Hi everybody,Just purchased a home in Garlenda and was wondering if anybody here would have the name of a local artisan to support us with the remodeling of our bathrooms?
It has been a good time to buy for a while now...even before the virus, the real estate market in the country has never recovered from the crisis in 2008 and, to be honest, prices are way above actual market value. There is a huge offer compared to the demand out there and professionals here are not trained nor updated on how to move properties in the 21st century so, KPIs are low.
We purchased in Liguria last June and our offer was 30% under the asking price. It was accepted right away.
I see houses for sale on websites which were already on the market 8 years ago! Same old pictures, no staging, same prices... I visited a property in Imperia back in 2012 and found myself visiting it again in 2019.
So...am thinking if the market has not come up for air in the past 10 years, it won't get any better in the years to come.
Of course! It’s Pontinvrea :) about a 20mn drive to the sea town of Albisola and 15mn drive to Piemonte. Close to Genoa & Nice airports which is important for us expats.
https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontinvrea
If you wish to know more about where ahe was keeping her horses etc...let me know & I’ll share her email. She’ll be happy to help!
Since Sarkozy cracked down on road rules, France has installed very strict rules when it comes to speeding. They don't even tolerate 1 km/h above the set speed limit there. Very different from Italy where you might get away with 10 km/h above. Be super careful and always follow the limits when crossing the country. And the radar are black or dark blue (generally) so not as visible as the orange ones you will find in many other countries.
Also, the toll to toll speed check is always on so, it will check on your time/distance ratio (here again, Italy doesn't always have them working so, very different).
Who knows if your fines will still be on file in France now that the UK is no longer in the EU? Would be interesting to find out...;)
Same issue here! So sorry about your troubles! It is a complicated situation to deal with as they don't really have "real" laws regarding noise. Which means nothing to support you when ealing with barking :(
Are they hunting dogs?
We have neighbours with 2 dogs, they bark constantly. All night as well. And they escape...Last week they actually killed 6 chicken & even with the whole village complaining and the pound coming over to check on the situation, nothing has changed. And as you mentioned, the poor dogs are not responsible.
It is even harder to deal with when the owners don't care. However, the one thing I noticed will get people to take action fast here is embarrassment! And even that needs strategy because it all depends on the generation you are dealing with (social media might not affect Boomers as much as it would Millennials, etc...)
Examples: you could post pics/films of the situation on social media and make sure you tag the village, etc...; or write an article and email it to different local papers; if you are close to local stores/cafés feel free to gently/kindly make the situation known (give names) but always be sweet about it ;) etc...
Not sure this will be of any support but I most certainly feel your pain! Good luck!
Have you given a thought to Portugal? Way more interesting when it comes to taxes...;)You have had tons of amazing answers and lots of info from everybody here so I won't be too long. Just wanted to underline: don' give anybody any money ahead of time...You most certainly don't have to pay a fee before your application is "reviewed". And also, nothing is that "formal" here. They don't review anything & are usually happy to find foreign renters who will actually pay rent.So don't let them fool you, real estate agents here are not trained to respond to what the UK, German or French market would expect from them & they are a far cry from being professional - like you experienced they don't answer calls or emails and actually, they also don't show up to their own showings. I won't even get started on paperwork and regulations. My advice: be careful and always ask on forums.As many have mentioned above, Airbnb is definitely your best bet in this situation! Or a short term rental.Take care! :)
Hi Linda,You could try www.instapro.it , it's a great website through which you can detail your needs and who/what you are looking for and usually, professionals who are connected receive your request and contact you via call or or text (or any contact you gave via the website).We found our electrician and plumber through that site.You can also refer to a "trasloco" company to find movers close to you. Hope this will be of support :)
Hi there,It really depends on what type of business you are planning on opening...I opened a PAP store years ago and went through hell. You need to anticipate on everything. Do as much research as you can online as you could see 4 different accountants and none would give you the same info. Always a good thing to arrive prepared so that you can ask all the right questions and get as much information as possible.If you don't ask, there is a big chance they will forget tell you.They will however help you with getting started with your "partita IVA" (which will declare your business and allow for you to pay taxes ;) )The Camera di Commercio is also a good place to start even if the given information is never complete.Take care and hope all will be fabulous for you and your son.
Comments posted
Hi,
Ugo is right...good time to buy!
It has been a good time to buy for a while now...even before the virus, the real estate market in the country has never recovered from the crisis in 2008 and, to be honest, prices are way above actual market value. There is a huge offer compared to the demand out there and professionals here are not trained nor updated on how to move properties in the 21st century so, KPIs are low.
We purchased in Liguria last June and our offer was 30% under the asking price. It was accepted right away.
I see houses for sale on websites which were already on the market 8 years ago! Same old pictures, no staging, same prices... I visited a property in Imperia back in 2012 and found myself visiting it again in 2019.
So...am thinking if the market has not come up for air in the past 10 years, it won't get any better in the years to come.
Of course! It’s Pontinvrea :) about a 20mn drive to the sea town of Albisola and 15mn drive to Piemonte. Close to Genoa & Nice airports which is important for us expats.
https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontinvrea
If you wish to know more about where ahe was keeping her horses etc...let me know & I’ll share her email. She’ll be happy to help!
Take care,
Liz
Hi there,
Since Sarkozy cracked down on road rules, France has installed very strict rules when it comes to speeding. They don't even tolerate 1 km/h above the set speed limit there. Very different from Italy where you might get away with 10 km/h above. Be super careful and always follow the limits when crossing the country. And the radar are black or dark blue (generally) so not as visible as the orange ones you will find in many other countries.
Also, the toll to toll speed check is always on so, it will check on your time/distance ratio (here again, Italy doesn't always have them working so, very different).
Who knows if your fines will still be on file in France now that the UK is no longer in the EU? Would be interesting to find out...;)
Hi there,
Would you consider Liguria? A British friend of mine had horses for the longest time so she could give you great insight!
Would you consider Liguria or is Piemonte your go-to destination?
Feel free to reach out if you need any extra info :)
Hi there,
Would you consider Liguria? A British friend of mine had horses for the longest time so she could give you great insight!
Would you consider Liguria or is Piemonte your go-to destination?
Feel free to reach out if you need any extra info :)
Same issue here! So sorry about your troubles! It is a complicated situation to deal with as they don't really have "real" laws regarding noise. Which means nothing to support you when ealing with barking :(
Are they hunting dogs?
We have neighbours with 2 dogs, they bark constantly. All night as well. And they escape...Last week they actually killed 6 chicken & even with the whole village complaining and the pound coming over to check on the situation, nothing has changed. And as you mentioned, the poor dogs are not responsible.
It is even harder to deal with when the owners don't care. However, the one thing I noticed will get people to take action fast here is embarrassment! And even that needs strategy because it all depends on the generation you are dealing with (social media might not affect Boomers as much as it would Millennials, etc...)
Examples: you could post pics/films of the situation on social media and make sure you tag the village, etc...; or write an article and email it to different local papers; if you are close to local stores/cafés feel free to gently/kindly make the situation known (give names) but always be sweet about it ;) etc...
Not sure this will be of any support but I most certainly feel your pain! Good luck!
Have you given a thought to Portugal? Way more interesting when it comes to taxes...;)You have had tons of amazing answers and lots of info from everybody here so I won't be too long. Just wanted to underline: don' give anybody any money ahead of time...You most certainly don't have to pay a fee before your application is "reviewed". And also, nothing is that "formal" here. They don't review anything & are usually happy to find foreign renters who will actually pay rent.So don't let them fool you, real estate agents here are not trained to respond to what the UK, German or French market would expect from them & they are a far cry from being professional - like you experienced they don't answer calls or emails and actually, they also don't show up to their own showings. I won't even get started on paperwork and regulations. My advice: be careful and always ask on forums.As many have mentioned above, Airbnb is definitely your best bet in this situation! Or a short term rental.Take care! :)
Hi Linda,You could try www.instapro.it , it's a great website through which you can detail your needs and who/what you are looking for and usually, professionals who are connected receive your request and contact you via call or or text (or any contact you gave via the website).We found our electrician and plumber through that site.You can also refer to a "trasloco" company to find movers close to you. Hope this will be of support :)
Great! happy to help! :)Hope the offer you received lead to a sale!!Take care,Liz
Hi there,It really depends on what type of business you are planning on opening...I opened a PAP store years ago and went through hell. You need to anticipate on everything. Do as much research as you can online as you could see 4 different accountants and none would give you the same info. Always a good thing to arrive prepared so that you can ask all the right questions and get as much information as possible.If you don't ask, there is a big chance they will forget tell you.They will however help you with getting started with your "partita IVA" (which will declare your business and allow for you to pay taxes ;) )The Camera di Commercio is also a good place to start even if the given information is never complete.Take care and hope all will be fabulous for you and your son.