Is it really necessary to have neighbours around your holiday home? I am looking into getting a holiday home which I will stay in occasionally for work as well but might also rent out a little.
Can neighbours block you from renting out a holiday home? I am considering buying a second home in Italy and using it for myself from time-to-time but also renting it out on Airbnb.
Financing a renovation. I am looking into buying a holiday house that needs a thorough renovation (roof, floors/ceilings, installing kitchen/bathroom, heating, redo electricity, install septic, etc.).
Cost of renovation vs. final house value - any recommendations? I am looking to possibly restore a 19th century house in a Piemontese hamlet which was used to make wine.
Old house renovation question - ceilings! Does anyone know about the rules for renovating an older house in Italy in terms of ceiling height? I was told that the cellar ceiling is too low to be converted to "livable space".
Wow, thanks so much. Very helpful. The estage agent told me €1300 for livable space and then other spaces would be 1/3 of that (cellar, attic, other rooms with lower ceilings, etc). So, he seems to be accurate. Thanks. €1400 is okay.
Thanks, Julia. Very helpful post. Asti is too far for me, though I agree that it is a very pretty area. I work in the wine business, so I need to be close to the Barolo towns - Monforte d'Alba, Barolo, La Morra, etc. I could look in those towns - and I still might - but it is a little more expensive there. But the biggest thing is that I need a house with character, that has a story and I have not seen anything available in those areas that tick that box.The little house I am looking at is not very isolated at all in this sense. Though it is in a small hamlet with only about 6-7 other houses, it is only a 3 minute drive from Dogliani itself, the area's 2nd most active market town after Alba. There are numerous restaurants, a cinema and a busy market twice a week.It is close to highways for people to go to the sea or Torino (both about 1 hour drive). The Barolo towns are about 12-22 minutes drive away. One of my favourite Barolo estates, which is also quite famous is about a 3 minute drive away. So, I have done a bit of research into the location. Somewhere like Asti is way too far from the top Nebbiolo sites which is why wine people come to Piemonte. And this would be my client base - mostly foreign I imagine. :)The house has a lot of character (it used to be used for winemaking and has a nice albeit slightly ruined cellar) and if I were to take the project on, I would renovate to keep this character and market it as an old winemaking house. At the moment, I have not seen anything like it, which is why I am drawn to it. Vaulted cellars are not so easy to find in tiny houses it seems in Piemonte, only the much bigger ones - but please do correct me if I am mistaken.Because it is small, it would still be affordable for couples to rent though would sleep 6 in case people wanted to come with their friends. It also has a small garden with some hazelnut and fig trees which is a nice touch. Saying that, I have a feeling it will cost more to renovate than it will be worth in the end. This does bother me and as a result. So, I need to do more research and lots of thinking! Out of curiosity, do you know how much a garage might add to the value? There is a ruined "portico" out in the back which can be (must be) converted back into a storage space and/or garage. It is 2 levels which will add to the overall space, but not living space. This is indeed another expense which concerns me. It is possible that a garage would not add that much to the overall value but would obviously add quite a bit to the cost of refurbishment. I do think foreigners would appreciate a garage that locks much more than Italians as well. So, that is another consideration.Thanks again for your message!Cheers.
I would be buying the house for my personal use, however, I would also like to rent it out for holiday lets on places like Airbnb. If so, I would like to make some money when I am not using it however I do not intend to sell it straight away. Maybe at some point down the line. Nonetheless I don't want to lose out badly because that makes no sense even if it is for personal use.
Thanks. All helpful information. I have read that each commune is different but at least this gives me hope. The area under the stairs is tiny but one doesn't need a lot of space for a toilet and a small sink. Fingers crossed.
Thank you. This makes more sense and sounds more like France. But when I have talked to people like the estate agent or seen forum posts, I get the impression that if any people in housing authority find anything that suggests a life other than storage (bed, table, sofa), you can get a hefty fine. Seems insane to me if this is the case. This definitely would not happen in France.I have been trying to do research on whether one can install a toilet and sink underneath stairs and whether one can install a washer/dryer in part of the cantina which would be used as a "utlity room"/laundry. But I have not found any solid information on that either. I read that bathrooms need a minimum of 3m2 but I have also seen pictures of tiny loos and sinks under stairs. I am not interested in installing a shower or bathtub in this space - just a half bath.Any ideas regarding the half bath and laundry area?Cheers!
Comments posted
Wow, thanks so much. Very helpful. The estage agent told me €1300 for livable space and then other spaces would be 1/3 of that (cellar, attic, other rooms with lower ceilings, etc). So, he seems to be accurate. Thanks. €1400 is okay.
Thanks, Julia. Very helpful post. Asti is too far for me, though I agree that it is a very pretty area. I work in the wine business, so I need to be close to the Barolo towns - Monforte d'Alba, Barolo, La Morra, etc. I could look in those towns - and I still might - but it is a little more expensive there. But the biggest thing is that I need a house with character, that has a story and I have not seen anything available in those areas that tick that box.The little house I am looking at is not very isolated at all in this sense. Though it is in a small hamlet with only about 6-7 other houses, it is only a 3 minute drive from Dogliani itself, the area's 2nd most active market town after Alba. There are numerous restaurants, a cinema and a busy market twice a week.It is close to highways for people to go to the sea or Torino (both about 1 hour drive). The Barolo towns are about 12-22 minutes drive away. One of my favourite Barolo estates, which is also quite famous is about a 3 minute drive away. So, I have done a bit of research into the location. Somewhere like Asti is way too far from the top Nebbiolo sites which is why wine people come to Piemonte. And this would be my client base - mostly foreign I imagine. :)The house has a lot of character (it used to be used for winemaking and has a nice albeit slightly ruined cellar) and if I were to take the project on, I would renovate to keep this character and market it as an old winemaking house. At the moment, I have not seen anything like it, which is why I am drawn to it. Vaulted cellars are not so easy to find in tiny houses it seems in Piemonte, only the much bigger ones - but please do correct me if I am mistaken.Because it is small, it would still be affordable for couples to rent though would sleep 6 in case people wanted to come with their friends. It also has a small garden with some hazelnut and fig trees which is a nice touch. Saying that, I have a feeling it will cost more to renovate than it will be worth in the end. This does bother me and as a result. So, I need to do more research and lots of thinking! Out of curiosity, do you know how much a garage might add to the value? There is a ruined "portico" out in the back which can be (must be) converted back into a storage space and/or garage. It is 2 levels which will add to the overall space, but not living space. This is indeed another expense which concerns me. It is possible that a garage would not add that much to the overall value but would obviously add quite a bit to the cost of refurbishment. I do think foreigners would appreciate a garage that locks much more than Italians as well. So, that is another consideration.Thanks again for your message!Cheers.
I have local contacts. I don't live close by. The garden at this house is tiny and requires little maintenance.
I would be buying the house for my personal use, however, I would also like to rent it out for holiday lets on places like Airbnb. If so, I would like to make some money when I am not using it however I do not intend to sell it straight away. Maybe at some point down the line. Nonetheless I don't want to lose out badly because that makes no sense even if it is for personal use.
Thanks. All helpful information. I have read that each commune is different but at least this gives me hope. The area under the stairs is tiny but one doesn't need a lot of space for a toilet and a small sink. Fingers crossed.
Thank you. This makes more sense and sounds more like France. But when I have talked to people like the estate agent or seen forum posts, I get the impression that if any people in housing authority find anything that suggests a life other than storage (bed, table, sofa), you can get a hefty fine. Seems insane to me if this is the case. This definitely would not happen in France.I have been trying to do research on whether one can install a toilet and sink underneath stairs and whether one can install a washer/dryer in part of the cantina which would be used as a "utlity room"/laundry. But I have not found any solid information on that either. I read that bathrooms need a minimum of 3m2 but I have also seen pictures of tiny loos and sinks under stairs. I am not interested in installing a shower or bathtub in this space - just a half bath.Any ideas regarding the half bath and laundry area?Cheers!