“In 2014 we were living in Colombo and we decided that we wanted to purchase a vernacular bungalow near Galle, which we would restore as a heritage project. Soon after, we met with Ivan Robinson, the Director of Lanka Real Estate (LRE) and felt that he understood our vision. The house we found was a suitable size and it had retained most of its original features, but it was uninhabitable and in need of major renovation. It was perfect.

We had a vision and a budget but we lacked the local knowledge and skills to navigate and resolve the challenges that lay ahead. Ivan and his colleagues took on the role of project managers, overseeing every aspect of the process and we benefited enormously from their energy and initiative. Together we engaged an appropriate architect and a building contractor, who respected the heritage guidelines we imposed for the restoration of the house. In addition, the terraced gardens required attention, as they needed to be revitalised and enhanced with a swimming pool that was to be integrated into the landscape.

We have now been in regular contact with Ivan, his circle of associates and the staff of LRE for nearly a decade, and we continue to be impressed by the outstanding professionalism of them all. To underscore the success of the partnership between us, LRE has recently been engaged for the operational management of Ginigala House. At the outset of the project, we envisaged an environmentally friendly heritage restoration project that benefited local people in meaningful ways, respected the wildlife and integrated traditional agriculture, and we are well on the way to achieving our ambitions. At present the staff from LRE are actively conserving this property accordingly. And the team has begun to welcome our guests, so that they too may be fortunate enough to enjoy its unique ambiance.

Lanka Real Estate have been terrific partners in making our vision a reality and are continuing to contribute to the environmental and economic sustainability of Ginigala House. We look forward to working with Ivan and the team for another decade!

Jonathan & Cherie (Australia)
Point de Galle Investments Pvt Ltd”

Ginigala House is available for rent – click here for details