1514 Any views on buying in Le Marche?

It's lovely here, quite a few Brits have settled around Amandola area, prices a bit higher than a few years ago but still pretty good value good luck with your search... :)

Hi David

Looking over my shoulder I see a lovely hilltop village...
Looking West I see lovely mountain scenery...
Looking East I see the valley down to the sea..
Straight ahead I see an olive grove and fields of girasole..

Why would anyone buy a property here :D

Over the last year in my experience the house prices have risen especially if you are looking for that fabulous conversion opportunity. A similar thing happened to us when we were searching for a barn to convert in the SW 20 years ago. The owners and agents have more than "cottoned on" to the price some affluent outsiders will pay.

We love Amandola and will be there on Sunday :cool:

Two agents there have always been very helpful to us: Monica & Michaela (forgive the spelling) and AeG both have websites. We did have a problem with an agent on the coast tho :mad:

As to areas to consider/avoid, I would think that was more a personal preference we wanted a position within reach of a village,town for shopping, mountains, sea, not too far from an airport without an industrial/commercial site in view.

As any calendar maker will tell you Tuscany is the fairytale, I think le Marche is the fairytale with a bit of reality i.e. Shrek lives there and marries the Princess :p

Have tried to attach a pic of my favorite view where I always pause to take in the beauty (it is outside a lucky forum members house).

Ciao Ciao

Dave

Hi David
My advise is to go looking and ask the locals if they know of properties for sale in your chosen locality no need to pay agents fees! We did this 2 years ago having been a regular visitor to the area for more than 30 years eventually took the plunge as for the views (hope this isn't classed as advertising) take a look at ourweb site this should convince you.

here am I surrounded with boxes and crates and a missing cat and am just about to set off for Le Marche and a rental for 6 months. I think that in a couple of days time I will say great - at the moment I am weary!! We are excited at our prospects and think Amandola is lovely. keep in touch.

Dave,

Your photo just reminds me why we were so taken by the region. When we were over looking two years ago we met up with Monica & Michaela and were impressed by the service, so it is good to hear from someone else who has had contact with them. Has anyone else any comments?

Maybe one day soon you can show me the best bars in Amandola :)

Cheers,

David

[QUOTE=Rod Cattini]Hi David
My advise is to go looking and ask the locals if they know of properties for sale in your chosen locality no need to pay agents fees! We did this 2 years ago having been a regular visitor to the area for more than 30 years eventually took the plunge as for the views (hope this isn't classed as advertising) take a look at ourweb site this should convince you.[/QUOTE]

Rod & Adrienne, thanks for the advice. You read comments advising not to do as you say, however I notice that these tips are only ever on agents websites :) My only problem is a distinct lack of Italian, so I'd better start learning fast.

By the way, excellent website! Crisp, clean and very informative. Might give you a call for a weeks rental when we come over to start our search.

Cheers, David

David
Thanks for your kind comments I must confess we had some help on the language front as my sister has lived in Marche for nearly 40 years! Also my brother in law has a cousin who is a geometra and a niece who is an architect so perhaps we cheated a little.

Hi Lindsay
We bought through Monica and Michaela earlier this year, they only showed us one house last September and it was perfect for us. Talk about love at 1st site - there was even a rainbow ending in our garden!
We had seen loads of other properties in areas further north most of which were rubbish and on our last day we came south to the area round Amandola. Thought it was so beautiful that it must be so expensive and beyond our reach..My husband did a little dance in front of Monica when she showed us the house which was possibly not the best negotiation technique. After 6 months of nervewracking heartache trying to sell my London home we finally signed the rogito in April. Monica stuck with us through all the process when she could easily have looked for other buyers as we took so long - I really appreciated her faith in us. Do be aware that the Italian system is qute different from the Uk one - in Italy both the buyer and the seller pay the agent - usually 3% slightly less if you're a good negotiator and its a significant extra sum to the whole equation which we did not appreciate at the time.
Hope to live there full time one day but in the meantime its our holiday home and we love it. You can check out our place on [url]www.marche-italy-villas.com[/url] Its a wonderful part of Le Marche and the both the local expats and the locals seem really friendly - though the local dialect is so strong communication can be interesting sometimes!

What type of property are you looking for?

I think sometimes its just a matter of being in the right place at the right time - serendipity perhaps...Good luck!

M

Sorry to call you Lindsay Dave! was confused by your sign on...

Marina

[QUOTE=lindsaycom]Hi All,

My wife and I plan to start house hunting early next year. We made a trip to look at houses in Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche two years ago, and as well as falling head over heels with the Amandola region, at the time we felt the better value for money was in Le Marche. We are now ready to take the next step, and I was wondering if members had any thoughts on the region.

Is its still better value? Rental potential? Areas to consider/avoid? Agents to consider/avoid?

Basically anything anyone wishes to discuss.

Looking forward to hearing from you all,

David[/QUOTE]
Well,most has been said.Better value could be seen as costing less which is still true of the area and i'm not aware of diminished real estate prices in Toscana.You seem to already know some of the better agents here.Obviously the coastal area enjoys a milder climate but prices can be higher ,there's a lot of urbanization,a lot more people but they have a bigger tourist market than the inland areas.Personally with perhaps the exception of the feltre area which is v.beautiful i also prefer the more southern parts of the marche.At the end of the day it's probably not even about advice but simply how you feel about things,the place etc ..good luck.

[QUOTE=Marinaw]Hi Lindsay
We bought through Monica and Michaela earlier this year, they only showed us one house last September and it was perfect for us. Talk about love at 1st site - there was even a rainbow ending in our garden!
We had seen loads of other properties in areas further north most of which were rubbish and on our last day we came south to the area round Amandola. Thought it was so beautiful that it must be so expensive and beyond our reach..My husband did a little dance in front of Monica when she showed us the house which was possibly not the best negotiation technique. After 6 months of nervewracking heartache trying to sell my London home we finally signed the rogito in April. Monica stuck with us through all the process when she could easily have looked for other buyers as we took so long - I really appreciated her faith in us. Do be aware that the Italian system is qute different from the Uk one - in Italy both the buyer and the seller pay the agent - usually 3% slightly less if you're a good negotiator and its a significant extra sum to the whole equation which we did not appreciate at the time.
Hope to live there full time one day but in the meantime its our holiday home and we love it. You can check out our place on [url]www.marche-italy-villas.com[/url] Its a wonderful part of Le Marche and the both the local expats and the locals seem really friendly - though the local dialect is so strong communication can be interesting sometimes!

What type of property are you looking for?

I think sometimes its just a matter of being in the right place at the right time - serendipity perhaps...Good luck!

M[/QUOTE]

Marina,

WOW! Just what I'm looking for. Not selling are you? :D

Thanks for the info re Monica. As we have a few months before we are over again, I want to be sure that I will be dealing with agents who can be trusted. So the more I can speak to people like yourself, the more confident I will feel.

Hope we can keep in touch,

Regards,

David

Hi David
Got your name right eventually. By all means pm me if you need any info re the process, having gone through it fairly recently I'm more than happy to help others avoid pitfalls if I can.
Can also recommend our house managers Barry and Liz who offer B and B and other services such as checking out possible properties with an unbiased view and digital pix which tell the whole story which can save days of wasted time seeing unsuitable places not sure if I'm allowed to post their website here but if you put Liz and Barry Marche into google you'll find em fast..

This site is invaluable too - wish I knew as much then as I've learned now from here. And am still learning!

Keep in touch - good luck.

Marina

David…

You are doing the right thing in planning this properly.

My advice to you is to get to see as much of the region as possible. I have criss-crossed the entire territory and there is so much in the way of unspoilt natural beauty. But don’t do this just during spring or summer. Get to see the Marche throughout all seasons before you finally choose.

Some parts can be bleak during the winter so it pays to check this out rather than get an unwanted surprise later on. Another important thing is that areas close to the mountains are prone to landslides when it rains so don’t be shocked when you see a ruin with part of the surrounding hillside sitting inside the house. This is part of the course. Be wary also of very isolated properties with lengthy and unkempt, private access roads as it can set you back thousands to sort them out.

Prices will vary of course but due to the British gold rush mentality, some areas have not only become saturated with expats, you could pay over the odds for your dream property. It pays to be prudent!

If you need any information on places to see, what to do and where to stay as well the issues you need to be aware of then let me know.

Good luck!

Hi Marina,

Had a look at the website and their services are a few I would require in one single bundle. Help to seperate the 'Wheat from the Chaff', a place to be based while looking around, and someone to look after the property when we are not around.

I'm so glad I joined the forum. People are so helpful! Many thanks, and if you hear of any hidden jewels, drop me a note.

Cheers, David

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the advice. All sounds very sensible. Had planned to come over for a short trip in January just to see exactly what the area was like two feet deep in snow. Is there a healhy tourist trade based around the skiing season? We were told that it really only lasts a few months, is that true?

I'll certainly be in touch if I need any information. Many Thanks,

David

David

We were there in March and the only advice I can give is get snow chains for the hire car. Getting snowed in is quite common we had quite an adventure being towed by Barry's 4x4 with chains.

From what I gathered from tourist posters in Sarnano it is quite a short skiing season.

Not having attempted the sport yet, it is just something else for us to look forward to. I personally am just a sucker for the scenery.

Dave

btw the previous pic was taken down the road from Marinas just up from Barry & Liz.

Barry and Liz practically walk on water as far as I am concerned! It seems they have towed quite a few of us out of ditches and snow..
I'm really hoping it won't be too snowy at Xmas this year - we're in the van from Rome, it has a 1000 euro excess, do you think I should try to get chains for it? We won't be trying the skiing this year - too busy putting up pictures of pebbles ;-)
David I think the ski season is pretty short and rather a local thing - we visited the resorts in Summer - just a few chalets and a ski lift and a couple of winter only cafes, look like nice runs (but then I know very litle about these things) but Meribel or Val d'Isere it certainly isn't. I would imagine you can hire skis from somewhere in Sarnano - seems to be the centre of the rufty tufty sporty stuff. Plenty of places for some good toboggan runs though...

M

Does evryone on this board know each other? Seems like one large happy family!
Are the roads from the airport kept open during heavy snow?

David

Remember that this year's snow was a bit exceptional. We have visited many times in the winter snow and never needed chains. Of course we needed them this winter ;)

I was commuting from here to London over this winter and the roads were open the whole time. The road from the airport to Pedaso was always fine. The road from Pedaso to Montefalcone, whilst open, was a bit hairy at times.

We too bought through Monica and she was helpful and professional at all times. We tried the "ask someone in a bar" approach but unless you have a lot of time to spare and have reasonable Italian (or a translator) you can spend days wandering around viewing concrete bunkers and not seeing much of interest.

My tip would be don't be too strict when saying to the agent "I want to see that one and that one off your website". Our house looked dreadful on the website and we certainly would not have asked to see it. It was also quoted as being a lot smaller than it actually was. It was only because we let Monica show us what she thought we would like that we found it.

Having said that, it helps to know what you want. Make a list of your "must haves" and then "would likes" and finally the "no ways". They will change of course but at least you have something for the agents to go on.

The last thing I have found from living here is that facing the mountains is a LOT colder than not facing them in winter. It sounds obvious but it makes up for not having that full on mountain panorama!

All this talk about le Marche and pictures - all beautiful - got me going, and wanting to add my own. So here is a picture of our house, in the Metauro valley, Montefeltro region, just to the west of Urbino. our house (Ca Pelliccione) is bang in the middle of the photo.

Got it eventually. the forum woundn't accept the original, too big. It seem that this is about as big as I can get it unless anyone knows different.

Wow, Ian & Sandra!

What a beautiful place! I definitely envy you! :)

Very well chosen! Are you doing lots of walking & exploring, or just chilling out in the garden?

Stephanie

Marina

In March our flight from Stansted to Ancona was cancelled so we flew to Rome at lunchtime, the weather in Rome was fine we even considered a trip to Ikea.

In the end following a 5 and a half hour snow rally in a Punto we reached San Venanzo absolutely shattered. I would really check on the weather forecast if doing that drive in winter and definitely have chains.

The snow ploughs do an amazing job, but if you are caught in it chains would be very useful.

Ciao

Dave

p.s. Ian to get a larger pic such as 600 x 450 jpg I reduced the image quality til the size was less than 34k.

[QUOTE=lindsaycom]Hi Charles,

Is there a healhy tourist trade based around the skiing season? We were told that it really only lasts a few months, is that true?

David...

Snow permitting, the season normally runs from December to March.

Hi David,

If you are heading down Umbria way, give us a call. We live in the beautiful hills outside Citta Di Castello. Telephone number 0758505009.
Kind regards
Christine
[url]www.italiapropertymanagement.com[/url]

Thanks again everyone for your helpful replies. I was ploughing my way through another thread when I came across a member suggesting to offer significantly less than the asking price for Italian Properties. I suppose coming from the Scottish system where it is the norm to bid well above the asking price, it has made me wary of bidding low. I realise that each property is different but does anyone have a 'rule of thumb' as how to approach this.

Also, over the last few years I have noticed that many properties remain active on websites for what seems like a surprisingly long period of time. Do you think this is just bad site maintenance, the length of time it takes to complete a sale, or too many properties for too few buyers.

David

When we started looking, we would have loved to know of the experiences of others in our situation. We have been out to Le Marche three times looking for a property and found something we liked on the last visit. If anyone would like to know our views on the agents we used, I would be willing to share our [B]personal opinions [/B]. (I feel I should use the word allegedly somewhere!).

Going back to the agents in Le Marche who seem trustworthy we have previously met Monica and Michaela who have shown us some houses and got to grips with what we were looking for very quickly. I would use them again.

If you are looking less inland, up to 25km from the sea in Southern Marche (eg Offida/Castignano/Montefiore etc etc) we know a very nice and honest guy called Giuseppe who runs [url]www.nuovorizzonteimmobiliare.it[/url]. This area is extremely beautiful and includes the Rosso Piceno wine area.

We have had some problems with one agent in Comunanza who underestimated the cost of renovations on a house to get us to sign the contract. Thankfully we got a reliable builder to give us his opinion. I would always advise getting everything in writing and seeking independent advice.

[QUOTE=lindsaycom]

Also, over the last few years I have noticed that many properties remain active on websites for what seems like a surprisingly long period of time. Do you think this is just bad site maintenance, the length of time it takes to complete a sale, or too many properties for too few buyers.

David[/QUOTE]

I think it is down to a variety of factors but especially poor site maintenance and whilst I do not believe there are too many properties for the number of buyers, some of them are complete non starters and no sane person would consider them for a moment! Having said that it is all down to personal taste, we saw a couple of houses that we considered absolutely hideous, have subsequently heard that both have been bought by UK buyers!!!! The photos on any website always show the house from the best angle and never show the pylons, commercial centres, factories etc that can dominate the view. I would advise shopping around and use different agents, do not become dependant on one, we saw one house on the market with two agents, the price difference between the two was Euro 60,000!!!! Not small change! As for time to complete a sale, assuming there are no structural/contractual issues it need not take more then 3-4 months. Always have a structural engineer check the place out BEFORE you put in any offer, we heard of one family who paid over the odds for the house and once it had gone past the point of no return, discovered that they had to knock down a substantial part due to subsidence, they could not afford to do this and rebuild. Nightmare situation, but of their own making as they had assumed all was well and had not taken the necessary precautions to have everything checked out earlier.

Good luck with the hunt.
Anne2

We have also seen properties that have been on the websites for sale for years in some cases but the sale price is regularly increased. To us that seems illogical but it is not uncommon.

I am not so sure about the advice to offer 'well below the asking price'. I think you have to offer what you believe to be a fair price and not get too hung up on how much off or not you are getting.

There are always ways to cut down the searching. For example, do some research on the web and get the properties checked out before you arrive. That way you can make sure you are only lookign at properties that interest you. It is a service that we and I am sure others provide for little cost.