As soon as we sold our apartment, we began to look on-line, not that I hadn’t been, you understand, but now we would want to visit them. This is easier said than done in Italy. It is so hard to get across the different mindsets and work ethics in Italy to my fellow Americans. My Italian friends will understand 😁. They never return emails. If you don’t speak Italian well you can’t really call.
You find a house you like on one of the big three consolidator websites (idealista.it, immobiliare.it, and casa.it) who list houses for many realtors. They have a link to send a message. So you do, expecting an answer. Hah! I have found the best way to get them to reply is to go directly to their website or facebook page and find a phone number that you can use on WhatsApp. Italians have fully embraced WhatsApp. This doesn’t always work. So, I enlisted the help of our agent who had listed our apartment.
I now have appointments! Or I have received replies, at least. Today we saw the only one I have found in Umbertide that fits our requirements. [Later on this.] We also have three, maybe four to see in Foligno, two weeks from now. I bet most haven’t heard of this town. It’s a good town. Right on the main rail line. It is flat with a nice Centro Storico and a lots of events, no torusits. And I FINALLY heard from the realtor in Spoleto. He has two I want to see. In the next three weeks we should have a good number to think about.
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As for today, our first viewing. We do love Umbertide, and we would stay with the right place. This one is outside centro but only about a 10 minute walk, so I could still enjoy the Umbertide markets, if not quite as conveniently. But it IS very convenient to other things. An easy walk to the Coop big grocery. Near the Egyptian food stand (see previous posts), a great butcher, and pasticceria (fresh pasta shop) and a rosticceria (prepared foods). Above our favorite pet shop! 😂 It really has all we would want. It is big, and has an amazing terrace that is completely cat-proofed (the owners have cats), so they can’t get away. Also screens in all the windows. It is the top two floors with elevator and is very private. 190 square meters or about 2,100 square feet (considered very large here). Two gigantic garages, with storage, wine cellar, etc. The kitchen, which is important to me, could use a little something. Otherwise it is move-in ready. The kitchen is well equipped but small and divided with a wall from the little eating area. The refrigerator is in the eating area. If the wall were not there (why a wall!?) then the room would be nicer with room for a nice frig. That would be my one change. Here are a few pictures. There are more but this is good enough for now.
It is a first class property with security systems and irrigation of the plants. Cat friendly would be great for our boys.
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But I must reserve this one so I can see the rest. I am not so sure Luther liked it as much as I did. Stay tuned. I am hoping to see the next two in Spoleto next week. 🤞
Hi LeeRyan,
Having the frig outside the kitchen is common here. In our present house it was also, when we bought. Because the kitchens are tiny. I’ve always wondered, for a culture so food oriented, why such tiny kitchens? But the frigs are TINY too! But they do. They hide them off in a corner. Not to be seen. Unlike the tendency in the US to have open plan kitchens. That little frig would have to go because if the wall is removed, then that will be one room and the refrigerator would be where that cabinet is. It’s the only place that I see. But this is all just dreaming for now!
Love reading your posts. I was excited, with you, as you told of your first viewing, but kept waiting…waiting for the other shoe to drop…something that made it totally uninhabitable. Ah, but no, it looks good. Totally agree about the frig in the dining area. Maybe good for white wine, soda, water, so that it’s handy, but in general, very odd.
Hi Melissa, the terrace is it’s best thing. It is huge and with that outside kitchen. Even a shower! The rhododendrons were gorgeous! And they have a good sized olive tree up there!
Hi Rosemarie. Yes that makes me sad. Can’t be helped though. Nothing that doesn’t have a ton of stairs in the Centro.
Hi Liz, it will be a journey! It is a couple blocks from a middle school. But on the top two floors so it is high up. I didn’t hear any dogs. They have the prettiest Bengal cat. They must have spent a fortune making the terrace escape proof. Good for us though. No need to worry and could let the boys come and go.
We have Phil. I like Arezzo. I never found anything that meets our requirements which are pretty stringent and hard to find in a Centro. We need an elevator or no/few stairs and a big enough outside space. These two things alone let out 98% of the things I find in the Centro of any town. Also it is a little too big for my liking.
Ooh-The terrace is lovely! Good luck with the search!
I love it. And if you moved I would miss Bar Mary’s and the markets and all those colorful events that take place in the plaza💜
I am looking forward to following your home hunting. This looks lovely. It would be nice to be on the direct rail line though. I guess the thing to watch out for (at least if you live in Toronto) is not to be too close to schools or someone with a barking German Shepherd. The terrace looks really amazing. The boyz would love it.
Hello Nancy. Have you thought about Arezzo? There are some nice appartments in the centre of town. Convenient for Florence, Siena and the Tuscan coast. Your Tuscan year food writer still lives there I think.
Hi Allen, not sure what you mean. It is down the road a ways from the middle school.
Nancy, Is that just before the school being rebuilt?