Hello, I'm new to this site but joined because I've been very impressed by the answers to some of the questions posted on here.I'm considering buying a house in North East Tuscany.
Thank you, yes I think the general sense I am getting from these responses is that it is very important that I try to talk to neighbours. As I don't speak Italian that will be difficult, but I will take my Italian friend with me and try to get some conversations going. It's great to have your input with this, I will be very careful with how I proceed and take time to look at some other properties too. Thank you.
Thank you, yes you are right, I will 'drag' my Italian friend with me to see if she can talk to the neighbours and locals. There is definitely access to the back of the property - it's via a small lane that runs along the back of the row of about five houses, and double gates into the garden. I have discussed the scaffolding with the geometra but I didn't know I'd need a licence to put scaffolding onto the street. I will ask him about it. Neighbours is a bit of a concern - I definitely want friendly neighbours, but as this particular stretch of the road only has houses on one side, and the one on the right is also up for sale, I have been slighly concerned about being a bit isolated, especially as there is no cafe in the village, just the one restaurant; it doesn't seem like the best place to just 'bump into' people. In the town itself, absolutely everyone I came into contact with was so pleasant and friendly, but I haven't yet met people in the village itself. I will definitely follow up your advise, thank you.
Thank you for your detailed post, this is most enlighening. I can see I need to go into some more detail with he geometra and / or check the details of the costings he has already supplied to me. Can I just ask you please, when you say that the first 4 metres of land beyond the bitumen in the road belongs to the government - would this include the front portion of the actual house itself..? ie. could they knock down these houses if they wanted to widen the road? I think this is highly unlikely, but I can see how it is in the very back of my mind and could be at the forefront of someone else's mind!The property I am looking for is for life. I don't want to move again in Italy. I just don't want to give my daughter a problem with re-sale after I've gone; although she may well decide to keep hold of any property that I do leave. After struggling for years in London to try to have even decent living conditions, I really want a place I can make mine, and pour everything into without having to really think ahead about re-sale, but I cannot behave irresponsibly and have to think of what my daughter will be left with. She has already said I'm being ridiculous and she just wants me to be happy and doesn't care what she inherits, but I want to leave her something lovely in every sense and that she knows I've loved living in. I guess a terratteto may not be ideal - but people can and do live happily in them, surely..?
Thank you for your post. I agree about the issue with the house being directly on the pavement - with that said, it's a very charming frontage, with the balcony overlooking the fantastic views across the Pisan mountains - that's why I thought maybe the lovely, characteristic look of the house at the front makes up for the lack of front garden, but I do still have doubts. For myself, I don't mind this issue, but don't want to land my daughter with the problem of re-sale after I've gone and if she doesn't want to keep the property. At the back of the property there is enough space to park a car in the garden - the garden is not huge, but has double gates at the side to let a car in, and there is a short lane that runs along the back of the rown of about 5 houses. So, I would expect to drive into the town most of the time, or maybe get a bike eventually. The route for the bus is on the road that the house is on - I do see your point about thinking ahead in case the bus route goes, but as it serves several towns and villages surrounding, I think it is unlikely..?Yes, the issue about adjoining roofs is definitely something that I think the geometra should have flagged up. I will bring this up with him, but I can now see why most would want a detached home. Thank you for the post.
Hi MauriceI'm looking in and around the Casciana Terme area, also Chianni. It would be a 'lifetime' purchase - ie. I wouldn't be looking to sell it again but I also don't want to dump my daughter with a problem after I've gone. My work situation in the UK means I often have long periods when I am either not working or I can work from home / remotely. I would intend to keep a small property in the UK and use the Italian property as a '2nd home', but would probably consider this more as my primary base, especially because I want to have a studio there. The geometra I have at the moment carried out a full survey for me and told me about the licences I would need. He is an older genteman who was recommended to me by an Italian friend who has lived in the region all her life. Her mother knew this geometra as he had done work for them. My general impression is that he is being honest in his answers. At this stage, all I asked him to do was survey the property and to cost up the price of making it habitable, without making any major changes to the structure, so he has not advised me about what may or may not be possible in terms of changes, because I have not asked really. I myself estimated what it would cost to do the same building and renovation works in the UK, and his prices came up almost exactly the same as they would over here.I have been looking for several years now, for a 2nd home. I really loved this house as soon as I saw it inside - the views are incredible and it was great to find a back garden with rear access (you drive in via a short lane at the back of the row of houses) and a terrace and attic rooms with high ceilings. But my concerns, as stated before, are that it is immediately on the road and is a terrace in a small village that doesn't have a shop, just one restaurant. It's very close to Casciana Terme though.My friend has said Chianni is lovely, so maybe I should extend my search more thoroughly to there. Any advice is really welcome, thank you for posting. Lin
Hi SteveThanks for the quick reply, I appreciate it. Could you tell me what the other things are about a terraced house that would 'ring alarm bells' for you? I'm keen to get as much information as I can.I don't (yet) speak Italian, so I wouldn't be able to chat to Italian neighbours at the moment. I have visited the house at around 5pm in the afternoon and, as far as I could tell from the terrace it was perfectly quiet at that time.The village where the house is has just over 300 inhabitants. I am looking - as most people are, I think - for a property that can be slighly private but definitely not cut off from civilisation. My friend over there who is Italian lives in a farmhouse in the countryside and it's nice to visit but is definitely not for mee - I would feel far too isolated. I have seen no detached houses that I could afford which are in or around the town. I know the house next door is up for sale too - I think mainly because the owner is a very old lady living by herself. It has been on the market for about a year, the same as the house I am interested in. I negotiated a good price for it - just over half the advertised price, but I had already been told that building work can be very expensive in Italy. With the renovations involved, the overall cost to bring it up to good condition would be slightly over the original asking price. The house is actually on the SP road itself - there is no front garden, just pavement - my friend has said it will be a quiet street but also admits she has never been to this village !!
Comments posted
Thank you, yes I think the general sense I am getting from these responses is that it is very important that I try to talk to neighbours. As I don't speak Italian that will be difficult, but I will take my Italian friend with me and try to get some conversations going. It's great to have your input with this, I will be very careful with how I proceed and take time to look at some other properties too. Thank you.
Thank you, yes you are right, I will 'drag' my Italian friend with me to see if she can talk to the neighbours and locals. There is definitely access to the back of the property - it's via a small lane that runs along the back of the row of about five houses, and double gates into the garden. I have discussed the scaffolding with the geometra but I didn't know I'd need a licence to put scaffolding onto the street. I will ask him about it. Neighbours is a bit of a concern - I definitely want friendly neighbours, but as this particular stretch of the road only has houses on one side, and the one on the right is also up for sale, I have been slighly concerned about being a bit isolated, especially as there is no cafe in the village, just the one restaurant; it doesn't seem like the best place to just 'bump into' people. In the town itself, absolutely everyone I came into contact with was so pleasant and friendly, but I haven't yet met people in the village itself. I will definitely follow up your advise, thank you.
Thank you for your detailed post, this is most enlighening. I can see I need to go into some more detail with he geometra and / or check the details of the costings he has already supplied to me. Can I just ask you please, when you say that the first 4 metres of land beyond the bitumen in the road belongs to the government - would this include the front portion of the actual house itself..? ie. could they knock down these houses if they wanted to widen the road? I think this is highly unlikely, but I can see how it is in the very back of my mind and could be at the forefront of someone else's mind!The property I am looking for is for life. I don't want to move again in Italy. I just don't want to give my daughter a problem with re-sale after I've gone; although she may well decide to keep hold of any property that I do leave. After struggling for years in London to try to have even decent living conditions, I really want a place I can make mine, and pour everything into without having to really think ahead about re-sale, but I cannot behave irresponsibly and have to think of what my daughter will be left with. She has already said I'm being ridiculous and she just wants me to be happy and doesn't care what she inherits, but I want to leave her something lovely in every sense and that she knows I've loved living in. I guess a terratteto may not be ideal - but people can and do live happily in them, surely..?
Thank you for your post. I agree about the issue with the house being directly on the pavement - with that said, it's a very charming frontage, with the balcony overlooking the fantastic views across the Pisan mountains - that's why I thought maybe the lovely, characteristic look of the house at the front makes up for the lack of front garden, but I do still have doubts. For myself, I don't mind this issue, but don't want to land my daughter with the problem of re-sale after I've gone and if she doesn't want to keep the property. At the back of the property there is enough space to park a car in the garden - the garden is not huge, but has double gates at the side to let a car in, and there is a short lane that runs along the back of the rown of about 5 houses. So, I would expect to drive into the town most of the time, or maybe get a bike eventually. The route for the bus is on the road that the house is on - I do see your point about thinking ahead in case the bus route goes, but as it serves several towns and villages surrounding, I think it is unlikely..?Yes, the issue about adjoining roofs is definitely something that I think the geometra should have flagged up. I will bring this up with him, but I can now see why most would want a detached home. Thank you for the post.
Hi MauriceI'm looking in and around the Casciana Terme area, also Chianni. It would be a 'lifetime' purchase - ie. I wouldn't be looking to sell it again but I also don't want to dump my daughter with a problem after I've gone. My work situation in the UK means I often have long periods when I am either not working or I can work from home / remotely. I would intend to keep a small property in the UK and use the Italian property as a '2nd home', but would probably consider this more as my primary base, especially because I want to have a studio there. The geometra I have at the moment carried out a full survey for me and told me about the licences I would need. He is an older genteman who was recommended to me by an Italian friend who has lived in the region all her life. Her mother knew this geometra as he had done work for them. My general impression is that he is being honest in his answers. At this stage, all I asked him to do was survey the property and to cost up the price of making it habitable, without making any major changes to the structure, so he has not advised me about what may or may not be possible in terms of changes, because I have not asked really. I myself estimated what it would cost to do the same building and renovation works in the UK, and his prices came up almost exactly the same as they would over here.I have been looking for several years now, for a 2nd home. I really loved this house as soon as I saw it inside - the views are incredible and it was great to find a back garden with rear access (you drive in via a short lane at the back of the row of houses) and a terrace and attic rooms with high ceilings. But my concerns, as stated before, are that it is immediately on the road and is a terrace in a small village that doesn't have a shop, just one restaurant. It's very close to Casciana Terme though.My friend has said Chianni is lovely, so maybe I should extend my search more thoroughly to there. Any advice is really welcome, thank you for posting. Lin
Hi SteveThanks for the quick reply, I appreciate it. Could you tell me what the other things are about a terraced house that would 'ring alarm bells' for you? I'm keen to get as much information as I can.I don't (yet) speak Italian, so I wouldn't be able to chat to Italian neighbours at the moment. I have visited the house at around 5pm in the afternoon and, as far as I could tell from the terrace it was perfectly quiet at that time.The village where the house is has just over 300 inhabitants. I am looking - as most people are, I think - for a property that can be slighly private but definitely not cut off from civilisation. My friend over there who is Italian lives in a farmhouse in the countryside and it's nice to visit but is definitely not for mee - I would feel far too isolated. I have seen no detached houses that I could afford which are in or around the town. I know the house next door is up for sale too - I think mainly because the owner is a very old lady living by herself. It has been on the market for about a year, the same as the house I am interested in. I negotiated a good price for it - just over half the advertised price, but I had already been told that building work can be very expensive in Italy. With the renovations involved, the overall cost to bring it up to good condition would be slightly over the original asking price. The house is actually on the SP road itself - there is no front garden, just pavement - my friend has said it will be a quiet street but also admits she has never been to this village !!