Penny's activity

I'll send you an email. I have just registered as a farmer so it is very fresh in my mind!

They are usually made to measure and Pascucci in Comunanza made ours. I think they were about €80 for about 4m long but that was quite a while ago.

Ugo - those circumstances were nothing like now. Major took the UK into the pre-cursor to the Euro and it was a disaster. This time round the UK is no part of it other than the contributions it makes to the IMF, EU etc. No-one can doubt that the UK does a lot of trade with Europe but there are lots of other countries in the world with growing economies unlike Europe that the UK can trade with and unlike Italy they can (and have) down-valued their currency. The only shame is that the UK no longer produces as much as it used to so is very reliant on income from services including the financial sector. Having said all that it is the UK's debt figures that are pretty staggering and the personal debt levels are huge. Whilst the UK is seen by the markets as 'safe' then the UK can borrow at a low interest rate. If that should change then it is in serious do-do. There are not many signs of growth in the economy to help with the deficit and that is what is needed. Whether the current government are up to the job is a whole other topic. Personally I don't see Sterling going anywhere other than gaining strength against the Euro as it has done over the pas 12 months. It has been doing this whilst the Bank of England has effectively been devaluing it with Quantitive Easing. The more worrying thing has nothing to do with money and more to do with what is the social fallout from a Euro going bust? If you look at the history of Germany and the start of the 2nd world war there are some allarming parallels. I have no faith in the European parliament and the rest of them in Brussels to sort out anything. They move too slowly and are obsessed with their pet political project. At what expense?

My husband says it will depend on whether it is onto old walls or new walls (former uses more plaster) and whether it is done by hand or by machine (quicker). The price will be in your computo metrico per sqm. Otherwise you can look here: http://costi.lavorincasa.it/in/lavori-interni/intonaci/ It will give you a rough idea but obviously not the very local price.

Lovely pictures. Sad but lovely. I thought this was a more realistic take on the Italian economic situation (except where he wanders off into war stories):  http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100018656/two-steps-closer-to-growth-liberazione-and-the-italian-lira/

If it helps 40 quintale lasted Paul 2 winters in that wood-burning stove you saw. I would go for 5 but make sure you get it from someone who keeps it dry (not a problem at the moment!) otherwise you're 5 quintale would be a lot less.

Ugo - we have just been through this and your advice is contrary to that of the notary. He was quite clear that if worded correctly, then the neighbours could have 30 days to respond and if they didn't then they had missed their opportunity. It would obviously be better if they signed their rights away but in our case for exmple there were over 100 people! Ram - it's 12 months not 18 and expenses/costs have to be claimed from the original owner and not the new owner who exercised his right. I've just spent this morning translating at an atto for a couple who fell foul of this so it is very fresh in my mind.

I think it would be very difficult to get a third party in to adjudicate without offending everyone. How do you know this third party would be impartial too? If you involve a geometra you will have to pay him and he could start making claims he is involved in the project (if he is less than honest) and a whole other nightmare opens up. You really need to grab the bull by the horns and sit down with the architect. Don't attempt it via the phone/SKYPE etc etc. Nothing works so well as face-to-face negotiations. Don't be afraid to stand your ground very firmly (tears often work and sometimes shouting - even better if you are pregnant as quite often in a negotiation an Italian man finds it very difficult to refuse a pregnant woman! Or maybe that's just my experience...) but also be prepared that you will have to give some ground too. This is how every negotiation works here - everyone makes concessions and a compromise is reached. Compromise and negotiation is imprinted in most Italian's DNA so I'm sure you will get somewhere with it. I would never pay the builder in advance of what work he has done either - I am sure you are already regretting it. A bit late maybe, but there is no incentive for him to turn up is there if he already has your money plus it means you can't hold a bit back if you are unhappy with anything. Just remember that having a heated discussion/shouting match with someone does not mean you have fallen out with them so don't be too British about it

Sprostoni, you are correct but there are other circumstances where it can be invoked and they do not need to be working that piece of land necessarily so it is not always easy to tell. Think the next bit is a myth The prelazione rights can only be exercised within 12 months of the deed of sale but any other properties, not subject to prelazione are unaffected. If the owners of the property you buy notify all the neighbours who have this right, in writing by registered letter, of the price you are buying for and send a copy of the compromesso (not sure if this last bit is strictly necessary but I have only seen it done this way) then they have 30 days to respond that they want to buy it. If they just don't respond then they have lost their rights to buy it. So you can protect yourself. To be safe, get the vendor to send the letter to ALL the neighbours as it is not always easy to tell who has the rights.

When quoting for something, everything seems to go in a 'per m2 price'. The filling in of the hole left by the plumber and electrician should have been in the original quote as it was always going to need doing. I can't see why he says this is an 'extra'. The digger seems steep but they usually charge by the hour for the digger and then by the hour for the driver even if it is already onsite. However, what does your contract say?

• Does it have the agreed price in with the list of works attached?
• Did you sign one with both the architect and the builder?
• Was the builder recommended by the architect?
• When you asked the builder to do these additional works for you did he quote in writing or agree to substitute some other previously agreed job with this new one - again, in writing?

If it were me, I would sit down with the architect (who you are paying to manage the project) with the list of works, go through it item by item and note the jobs not done (and no longer required) at the original rate and add up the costs of these. I would then add up the costs of the extra works you have asked for at the rate the builder presumably supplied. See where that leaves you financially and if the extras come to more than the things you've knocked off then, get him to sort it with the builder. It is his job to do this and he is being paid to do that. In my mind it depends on how the discount was offered. Let's say the whole job price was 80,000 - did he say "if you give me the whole job I'll knock 10% off"? Or did he say "here is MY list of prices if you give me the whole job" and it came in at 72,000 - ie lower that the other guy? With the latter it is a lot easier but with the former it is a lot harder to renegotiate. If the stuff you have knocked off is more than the extra work you have given him then I think you are on dodgier ground as effectively you agreed a price for a list of works and have changed that list and he now ends up with less money at the end of the day so won't be happy. Either way your architect needs to resolve it with the builder if you are paying him to manage the project and all the changes went through him.