Antinello's activity

Good info, thanks Will check with the Comune

Thanks for this Alan Will give it a go and report back!

 Are there plans to fix this problem Mr Administrator?

If there is a risk that the 18 months will be up before the residency is granted and/or you don't feel like doing the UK paperwork, I would suggest buying the 180Euro private cover in Italy and submitting that to the Comune as Health Cover. Of course you would want to get the agent to give you an outline of the policy and double check your Comune will accept before actually buying.

There are some forms the Anagrafe can provide that you have to complete with data on occupants etc (you need to provide a bank statement with 5000 Euros plus in the account) but the most problematic issue is the health insurance. E-111 etc is not accepted and Comunes seem to differ on what type of Italian private health cover is acceptable (comprehensive, emergency only etc). In the end we found an agent in Rome who sold us a policy at a reasonable price specifically designed for foreigners applying for residency (see details at end of thread below) Good luck!  http://www.italymag.co.uk/community/post/type-medical-insurance-required-foreign-residents

One other approach is using a pool robot. These are pretty expensive to buy but we rented one for a few days through our pool 'professional' this summer (15 Euros a day) and they work a treat for getting green algae off the side.  You will still need to shock the pool to get the water clear. Barbie & Ken - try not to bite our heads off if you don't agree with robots... Antinello

 Most areas seem to have a pool service centre who will typically charge 3-400 Euros to "open' your pool at the beginning of the season and the same to 'close' at the end.  Depending on the size of the pool they should be able to supply with enough chemicals to last through the summer for about 500 Euros. We are going to attempt to open the pool ourselves next year and we closed it ourselves this time (bought some winter chemicals from Leroy Merlin, threw them in and put the winter cover on). To clear a green pool needs a lot of chlorine (powder form) and you will probably need to 'superchlorinate' it a few times before the algae disappears. It's simple enough - just throw a load of chlorine into the water and leave the filter running overnight. You shouldn't go in the water for 24 hrs and check the chlorine levels are safe before swimming or adding further chlorine. You also need to make sure there is always a chlorine block in the skimmer at all times and also get some good anti-algae chemicals that you can add every couple of weeks. PH levels need to be within the recommended range otherwise the chemicals don't work (testing kits test for PH and chlorine levels). There is quite a science to keeping pool water clean (the 1st year for us was a disaster). The trick is to keep on top of it and not wait for the water to go green before acting.

Cherry trees also do really well down in Umbria. The white blossom looks stunning when it forms during early April.Not wanting to rub it in in any way but the gardening season is just kicking off here in the Gulf - tomatoes (Sun Master), passion flowers and morning glory and are coming along and the hibiscuses are coming back into flower.  Still I would love to be there in the wintery Italian landscape burning leaves...sounds great.Antinello

Thanks for the info. Sabina is a stunning region.We're not that far north of you (Southern tip of Umbria). Can provide the exact location of the ski resort you mention?Antinello

All,Thanks for your responses on this.We own the land the road is on and it leads to a plot with a ruined farmhouse (which we don't own) through which we have access to our lower olive grove. So this is a private easement and therefore not the Comune's responsibility. The road was built in 1994 by the owner of the ruin and is not in bad shape. It appears to have proper drainage etc and probably just needs resurfacing as opposed to completely rebuilding. The easement is so steep that even with a perfect white road I am pretty sure it would not be impossible to drive a normal car up and down there. A local farmer who looks after our land below uses a tractor and has to take it slow going down... The owner of the ruin is hinting that it needs to be 'repaired', will be expensive and and that we should pay 50% of the cost. Is this the normal process in the absence of deeds that clearly state who is responsible for maintenance?Will certainly keep you updated re actual costs.Antinello