Simrose's activity

Questions Asked

Hi all, we've been in Italy for some time and realise that because all our income is in the UK, we haven't done an Italian Tax Return.Does anyone know of a good commercialista in Puglia or Basilicata that can help us -  it would help if they spoke

Tue, 10/24/2017 - 11:24

We have just brought our microchipped cat to live with us in Basilicata. In the UK his microchip details were registered with petlog. Is there an Italian equivalent?

Sat, 02/23/2013 - 12:21

I've just picked up (from the useful "Rob's satellite News" and confirmed on the BBC website), that BBC radio streams will be moving from the current Europe-wide transponder beam to the UK-only spot beam on 15th Oct.

Wed, 10/10/2012 - 06:15

I will be coming to live in Italy next year and will be applying for residency. I am thinking of buying a second hand LHD car in England and driving it down. I have seen a car for sale that already has Italian plates.

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 17:16

Are there new stricter regulations following on from the Abruzzo earthquake? our geometra has told us that it is no longer possible to rebuild existing stone walls without extensive (and expensive) additional re-inforcement.

Sat, 10/24/2009 - 10:20

Comments posted

Fri, 04/17/2015 - 17:01

Why are you so set on Tuscany?You could get so much more for your money if you look further south... The people are amazingly friendly, there are less foreigners (so locals genuinely want to help), the scenery is gorgeous and unspoilt, prices are lower , and it is the REAL rural italy,:)(British Basilicatans and proud...) 

Fri, 04/17/2015 - 16:55

Hi Kimba,We moved from UK to Basilicata some years ago and have never regretted it.  The people are amazingly friendly, the food, the climate, scenery, history.. blah blah...But - it is a very rural, traditional community - about as different from NYC as you can get ;), and you do need to be clear about visa's etc. It was easier for us as European Union citizens, but even so, arranging residency permits etc.  whas quite complex.Do you intend to work here? Unemployment is high, and getting a job (like most things down South) is about WHO you know, not WHAT you know.  Getting a network of friends and supporters is important.But don't let me put you off -  it will certainly be a challenge... and good luck!

Thu, 01/15/2015 - 11:41

... but if you want to get away from tourists, try coming down to the REAL south...  Since moving to Basilicata, we have found amazingly friendly people, astounding views, masses of history and local traditions, sea, mountains.  And don't miss Matera (European City of Culture for 2019).It is an area so overlooked (even by northern Italians!) but all the visitors that we have had here have loved the simplicity and rurality of life here.Where-ever you go, I am sure you will have a great trip.

Sun, 04/27/2014 - 13:24

Hi, so far as I am aware, utilities here are still almost entirely national monopolies, so it's ENEL for power, your local Aqcuedotto for water, Telcom for fixed line phone.  Of course, there is competition for mobile phone services.  It may be different in cities, but not down here in the rural south... :)Good Luck.

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 12:35

Hi, we are in a similar situatio, with an outbuilding used as a guest room and possibly in future for lettings. if it is a seperate building, and is furnished, it counts as seconda casa for IMU.  I did make the point that if our guest room had been upstairs in the same building, it would still be part of prima casa, but to no avail!

Answer to: Gas Prices
Tue, 02/12/2013 - 06:27

Yes, absolutely agree.   I seem to have spent much of the Autumn and winter tracking down draughts with my trusty silicon and expanding foam guns and miles of window draught-strip. It's an old house with original beams and thick stone walls - which let wind through them!  Also, unfortunately, the carpenter who did the conversion seems to have used new wood which has shrunk - the windows and doors look lovely, but are draughty (let alone the rain coming under the door in the bedroom!).  As the neighbours keep telling me -   Piano piano....

Answer to: Gas Prices
Sun, 02/10/2013 - 18:27

When we converted our house in Basilicata we were thinking of it as a holiday home with just supplementary underfloor heating in Spring and Autumn. Now I am here permenantly, I find the bombola gas supply for the central heating is costly. Even limiting use to a minimum (the living room is 16 degrees C at the moment - even with a wood stufa as well), I have used  nearly €800 worth of gas since early December, and am awaiting a refill.  Oh well, this year was intended to be "prova".  Now looking at a pellet stufa for next year!

Tue, 11/20/2012 - 14:32

Hi Karen, We are in Nova siri -  the other end of Basilicata to you - and we drove down in March. We chose to not try blatting down non-stop, but to make it part of the holiday. It was just over 1500 miles. I looked at various options and in the end: 1. left Midlands at about 1530, to Dover for 1830 Eurotunnel, through to Lille, overnight in the Campanile (cheap and cheerful) 2. Lille, Luxemburg, France into Switzerland at Basle, stayed at a nice hotel very near the St Gottard tunnel. (You do need a Swiss motorway carnet - €40) 3. Through the tunnel, down around Milan on the A1, onto the A14 and down to Urbino, where we had time for site-seeing and nice dinner. 4. More siteseeing before heading back down the A14. We came off at Foggia and crossed to Venosa, because we wanted to stay the night there. 5. Couple of hours from Venosa to Nova Siri -  time to do some shopping and open up the house in daylight. My car is on a 12 month Green Card through Stuart Collins and I'm about to start the process of registering it in Italy. Do PM me if you would like more detail. (There can't be many fellow Lucanian Brits!) Best wishes and good luck in your planning.  Simon

Tue, 10/16/2012 - 14:33

We are in Basilicata, so I haven't tried getting the main TV channels, which are on the UK only beam.  With a big dish you can, apparently, get a signal in the north of Italy.  But the radio channels were on the wider south transponder beam, which should only need a 60cm dish here , but the BBC have moved them. It seems that all that is left on the Astra south beam are things I am not interested in - shopping, religious and "adult". Ahh well!

Wed, 10/10/2012 - 13:16

Hi, Brianm. I wish... but we are another 800km further south, and from the reports I've read would be into 3m or even 4m dishes... which on a very windy hilltop setting would be problematic.  Ah well, just have to improve my Italian so that RAI radio becomes the new radio 4 (joke?).