stefan's activity

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Dear All, we (scottish/german) are looking into buying an old piemont farmhouse and have one house/cascinale on the radar.

Wed, 12/16/2015 - 03:42

Comments posted

Fri, 01/08/2016 - 07:41

Hi Nicolas,thanks for your offer. I will have a look at your website. 

Thu, 01/07/2016 - 10:37

Hi Julia,I hope you (and everybody else here!!!) have had a merry christmas and a good start into the new year!The house we have been looking into (with the very kind help of Conor, who localy checked the house out for us) doesn´t appear to be as perfect, as we hoped (lots of work, obstructed view, ownership difficulties...) and since you said you know of some good property, I was wondering If you could somehow point me in the right direction. are they viewable online?thanks and best whishes for the new yearstefan

Mon, 12/28/2015 - 13:42

Hallo Julia,thank you very much for your comment. And I realy enjoyed reading the start of your blog and look foreward to the other stories. I can already see some similarities. Its my wife thats scottish and I have spend a lot of my youth in Wales. By the way: your farmhouse look absolutely lovely -  pretty much how I picture my ideal choice of house and situation (perhaps for us a wee bit smaller since it would only be our holiday house for the coming years) . and good to hear that there is a little international community in the area. I know that the the abilty to speak italian is - of course - of vital importance - but our´s isn´t there just yet. by for now - have to make the dinner, but I will write more later on.all the beststefan   

Tue, 12/22/2015 - 07:10

very understandable! I guess thats the way with any business these days (I am a selfemployed photographer - it´s just the same there - at least when you beginn)I just looked on your website: very nice!

Tue, 12/22/2015 - 06:41

thanks Nicolas,good to hear!in your oppinion - how easy is it to rent appartments out in Piemont?we are not wanting to do it "professionaly" - but just to keep the house lifed in when we are not there - and hopefully some of the money might help to offset against the running costs (tax...).stefan 

Tue, 12/22/2015 - 03:48

Hi Alan,we spend one holiday in the Cannobio Area (Gurro...) Years ago - I liked it - my wife couldnt deal with the winding roads up in the hills  - (at the corners she had to get out of the land rover and walk beside it :-)Nearer to the lake(s) might be Ok for her though!Probably one of the reasons she like the Monferrato area - only very little and comfortable hills!We have spend most of our holidays in various Parts of Italy - particuarly Sicilia. But for a Holidayhouse we prefer somewhere one can also drive to in a day (Its about 8 hours for us from Frankfurt) - in case Ryanair changes Airports.Also a medium to middle size town/city in an hours drive ist vital for wife+doughters (shops, markets...). So Monferrato with Alba, Asti and, further away, Torino and Milano ticks a lot of boxes. Plus its (still) relatively affordable und not crowded.best stefan  

Mon, 12/21/2015 - 04:56

I think this is the way we are going to tackle the roof too - if we end up bying this house. ".... [I avoid architects - I don't trust them]...." well - I am an architecture photographer - if I would avoid architects, I wouldn´t be able to buy a house in the first place ;-)thanks again to all of you for your very helpfull and most appreciated commentsstefan  

Mon, 12/21/2015 - 04:23

Hi Conor, we were trying to see the house in question between the years - but finding enough time at the moment isn´t easy. and the agents office is closed first week of January. When are you going to be in the area?thanks for your kind offerstefan

Sat, 12/19/2015 - 03:18

great and very usefull information - thanks a lot!personaly I belive in not fixing something thats isn´t brocken too.Who would we best ask to ckeck the state of the roof - does the geometer do this?the estate-agent is a geometer as well (I think) but he might be a bit biased.

Fri, 12/18/2015 - 06:29

"....if your funds run to it...."there might be the problem. a 200qm new roof. I suppose we would have to get somebody to have a good look at the beams, wood and all that. Since we would mostly only be using the house as a holidayplace (in the next years) during the 3 warmer seasons insulation might not urgent. but of course you are right: no point of doing the roof and not getting the insulation done at the same time.