What of your plans/views changed after you bought

Before we bought here, we thought we would buy, have a swimming pool, tour Italy, sit around in bar and café, go to nice Italian restaurants and sun bathe in between all that and doing the gardens…
 
So, what did we end up doing? No swimming pool as they are far too much trouble and expense, apart from which we have no time to do so unless we have guests… Tour Italy, well we got as far as the other side of our region last year, oh apart from an enforced trip to Rome to get back to the UK… We have found few or no decent restaurants that suit our tastes, but most importantly can half match our own food (it’s of course the ingredients that do it – so said, but I know it’s the copious and easily available superb vino as well). That leaves the sun bathing; well work that one out for your good selves, but anyone insisting I will reveal all…   

We never wanted a swimming pool, as too much extra to look after, plus the maintenance costs. We just have the pond with the frogs, newts and vipers  
Did not want olive trees, vines or any other work intensive agricultural things, so in that way we think we worked it just right. Have even taken the orto out, as just not worth the effort with the heavy clay soil. Just herbs in pots now.
Tour Italy, a few places in the beginning, but not much now, as in the end it all starts to look similar.
Restaurants, do not want to start on those!! I think we only have been out to about 4 restaurants this year. Wines, you do have to look around, as there are many that are overpriced and very watery. We like a heavy red to go with dinner and a light white at lunch. 
My sunbathing is sitting on the mower cutting the grass

Geotherm wrote: My sunbathing is sitting on the mower cutting the grass

conjures up some picture that one, I dare not say who I see on the back...   

Much more positive here!  

Our dreams are pretty much fulfilled.  We do have a swimming pool which is much used by both our guests and us.  And nothing gives us more pleasure than, after a good clean, having the water clear and sparkling.

We are lucky to have a number of local restaurants offering both excellent food and reasonable prices.  And we spend a fair amount of time sitting around in bars and cafes, usually when we're at a market.  We have a number of olive trees, which require little work, but no vines etc.

Because we normally have our dogs with us visiting other parts of Italy has not been that easy.  However we flew (without dogs!) down south recently and had a magic few days on the Amalfi coast and in Naples.  Florence, Pisa, Genova, Parma and Milan are all reasonably close to where we live.  Rome is next on our list (having already been to Venice).

BTW.  I hate sun bathing!

I'm with you ghiro.  A few olives and vines but for "bellezza" only.  Swimming pool small but well-used : open from May to September.  OH's meditative start to the day is hoovering the bottom with a contraption of his own devising!

No dogs so can travel, though work currently prevents extended trips we've certainly explored our own and neighbouring regions and still lots more to do.  Roll on retirement!

Our plans have changed a few times ever since we bought our place six years ago. Family circumstances have also been altered; however, we are flexible and we adapt to any situation. We enjoy our trips from and back to Spain, stop in different places along the route, while in Italy we always spend about a week in different regions, either exploring or revisiting places.  We travel by car with our little dog who is an experienced traveller and seems to enjoy going places. I could sum it up as "carpe diem". Plans do change; however, we must enjoy the present.

If I were to set out. in my mind's eye, what I thought life might be like in Italy (as a non resident) it would pretty much conform to those of stevewmonkseaton's  (do you mind if in future I just refer to you as Steve?  I know we've not been introduced but I'm a very lazy typist).  

Anyway, I certainly envisaged hanging out in caffès and bars and eating in restaurants (which we do) and sunbathing at the beach, which we do (never really wanted a pool) and travel (which we do a bit) but I also envisaged endless visits to museums, galleries, and theatre and opera and that we don't do so much.  Our area isn't over endowed with these venues and travel back and forth to Florence, which we thought would be close at 90 minutes by car, either makes a long day by car or an incomplete day by train.  Same goes for trips to Parma or Genoa.  They are certainly doable (and we do them) but it's not like getting on the underground and nipping in to town to see a show.  

So we've concluded that the only way to properly see more of the country is to plan separate trips to areas that interest us.  And now that we're getting close to finishing all the major work on our house, we will probably do more of it.  

I think I underestimated just how important it would be to have somewhere to go to with fewer grey cloudy skies than we have too often in Britain and when we go to Italy now, I find I am quite happy just to sit on my sunny terrace with a nice glass of wine and a book or a jigsaw puzzle.

After reading post on another forum and seeing the hassle ... I some times wonder about ever posting again... However, skin is so tough now I don't need the snowboard... You can call me what you will carciofo, many do!!!

I think I underestimated just how important it would be to have somewhere to go to with fewer grey cloudy skies than we have too often in Britain and when we go to Italy now, I find I am quite happy just to sit on my sunny terrace with a nice glass of wine and a book or a jigsaw puzzle.

Not too sure about the jigsaw, but the rest, along with superb food is heaven!!!

Just remember 'Life is what you make it', you can do what you wish so if sitting at home having a glass of wine on your terrace or gong to a late night club and partying till dawn is what you want, then go for it. Don't be swayed by others 'Italian Dream' you have the right to live as you want. As Gala says ''Carpe Diem".......

Flip wrote:Just remember 'Life is what you make it', you can do what you wish so if sitting at home having a glass of wine on your terrace or gong to a late night club and partying till dawn is what you want, then go for it. Don't be swayed by others 'Italian Dream' you have the right to live as you want. As Gala says ''Carpe Diem".......

.. well the above is too true and who knows...

I didn't have specific plans when buying my holiday home. Just wanted a massive adventure that would last us until we are too infirm to travel, in a country we had fallen in love with. Not being rich I was worried that I wouldn't be able to spend several weeks/months a year there when retired if I had to pay for accommodation. I also wanted to be a part of a real Italian community and am thrilled that we are so welcomed by the locals. We do some touristy stuff but I love being outside a tourist area. If we want to go to a specific event or explore somewhere farther away when we are there, it's so easy to just go for a couple of night's B&B and experience a different area. We never know what to expect when we go as new things always seem to happen. I just worry that one day we really will be too infirm to make the journey.

The reason I posted this was my surprise at how we changed over time and to get other peoples experience, as well as our own, to pass on to anyone looking to buy... Perhaps what I failed to add in my original post was how superb life here is and that I/we would not change a thing.... I'm also very grateful to those that have shared their experience as not only will it help others to come, it's helped us reflect and remember even more.. Oh and just how lucky we are to be here...

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:The reason I posted this was my surprise at how we changed over time and to get other peoples experience, as well as our own, to pass on to anyone looking to buy... Perhaps what I failed to add in my original post was how superb life here is and that I/we would not change a thing.... I'm also very grateful to those that have shared their experience as not only will it help others to come, it's helped us reflect and remember even more.. Oh and just how lucky we are to be here...

What I think you're saying Steve is:
'If you have a dream then follow it.  Over time the detail of your dream may change, but that really doesn't matter.  What does matter is that if you don't have the courage to follow your dream you will have the rest of your life to regret it'.

Close?

What I think you're saying Steve is:
'If you have a dream then follow it.  Over time the detail of your dream may change, but that really doesn't matter. Correct, so more than close
What does matter is that if you don't have the courage to follow your dream you will have the rest of your life to regret it'. I would hope I would never put such pressure on anyone... so not this bit..    

We're not in situ yet but our plans have certainly changed along the way.  We bought a plot of land with a view to building a new house and restoring the rustico on it back in May 2010.  9 months later our neighbour declared an interest in exercising his right to buy through rights of first refusal (prelazione).  Something we'd never heard of despite having bought our land through an italian lawyer so every i was dotted and t was crossed so we thought.  We could have fought him through the courts as he had a very weak case - however the thought of a 10 year fight as gutsy as we are wasn't for us - and who would want to live next to someone like him (he'd verbally turned down the offer to buy it)  We also could have sued our lawyer (but chances of winning????) And we also could have sued the old guy who sold it to us in the first place but decided not to - he was in ill health and sadly died last year…………
Not an ideal situation to say the least but it made us really look at what we were doing - beautiful plot with the most amazing views but a 15 minute drive to our local town.  Neither of us will drink and drive and with no taxis a problem for when we go out to eat/socilaise etc.  In the middle of nowhere so potentially lonely.  Building a large house with pool/gym etc etc - did we really need that with only the 2 of us - and we'd have had a fairly big mortgage to complete the works………..so plan B
Once our land went to our neighbour (he had to pay us what we bought it for) we bought a house down in the town which is currently being renovated as I type.  We also bought an apartment in the UK so we have a bolt hole if we need it and if there's anything left over we'll buy a small plot of land with olives etc and a a ramshackled rustico to restore.
So yes most things changed - however for the better - given what our restoration is costing us we'd have been mortgaged up to the hilt and some and would therefore have had NO life as we'd have probably had to work until our 90's to repay it.  The locals have been amazing as they were horrified but what happened (our neighbour on the land is from Milan not local) and our house suits our lifestyle.  Flexibility and a positive attitude is order of the day

DV, sounds like a nice happy ending, hope all continues to go well... Just as a matter of interest we have had the opportunity twice to get involved/buy olives from people who no longer want to do the work, mainly because they are simply getting too old. However, as much as we loved picking for 3 different people this year, we don't feel we could commit to doing it every year... So there will be opportunities I'm sure to get some land near by... Just be careful when buying, better still rent first...

Wow! Amazing that you came out of that with your love of Italy still intact dolce!  And what excellent advice on dealing positively with such a negative start.

I think we'll end up doing that by default Steve - with such a limited budget after the renovation we've got to get a bargain - we don't want loads of land just enough for it to be something to enjoy rather than a burden.  We have several friends who I know will appreciate the help next harvest time by which we'll still be renovating (but living there whereas at the moment we can't as there's no plumbing/electrics etc) and we won't buy anything till this project is complete and we know what we have left - or not as the case may well be!!!

Well, my wants and thought for a house have changed many times since I first started looking in Italy with my ex-husband 12 years ago.

We wanted a big house in the country with not too much land and planned to have it renovated. Well, he was very, very fussy and we looked at over 80 and we bought a huge house with 11 hectares (we only found out it had 11 hectares at the atto - no-one had mentioned it). In the meantime the exchange rate between compromesso and atto had gone from a lovely 1.65 to around 1.48 - gulp - pretty much demolishing our renovation budget. The ex had to do the work himself so registered as a builder to do it.
Our plan was to open a boarding kennels for dogs and cattery. Of course plans change and like so many people coming to Italy we were probably hoping a new life would be a new start. Sadly not and we divorced. He bought my share of the house, now lives in the UK with his 2 kids and it was all incredible amicable. The house is still part-renovated and we sold off all but 1 hectare of land as the work to keep the land 'safe', i.e. properly drained and not a fire risk, was too much for us and we never wanted to be farmers.
I bought a little one bedroom renovated house with my share of the house proceeds which had another part to restore. The plan was to renovate the older part to live in and rent the little house out. This time I bought in town.
Then life took another turn and I met an English guy here in Italy, we fell in love, got married and had a baby so my wants for a house/life changed again. We obviously couldn't stay in a one-bedroom house for too long (the other part never got renovated by me) and after 7 years + in Marche we were a little bored and yearning for a bit more life and somethign more cosmopolitan for our daughter. If it had just been the two of us we'd have probably bought an old palazzo in the mountains to renovate and travelled more but having kids makes you look at things differently I guess. 
Off we went again to Liguria. Having already run a couple of businesses in Italy we had figured out the easiest (ie least hassle) way to have an income is to rent property we looked for a plot where we could open an agriturismo. We'd already visited the hinterland of Imperia and Bordighera on a flying visit and I loved it. We did some research, found our olive farm and after a long complicated period where we nearly lost it, finally bought it last year. We'll start renovating (on our ridiculously tiny budget) next year. We'll start the olive harvest soon too. Our first big one. We did a small one just for the experience last year.
So, all in all a very circuitous route to Liguria and my current life. It is all psoitive though and we're really happy here and it's great to have everything on your doorstep (well, relatively) once again. We were very lucky in that Apricale has turned out to be a wonderful place - full of life and young people which for a hilltop town with 500-ish residents is rare.
I reckon the opening of the agriturismo in a small way will be in 2016 and it'll be a 10 year project to completion (if you ever finish a renovation, which I seriously doubt!).

Incredible experiences and so much in them for people to learn from... Thank you...

We wanted a lot more land than we have (just under 1HA), but boy are we glad we did not end up with more.... Just to maintain that amount is a job and a half. We are on to our second strimmer and use the chainsaw we thought we really did not use, all of the time... (despite it's great danger). Of course it depends on the state and lay of the land when you buy. Ours was totally over run and very steep on one side, little less on the other and partly flat in the middle. Now it's looking a lot better, but still way, way off sorted... To get it sorted is a massive amount of physical work and costly, something to remember if buying...

Physical work….my husband is very up for that as he has a very physical job here in the UK - he's a cabinet maker and wants to remain fit - hard physical work thankfully doesn't scare him - me that's another story - I'd rather workout in a gym.   Cost is another story and being able to enjoy life too - so at one time we'd have been looking for a large area of land but like you've said Steve we don't want it to become a burden.  When we move next Spring we want to be able to enjoy our time in Italy rather than stressing about everything that HAS to be done.  Finishing our townhouse HAS to be done but a small plot of land will have certain things that HAVE to be done but will be easier to manage than something that's way too big for us.  So being able to go the beach/walking in the hills/skiing/spending time with family and friends can all be fitted in comfortably rather than being squeezed in as and when.  
All sounds very ideal I know and it would be interesting to revisit this in a couple of years time to see how everything has panned out 

Our timeline to move was in an "ideal world" 18 months ago - however with everything that happened with our land and the financial crisis it was a no - go.  Plus my daughter would still have been at uni - and whilst she would have had us go 5 years ago it would have been somewhat impractical and emotionally tough for us all.  So our timeline will be pushed back a couple of years.  How fantastic Casa Monai to have been able to bring it forwards - perfecto.

Casa Monal wrote:The difference between a dream and a plan is a timeline so we’ve moved our timeline forward:D We have no expectations, so we can’t be disappointed. Our dream is to do as little as possible, so that’s our plan:bounce: 

... yes we had a timeline as well, hated it, but needed it when buying. All was slow, easy and well under control until our offer was accepted. Then we were pushed by circumstance, not least that mentioned by Admin of moving currency values. It was aslo the time all those "oh it's easy" matters came out of the woodwork to being not so easy! However it was a short spell (Oct - Mar) and all turned out fine in the end. We too would go as soon as we could, obstacles that we thought were, we found we could get around. It was getting over the fear and doubt of the "big and potentially costly move" that we really needed to conquer.