chris18's activity

I'm new to this forum but have found the advice very helpful.  It is true that there is a group of friends who know each other around BDL, and there is a miniscule whiff of self-importance to them, but thats all, nothing major.  In general i've found the blogs and forums very helpful indeed.BUT, I think its really important not to declaim, not to call people foolish or to suggest that they've been foolish on a public forum - we all make mistakes.  Thats going too far; all it will serve to to do is to get peoples backs up - we dont need that here, there's enough of that in everyday life.  Italy is wonderful on many levels, otherwise why would spend time there. BUT there are some serious issues with honesty and integrity in the way that some professionals and tradesmen operate; by the way I make no distinction between the two. There are some competent professionals and tradesmen, likewise there are some incompetent professionals and tradesmen, like everywhere else in the world.  I've listened to italians who freely admit that the norm is for a suitcase to be ripped off.  The previous owners of our house were percieved by the locals as suitcases, quite sad really.  They bought the house as ruin for €120k spent €250k on renovations (so spend so far €370k) and then sold it to us for a seriously lower price.  Now what gets me thinking is this - what sort of property market deteriorates to this extent, or is there another factor in play - dishonesty.  I've never seen anyhting like it, not even in the UK when prices tumbled.  It suggests to me that the previous owners were well and truly ripped off.  Either the house was not worth €120k and they were misled as to its true value or the renovations done were worth considerably less than €250k or both; either way the maths don't add up.  The only advice I would give anyone thinking of investing in property around BDL is please be careful.  Be prepared for a difficult and costly buying process.  Be careful not to need to sell your property as it may be difficult to re-sell.  As others have said, get plenty of quotes for any work done, and find out what permissions/plans etc are required and to whom they need to be submitted.  Other than that its a breeze, and if youre still solvent afterwards all the better!

AA has diesel in Lux in May 2014 equivalent of 95.68p per litre. Sounds like we'll be filling up in Lux.

i'm diesel

Yep, fill up in Lux?

I always enjoyy reading the details of your journeys, and the different routes.  We're planning to drive down to Italy in the summer and instead of sticking to the empty french motorways from Calais to Strasbourg, we're gonna go via Belgium/Lux, and save approx €50 on tolls.  I suppose if we do it both ways thats a clear €100 - not to be sniffed at really.  Would cover the cost of a meal.  From what I can see the mileage is about the same, and therefore the same diesel cost, its only the extra time going via Belgium/Lux time that becomes the issue.  I have to admit though, coming out of the Chunnel and steaming along a deserted french motorway on a sunny afternoon is quite appealing even with the tolls! 

Thanks Alan.  Knowing you stayed at this hotel is very useful, and i'll definitey check it out.How did your last trip go?  If I recall correctly you were planning a trip for earlier this year?regardsChris

Thanks Britaly i'll take a look at that - €100 for 5 people in 2 rooms sounds good to me.An Indian in the town and a nice restaurant at the hotel too.  I'll definitely check it out.

Thanks all

Indeed Gala, I just wish I was blessed with foresight instead of hindsight, but i'm probably the same as the rest of humanity in that respect.

Thanks Toscanaman and Babs.  The leak was sorted last year, and the gas was at 30% when we last left the house so it'd better be there or thereabouts. We've got access to lots of wood - we already use it in the wood burner we have, and we're planning to get a few more of them.  The woods free.  I cant say too much about the agent on a public forum, bit we inherited the agent from the previous owners.  I've heard about some of the prices that the previous owners paid for work to the house.  I can't quite make up my mind whether the agent did not advise them 'with integrity' or whether they just liked to splash the cash - probably a combination of both.  I think what will happen is that we wil take over the bill paying process which is currently handled for us by the agent, then we'll see what the future holds for the agent.  Its an evolutionary process I suspect, one which a lot of overseas home owners have had to go through in Italy, and to be fair in other countries too.  Babs I take your point entirely in relation to whether someone could be staying at the house.  I don't know wether this goes on but we always tell our agent when we are coming over.  If a house is in a remote part of Italy and there's no one around I suppose a house could be rented out without the owners knowing.