Hello all. Just wanted to introduce myself. We live in Canada and have been visiting Italy for the last few years. Got married in Siena last year. We are hoping to find some property in the next couple of years.
Hi Esme and Steve. I have to confess I have been lurking at abrozzolutely for a few months and plan on joining shortly. I know the issues that have been taking up most of the posts there lately and can not tell you how touched I was by the support shown by everyone. I did of course not know Dave but having read along, even writing now I had to stop for a few moments. I would have joined earlier but I felt that I would have been somewhat intruding at a family time. And the community there does seem to be a family. Hope to join you there soon. Mike
Thanks all for the comments. I certainly agree that there are less steep places in northern Tuscany and that Abruzzo is very similar. As you say Gala, we will take our time in finding something. We are currently planning a trip which will hopefully give us at least a week in both the Tuscany area and in Abruzzo. In checking the various property sites (Homes and Villas Abroad, Rightmove Overseas, HouseAroundItaly etc) it seems there is a lot of choice. One area in Northern Tuscany that seems to have a lot of property for sale is the Fivizzano area. Does anyone know about this area? In reference to the companies listed above, I would appreciate any advice or insights that people have experienced in their own search for property and any pitfalls to watch for. This board has already been most helpful in my research. I have read about the waste dumping problems around Bussi and this is something I would probably not have known about. Issues with residency, car ownership, house care while not there and many other things are all things we need to consider. Many Thanks
Thanks for the welcome. We are most familiar with the Siena area and the area around Milan-Verona. I agree there are many wonderful regions to choose from. We are considering northern Tuscany as it is an easy drive into France but we're not sure if the generally steep terain suits us. An area that has really caught our attention is Abruzzo around Chieti and Pescara. Close to the beaches and the mountains and a short drive to Rome Airport which we would need to fly between Italy and Canada. Unfortunately we haven't actually been there yet so we're planning a reconnaissance mission this summer. I agree with the comment about owning a car in Italy. For the first 2 or 3 years we would only be there for 4 to 6 weeks at a time so probably renting. For the future, my wife is an EU citizen and we could (from what I've read) establish residency without too much trouble. Although it still seems it will be a nightmare what with all the paperwork, working toward getting an Italian drivers license etc. I don't even want to think about it yet. Again, thanks for the welcome. Ciao
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Hi Esme and Steve. I have to confess I have been lurking at abrozzolutely for a few months and plan on joining shortly. I know the issues that have been taking up most of the posts there lately and can not tell you how touched I was by the support shown by everyone. I did of course not know Dave but having read along, even writing now I had to stop for a few moments. I would have joined earlier but I felt that I would have been somewhat intruding at a family time. And the community there does seem to be a family. Hope to join you there soon. Mike
Thanks all for the comments. I certainly agree that there are less steep places in northern Tuscany and that Abruzzo is very similar. As you say Gala, we will take our time in finding something. We are currently planning a trip which will hopefully give us at least a week in both the Tuscany area and in Abruzzo. In checking the various property sites (Homes and Villas Abroad, Rightmove Overseas, HouseAroundItaly etc) it seems there is a lot of choice. One area in Northern Tuscany that seems to have a lot of property for sale is the Fivizzano area. Does anyone know about this area? In reference to the companies listed above, I would appreciate any advice or insights that people have experienced in their own search for property and any pitfalls to watch for. This board has already been most helpful in my research. I have read about the waste dumping problems around Bussi and this is something I would probably not have known about. Issues with residency, car ownership, house care while not there and many other things are all things we need to consider. Many Thanks
Thanks for the welcome. We are most familiar with the Siena area and the area around Milan-Verona. I agree there are many wonderful regions to choose from. We are considering northern Tuscany as it is an easy drive into France but we're not sure if the generally steep terain suits us. An area that has really caught our attention is Abruzzo around Chieti and Pescara. Close to the beaches and the mountains and a short drive to Rome Airport which we would need to fly between Italy and Canada. Unfortunately we haven't actually been there yet so we're planning a reconnaissance mission this summer.
I agree with the comment about owning a car in Italy. For the first 2 or 3 years we would only be there for 4 to 6 weeks at a time so probably renting. For the future, my wife is an EU citizen and we could (from what I've read) establish residency without too much trouble. Although it still seems it will be a nightmare what with all the paperwork, working toward getting an Italian drivers license etc. I don't even want to think about it yet. Again, thanks for the welcome. Ciao