11138 Charitable help needed!!!!!!

Hi,
We are finally getting to rogito with our house in Arsita, Teramo province, Abruzzo.......the offer was accepted and deposit paid over a year ago!
We are flying out on 13th Dec to stay at the house for 3 weeks and as expected the owners have gutted the place. Once we move properly our furniture will be coming from the UK but we need some stuff for the next 3 weeks..........
Can anyone offer any old items they don't want or can anyone lend us some items for this period? Camp beds, chairs, table etc etc....anything really :reallyembarrassed:
Also are there any second hand furniture shops in the area?
We are loath to spend good money we don't really have on new items we will not need long term.
Any help and/or advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks.

Category
Furniture

Hi Peter
We are a ways away, but we have a couple of bottled gas , fires that you are welcome too..........good luck with the rest

[quote=peter319;105088]Hi,
...........and as expected the owners have gutted the place. ..................[/quote]

For info of readers - Did they take the kitchen with them?
[you don't mention the need of cooking equipment]

Alas, I'm too far away to be able to help either. But I could have chipped in with a couple of folding beds + new materasses and a kitchen table and chairs, but Abruzzo and the Valtellina don't really 'go together'.............

Sorry - but good luck!

Hi Peter

I am just down the road and there are a lot of others in your area, who can also probably help out. I have PMd you.

If you don't get all the stuff you need and often second-hand stuff can be junk and very over priced, why not buy summer furniture that you can then use outside. You'll most probably be buying it anyway.

Hi everyone and thanks for your kind offers. I'll PM people and see what we can arrange.
[quote=alan h;105090]For info of readers - Did they take the kitchen with them?
[you don't mention the need of cooking equipment][/quote]
As far as we can find out they have taken everything, although there wasn't a kitchen to speak of anyway. No one has lived there for years although the sellers farmed the land so were in and out regularly. We will be arriving after dark and don't know if there is any electricity connected so will be bringing a torch in our luggage! Despite numerous requests our estate agent hasn't been at all informative with regard to the property or the legals either so we are on a bit of a wing and a prayer.......oh well, it'll be an adventure :eeeek:

When we arrived at our house in February 3 yrs ago, she had taken everything including the kitchen sink, we cooked in an outhouse on a 2 ring burner, but we did have central heating and an open fire, was still freezing, and we used alot of that precious gas.
As someone has suggested we bought cane garden furniture and camped out, actually it was OK, our cats were very unamused, cold tiles no fitted carpet, but I dont remember it being all bad.
friends arrived at their house at the same time and had nothing, were very lucky to have a neighbour who bought them up a wheelbarrow of wood.
Hope your adventure reaches a happy conclusion as our has.
A,

Bring 2 hot water bottles and a little travel kettle and adaptor...you will thank me for that tip!

[quote=Noble;105141]Bring 2 hot water bottles and a little travel kettle and adaptor...you will thank me for that tip![/quote]

Not if the electrics are off!

As a back up - do you know where the nearest hotel is?

.

Peter, if the electricity was connected, you may be on a "reduced" power supply until you are able to update the paperwork. Here you have some information about getting electricity and gas supplies and what you need as paperwork. Good luck!

[url=http://italy.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/services.asp]Getting Services Connected: Electricity, Gas & Water in Italy - AngloINFO[/url]

you might be better seeing if you can get some accommodation sorted in either an agriturismo or local let.... at least for the first few days... up in the hills of abruzzo at the moment...especially when you get that close to the mountains its pretty chilly... a house that has been empty is going to be extremely cold and will take a while to heat.....

maybe see if you can get some offers in that respect as well as a sort of back up plan.... because this time of year if you don't go near the coast prices are pretty reasonable...one near us is just euro 19 per night per person for bed and breakfast... which is worth it i would say just to have a hot shower and a warm bed... its not the right area for you...sorry but there are several agriturismo in and around arsita... and some might well be doing rooms...

best of luck....

I suggest you Google "agriturismo arsita" - it will give you some addresses/phone numbers. in case you need them

I also agree that it would be better to rent some place which will provide adequate accommodation during this first stay until you can organise things. We did that in November last year when we purchased our property. An empty house at this time of the year can be extremely cold.

I live in a rented flat and for almost 6 months didn't have a plumbed in kitchen sink or cooker (the plumber situation here being as bad, if not worse than the UK!). Made do with plastic bowls and the bathroom and, in addition to a microwave a little camping gaz cooker. Good for boiling water for tea, soups, risottos, fry ups, pasta.. Made the aquaintanceship of a good local pizzeria as well!

If your previous owners really have taken everything, you might suffer a bit for a few weeks now, but in the long run you should think yourself very lucky indeed!

The scenario where vendors leave houses full to the brim with all their old junk (despite fervent promises and legal undertakings to the contrary) is very common. And people caught like this can spend years getting rid of stuff and/or making do with items that they can't stand.

So be thankful you're starting with an empty house and a 'clean sheet'.

[quote=bosco;105280]If your previous owners really have taken everything, you might suffer a bit for a few weeks now, but in the long run you should think yourself very lucky indeed!

The scenario where vendors leave houses full to the brim with all their old junk (despite fervent promises and legal undertakings to the contrary) is very common. And people caught like this can spend years getting rid of stuff and/or making do with items that they can't stand.

So be thankful you're starting with an empty house and a 'clean sheet'.[/quote]

I'm just thankful that it's going to happen AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!! :smile:
All we have to do now is find the £27000 the bank has lost before rogito tomorrow.....oops!

[quote=alan h;105144]Not if the electrics are off!

As a back up - do you know where the nearest hotel is?

.[/quote]

You're right but I am certain someone close by will allow you to boil your travel kettle or will fill you hot water bottle from their pan of boiling water. A hotty up ones jumper is such a comfort!!!!!!!!!

At last........after a 4 1/2 hour notary session last night the house is ours!!!!! YIPPEE.
Thank you all for kind advice and offers of help. I am packing a couple of hot water bottles as we speak (Thanks Noble). Hopefully We'll get to meet some of you whilst we are there and I'll update you all as to our adventure on our return. Merry Christmas to you all.

Great news. Many congratulations and a Happy Christmas Peter.

Thank you to one and all for your help and advice.
We're taking the plunge tomorrow and leave home at 4am!
I'll let you know how our "adventure" pans out.
Merry christmas and a happy New Year to one and all.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family as well. I do hope that you will be able to manage under very difficult conditions. But it would be quite an adventure. Best wishes,

apologies for arriving late on this...
if you are still looking for emergency furniture we are about 40 mins from Teramo, we have a gas bottle cooker, old fridge, some chairs, camp bed, etc...
Please email me [email]tim@timwills.com[/email] if needed... and we can swap phone no's.
Best of luck - its all part of making memories!!!!

Tim Hi Just a suggestion. Maybe better to delete your e-mail address online as you are laying yourself open to spam. Peter could pm you for the address.

Peter
I've just read your post from over a week ago but just outside Teramo on the main road to Ascoli Piceno there is a large warehouse (Mercatino usato) that sells a bit of everything from cheap to expensive furniture, pictures, clothes, bikes etc etc. The only thing is that sometimes they have lots of good things on sale and other times it's just junk.
Viale G. Bovio tel: 0861 - 250849.

I don't know if you can get online but the website is: [url=http://www.mercatinousato.com]Mercatino dell'Usato[/url] and there are also other similar franchised operations in the area.
Good luck.

May be able to help with furniture, please send me a pm with your requirements.
regards, Tony Procter