whom have come a long wayto the Lower Engadine, have already gained an initial impression on the internet and in the sales documents, and have already explored the church and tower on a virtual tour. But now it is up to Giovanoli to convincepotential buyers to emphasize theadvantages of the property. The showpiece is the eight-metre-highchurch wing with the choir raised several steps. From here,a large arched window leads out ontothe terrace. Giovanoli praises the spacious, open floor plan, the ample space for dining and living, the original building fabric. He also likes the gallery, which offers a beautiful view of the church and is used as a master bedroom and office at the back. The kitchen and a bathroom are located under the gallery. “This is the oldest Closomat from the Swiss company of the same name that is still in use,” he explains. The two washbasins come from the Hotel Scuol Palace, which is 500 meters away from the church as the crow flies and is once again in a deep slumber.

For English spa guests

The former Tarasp spa hotel, later supplemented with the Büvetta drinking hall, was the reason for the construction of the English church Nairs. The Archbishop of Canterbury placed the order in 1882 and thechurch was consecrated on September 3, 1883 and from then on servedthe many English spa guests who traveled to the Lower Engadine to breathe in the fresh air and drink the healthywater. However, with the great economic crisis after the Second World War at the latest, the splendor of the spa facility faded, the guests stayed away and the church was converted into a residential building.

The bells ring

The property also includes the tower directly adjacent to the church with three floors, which lead to small rooms via a narrow, steep staircase. “Ideal for accommodating guestsor renting out as an Airbnb apartment,” says Giovanoli. The tower has a bathroom with toilet on the first flooranda small bell tower with a working, hand-operated bell. So far,Giovanoli has been able to show the church to a handful of interested parties.“This proves that there is interest in special properties.” However, he also knowsthat a former church cannot be sold like a new loft apartmentin Zurich. “It can happen very quickly if someone falls in love with the property at first sight. But it could also be that the church is on the market for longer until it finds an interested buyer.” He is also aware of the disadvantages of the church’s location. Above all, there is the location, just 50 meters above the busy cantonal road. However, the lack of public transport connections or the few hours of sunshine in winter could also deter potential buyers.

There is enough wood

It has become cold. The sun no longermakes it over the hill on this short December day. On the wayback to the parking lot, the view falls onthe logs stacked neatly on the south wall of the churchand from thereinto the dense forest. Heating forthe cold winter nights should not be aproblem. And Rado, the good soul of the Nairs church, will provide supplies next summer.

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