So you want to renovate an Italian farmhouse …are you nuts?
Today we put a deposit on our house which is about 3 kms out of the town of Gambasca, Piemonte. It is straight up a road that in some spots reminds me of Lombard St (the very crooked road in San Francisco). Are we nuts? Most certainly. Do we want to renovate this rustic farmhouse in the mountains? More than anything! We could hardly contain our delight when we drive up the mountain road with the agent. Sam knows I love it already and no matter what it looks like inside it is ours from that first moment.
The further up the mountain we drive the thicker the forest gets. At our first visit it was cool, deep green with dappled light. Our farmhouse is off the road to the right, down a bumpy driveway usually draped in the local dogs and cats. They always move out of the way with seeming annoyance for daring to disturb them.
The two cats think they are dogs and one time I found Smokie the cat curled up on a chair (that’s her in the photo) with Smarties the puppy. When we turn the corner my jaw drops, this is it, the rustico part of the borgata which is overgrown with weeds and deserted when we moved in.
On our first day all I could think of were a three year old and a one year old toddling around here. Snakes hmmm no idea? Mine shafts, wells, a Mothers mind goes into overdrive.
What are we going to tell the parents home in Australia? We now own a part of history, dirt floors, vaulted ceilings, rock roof, no windows, and totally isolated (believe me that’s how it felt on the first night). Time to renovate!
Thank you for your site. I’ve enjoyed reading about your projects.
I am close to making an offer on an old stone farmhouse in Tuscany. I have a geometra doing an inspection tomorrow and also met with an architect today.
My plan had been much like yours, to do most of the renovation work myself. I have experience with home remodeling, wiring and some plumbing. But the architect scared the crap out of me today. Saying that no remodeling work can be done in italy with our licensed professionals. If the local officials, carabinieri, nosy neighbors, or anyone sees me doing work myself, I can be fined (substantially).
If this is true, the cost of my little dream probably went up 500,000 euros.
Do you have any experiences with this? Do you have plans drawn up for all your projects by a geometra, engineer, or architect and then filed with the commune before starting and again at completion? If not, how to you manage not having all your work classified as ‘irregular’?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Michael
Ciao Michael, this might be a question better answered privatley, you can email us directly at admin@renovatingitaly.com
look forward to hearing from you
Sam
I’m so happy to have stumbled on to your blog! I absolutely love Italy, both my parents were born there. Visited many times, and going back again this September/October for 2 weeks.
Looking forward to catching up on your blog…starting at the beginning!
Ciao 🙂
Oh Ciao Angela and great to meet you.
My husband Sam’s parents were born in Italy, where are you traveling to in September October, it’s a beautiful time to visit.
ciao ciao and look forward to getting to know you better. xx
hi guys we are coming to italy late aug to late sept…we will be visiting you sometime inbetween!
Hey mills you have to learn to email xx
lucky we saw this lol xx
can’t wait to see you again x
Hi Lisa
Wasn’t this house the first one you restored? That was 3 years ago, right?
I am totally confused by your renovation projects . lol
🙂
Rose
Hi Rosaly, Yes you are right, the house in Gambasca is the first house we renovated, we sold
this and have now bought a house in Liguria. We move there in May 2011, I am blogging
about both experiences and about life in Italy. Hope you are no longer confused.
ciao Lisa
Very very cool and inspiring! Bring it on
Grazie Beth, very very cool just like you!
with love
lisa x
I fall a little more in love with your house with every picture you post.
as do I dear Toni! ciao lisa