BUYING WITH PROPERTIES IN ITALY - SATISFIED CLIENTS

A property on La Giudecca!

The beauty of Venice has enthralled my husband for many years, yet he still had to experience seeing the City during both 'l'acqua alta' and in the haunting fog that comes during cooler climes. We finally came to the decision to purchase a property in 2007 but it was not until 'La Dolce Vita' exhibition at Olympia, during 2008, that we met Andrea Redivo Zaglia from Properties in Italy, and the process began. I was quite nervous about the whole procedure as I had read and been told by many people that buying property in Italy was a difficult and lengthy process, filled with many unexpected pitfalls, 'red-tape' complications and hidden costs. Our requirements were to purchase a 2-bedroomed property on La Guidecca and one that did not require a great deal of maintenance. We had no plans to rent the property but wanted something that we could us a base for exploring Italy and 'lock-up and leave', without thinking about it between visits. Following our brief meeting, Andrea sent us some properties, by e-mail, to consider viewing. Within a few weeks, we flew out to Venice and spent one day with Andrea, viewing 6 or 7 properties. It was not difficult to weed out those that did not interest us and we made a very quick decision. The selection of properties were varied enough to clarify our thoughts and we selected the first apartment that we had viewed that day. The purchase itself was made incredibly easy, both by Andrea and Massimiliano. Massimiliano patiently translated into English any legal documents, including the rather long purchase contract, and explained all pertinent matters to us. It took only 3-4 months from the initial agreement to the equivalent of 'exchange of contracts'. Andrea and Massimiliano organised all the contractors that we required for painting and electrical work, even for hanging pictures and mirrors. Andrea even offered to drive a friend and I to Ikea, in Padova, and waited for several hours whilst we deliberated over various bathroom furnishings. The entire process was made so incredibly easy and stress-free that I cannot speak highly enough of Andrea, Massimiliano and their network. They deserve high praise! Being based in the U.K., I greatly prized the efficiency of communication. The ability to pick up the telephone or type e-mail at any time and know that we would receive an immediate response, to resolve any worries or organise any additional requirements, was quite wonderful. We were treated with courtesy, professionalism and patience throughout the process and a great deal of kindness and understanding. We are both extremely happy with the wonderful service that we have received and continue to receive through Andrea's willingness to assist with any problems and the open lines of communication that we continue to enjoy. When the time comes to purchase another property in Italy, we will, without hesitation, ask Andrea to help us.

Gillian and Ton Tjia - Surrey, England

OUR LIFE IN THE VENETO

Rebecca Bancroft from Manchester owns a conjoined pair of two-bedroom houses in the Euganean Hills of the southern Veneto. She and her partner make regular visits to one house and rent the other to a long-term tenant. "We love everything about Italy - the food, the climate, the people," she says. "We decided on buying in the Veneto because there were direct flights from Manchester to Venice. I was thinking about Asolo in the north of the region. Then we met Andrea Zaglia from Properties in Italy at the Viva Italia show in London, and he told us 'Asolo is very nice, but you're going to love the Euganean Hills.' So I said let's have a look. He arranged a weekend for us, drove us around the hills and we just fell in love with them. Asolo is beautiful, but the area around it is very industrial - whereas the Euganean Hills are a large, unspoilt area full of beautiful villages. "A friend who'd bought a house abroad advised me to make a list of five criteria and stick to them, rather than falling in love with a property and buying it even though it didn't tick all the boxes. It was good advice, but I ended up buying this wonderful terraced house when I had always said I wanted something detached! It's split down the middle into two homes. The German couple who had owned it before us had beautifully restored it. It works out brilliantly having a tenant in one half because there's constantly someone there to keep an eye on things, and we've got rental income. "When I think about our whole experience of buying in Italy, sometimes I have to pinch myself. Nothing went wrong. And to have found an area so beautiful that we've never even heard of is incredible. Andrea and his colleague Max have gone above and beyond what you'd expect an estate agent to do for you. If there's a problem, say with the heating, they'll find us someone local to deal with it - all for no further expense. We've constantly been surprised by how wonderful they've been. "The climate is obviously warmer and sunnier than in England. We went out for Easter this year and were eating lunch outside even then. Humidity's not a problem because you're in the hills. It's sort of a microclimate. The weather's very different to Venice. The greenness in spring is incredible. It's nice that we've only heard English spoken there once and German once. We tell Andrea 'you must stop trying to get people to come here!' We want the hills to remain a secret, but there is a trickle of people coming in. I think the area has as much to offer as any part of Italy."

Lisa and Rebecca

Location, Location, Location………..or The Persuasion of Properties in Italy!

Having been regular visitors to Venice for about twenty years, we decided one sunny afternoon, over a glass of grappa in the Campo San Polo, that it was time to look for a flat of our own. This was 2004 and it was to take until January 2007 to achieve our goal. Buying in Venice is not easy, especially when we firmly stipulated that 'our' flat simply had to be in Dorsodoro and preferably as near to Campo San Barnaba as possible! Following up a small advertisement in one of my Italian magazines, we met up with first Max and then Andrea and viewed many flats together over the months, efficiently guided and advised, but nothing was just right……….. By now it was May 2006, when an e-mail from Andrea arrived, suggesting a flat to be completely restored and fitted out, but - oh dear - not in Dorsodoro! However, trusting his intuition, we were there two days later in an utterly peaceful Corte, three minutes from the Rialto Bridge, five from the Market, ten from St. Mark's, ten from the Station, ten from the Fondamenta Nuove….what a position, as our guests constantly remark! Amongst the rubble, we had to imagine the exposed beams and restored terrazzo flooring and how we would make it 'tipico' but we decided to go ahead, soon getting a feel for the area with its small specialist shops, cafes and restaurants where you soon become known and where everything really is 'just round the corner'. The purchase was not without its problems, but Andrea and Max worked hard and conscientiously in our interests and most certainly have done so ever since. Lettings have proved very good indeed, through an Italian agent, an English one and business and personal contacts. 'Properties in Italy' are courteous and capable and I thoroughly recommend them.

Jane MacInnes - August 2008

For more information about Ca' Amadi or to reserve it for your holidays in Venice, visit www.veniceholidayrental.com.

Ca' Amadi - the 'campo'	kitchen
interiors	attic

Mark and Deborah Rusconi, from California to 'La Serenissima'.

Vacations to visit family in Europe inevitably ended with a stay in Venice. After a hectic schedule we deeply appreciated its aesthetic and serenity. So it was that we found ourselves craving a small place of our own to use whenever we wanted, and to rent out when vacant. Having stayed in impersonal hotels and sub-par apartments, we relished the idea of somewhere that offered all the comforts of home, but at an affordable price! Venice real-estate can be prohibitively expensive, and apartment viewing with other estate agents certainly bore this out. What is more, the idea of trying to coordinate a renovation from such a long distance left us with a feeling of hopelessness. We practically gave up on the idea altogether! Enter "Properties in Italy". We found their website purely by chance one day, and there, featured in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood, was 'our' apartment! Consisting of the top two floors in a tiny building overlooking the Rio de San Sebastian, we instantly knew that this was 'the one'! An e-mail was dispatched forthwith to Andrea Redivo Zaglia, who promptly responded, and soon phone calls were flying across the Atlantic on a daily basis to both him and Massimiliano De Benetti. References from previous satisfied clients were supplied, to allay any fears we had forging ahead with what might be considered a reckless proposition! Max is a mine of information concerning all aspects of property law, and when our offer on the (as yet unseen!) apartment was accepted he immediately began preparing all the necessary documents. Three weeks later we were in Venice, meeting with Andrea for the first time, and being shown what we hoped would become our new apartment. Located two doors down from the Chiesa San Sebastiano, and with a view onto the bustling canal, it more than met with our approval! Most importantly, with "Properties in Italy's" continuing help, it offered us the chance to transform it into something that was truly ours! The official signing and transfer of ownership took place in Padova several days later, followed by a celebratory dinner, and copious amounts of Prosecco, with all concerned! Our new apartment is now in the throes of being redesigned, thanks in large part to Giancarlo Trentin, "Properties in Italy's" engineer, whose expertise is proving invaluable. Max is handling all our renovation application paperwork, attending various meetings on our behalf, and keeping us updated on all the latest news. And, Andrea has been conscientiously dealing with all the necessary issues concerning setting up bank accounts, filing taxes on our behalf, and dealing with any questions we might have. What once seemed like an impossibility is now coming to fruition. "Properties in Italy" has given us the chance to realize our dream, but most importantly, we feel we have made 3 great friends in Andrea, Max and Giancarlo.

We are eternally grateful to them!

Mark and Deborah Rusconi, California USA

Deborah and Mark Rusconi	The property before restoration

Peter and Phyllis Davies achieve their dream in Venice.

We've been regular visitors to Venice for many years as tourists but also because Phyllis is a painter and the city has been the inspiration for much of her work. As she said in a recent exhibition catalogue "although my work is varied, it is to Venice that I return again and again. The light, the pattern, the vibrancy and vitality of the city leave their mark on anyone who visits". So it's no surprise that we've often toyed with the idea of buying our own apartment. But it always seemed so full of unknowns. Could we control the costs of buying? Who would be checking all the legal work? What would the running costs be? How could we arrange and supervise any building work? How would we register for local taxation and utilities? What's a codice fiscale and how do you get one? Etc etc. We visited a few local estate agents and, frankly, were unimpressed. We also heard cautionary stories from other second-homers that had received a basic service but then had been left to fend for themselves after the purchase was completed. And then happily we met Properties in Italy at the La Dolce Vita show in March 2007! Immediately we felt that we were getting clear answers from a team that was attentive and seriously customer-focussed. Over the next couple of months we followed up by email with other questions. Buying in a foreign country involves putting a lot of trust in your local agents and we judged that this was a team that we could trust - everything subsequently has borne that out. So when we planned a programme of apartment viewings, in the following August, we decided to work only with Properties in Italy and didn't use another estate agent. The result was that by December we were the delighted owners of just the right property in Giudecca. The whole buying process was not stressful and actually we were looked after so well by Max and Andrea that it was an enjoyable journey. But what has really impressed us is the "after-care". This has ranged from selecting, organising and supervising builders, to representing us at condominium meetings, even to purchasing palms and tuscan terracotta pots and installing them on our terrace. Nothing has been too much trouble for Max, Andrea and their network of specialists. We have the comfort of knowing that if a problem arises they will be responsive and helpful and stay with it until it is resolved. So now we are thoroughly enjoying our second home in Venice. Phyllis is getting the new studio equipped and I'm beginning to think about a small boat. Our sincere thanks go to Properties in Italy for helping us achieve the dream.

Peter and Phyllis Davies - July 2008

Judeca Nova complex - Venice	Peter and Phyllis celebrating with their family in Torcello island
Phyllis Davies's painting 'The Moor'	Phyllis Davies's painting 'Salute'

If you are interested in Phyllis Davies's paintings, you can contact her at: phyllis@zetnet.co.uk

A property with courtyard in Venice!

We met Andrea at the Dolce Vita exhibition in 2006 and immediately formed the view that here was someone that knew his business, was trustworthy and understood what we wanted. Meeting Andrea enabled us to turn a “pipedream” of owning a property in Venice into a reality. We searched for a property with outside space, ideally a courtyard, in the Dorsoduro area. Through various visits, e mails and telephone conversations the search progressed and had taken the best part of 12 months before Andrea found us what we had been looking for. His e mail giving us the details was certain that this was the right place for us and this has proved to be the case. We met Max as the legal process for the purchase set off and everything was handled efficiently, calmly and with no surprises. We are now the proud owners of a lovely 2 bedroom house with private courtyard in Calle dei Guardiani, Dorsoduro, which is predominantly a buy to let investment, as long as we can keep the family and friends from filling up all the available slots! We met Giancarlo when we upgraded the courtyard turning the space with potential into the major selling point of the property. Giancarlo managed the project to carry out the transformation. Once the building work was completed, Max and Andrea joined us one Saturday afternoon for the planting of the courtyard. Andrea has wide ranging gardening skills and was very much in charge of the operation, Max the lawyer and I were the labourers acting under his direction! It seemed to us to sum up the whole exercise and the journey we had been on. From the Dolce Vita meeting to the completion of the garden in the courtyard together with our friends Andrea and Max who have been invaluable throughout.

Josh Herlihy - June 2008

the courtyard - before	the courtyard - after the upgrade

If you wish to know more about the holiday house Ca' dei Guardiani see their web page.

Enjoy The High Then The Super-High Season With A Venetian Fly-To-Let

To begin at the beginning, I had been a restaurateur for many years, having originally sought out the catering industry as a challenging alternative to a previous career in theatre that I felt had run its natural course. Food was something I'd always been passionately interested in, and buying a charming 16th century restaurant in a sedate and picturesque Welsh borders town seemed like my idea of heaven, a far cry from the hell that is often the stage. Running a restaurant was enjoyable, though extremely hard work, and last year I decided it was time for another career U-turn. I wanted a somewhat easier way of earning money than cooking for the 5,000, so I turned my attention to the potential of property. As I was also moving back to London, this seemed like the most obvious place to invest, but I quickly figured the kind of price achieved by my good-sized restaurant would buy me little more that a cramped flat in some obscure London borough. Besides, London didn't seem to be the kind of rat-race city that I could imagine spending the rest of my days in, more of a necessary stopgap than any kind of long-term retirement home. When I honestly contemplated where I wanted to be in, say, 10 years time, I imagined a lazy life in Italy, specifically Venice, a city I'd visited frequently and loved for many years. And the more I honed in on this idea, the more it also seemed like a wise investment strategy. On the face of it, of course, this wasn't the case at all. In fact, when I informed friends of my would-be plans, their immediate response was one of incredulous wonder. "Invest in a city that's sinking? Are you mad?" was the rather unanimously overwhelming response. True, Venice is built somewhat precariously in the lagoon waters of the northern Adriatic, and does occasionally experience what is locally referred to as acqua alta (literally "high water"), at which point the sandbags come out, as do the Wellies, plus the raised walkways that enable dry carriage around the city. But the Venetians simply take it all in their stride as a fact of life. But consider too the vast inflatable dam that's being constructed at the mouth of the lagoon - something akin to the Thames Barrier but much bigger - an unprecedented engineering phenomenon that will protect Venice from rising waters when it is completed in 2011, and you quickly realise that there's far too much invested in Venice for it to be any kind of ill-fated Atlantis. From a fly-to-let perspective it's virtually unrivalled anywhere in Europe, with no actual low season, just a year-round high season and then a super-high season for Christmas, Carnival, the Venice Film Festival and various other dates scattered across the calendar. Venice, it seemed, was a veritable goldmine waiting to be tapped. Of course I realised the competition would be fierce, but having spent numerous holidays in invariably dreadful (and never cheap) short-term holiday accommodation, I was fairly confident that I could put together a stylish holiday let package of my own that would put others to shame, even on my fairly moderate budget. Then I could let it out to cover the mortgage, maintenance, cleaning and management costs, and use it myself when it was empty. Perfect. As serendipity would have it, about the time I was beginning my investigations, Olympia in London was staging a 5-day event called Viva Italia show to promote the Italian way of life lock, stock and barrel: fine food and wine, cars, fashion and, of course, property. It was here that I made contact with the excellent Properties In Italy company who would eventually guide me through the whole process of buying in Venice. Although I was a little unsure what exactly I was looking for, I duly made my arrangements to fly out for an intensive session of viewing. The Low-Down On Venice The Venetian lagoon is a geographically complex cluster of many islands, but for investment purposes life centres around the half-dozen sestieri (or districts) where most tourists invariably spend most of their time, a strange fish-shaped pocket of reclaimed land that is linked to the mainland by a mile or so of road and railway. Divided loosely by the inverted S-figure that is the Grand Canal, these sestieri are Santa Croce, San Polo and Dorsoduro to the west and Cannaregio, Castello and San Marco to the east. The last of these, San Marco, with its awe-inspiring Piazza, Doge's Palace, its namesake Basilica and 1,000 other sights, must rank amongst one of the most frequently visited square kilometres of land anywhere in the world. Having said that, it's still very easy to get off the beaten track and lose yourself in its atmospheric labyrinth of passageways. Still, for my liking San Marco felt a little too obvious a place to invest, and considering that it's 99% geared towards milking tourists of their money, not the cheapest of places to get a foothold in. An apartment looking out onto the Grand Canal, for example, could set you back as much as £4m. A nice idea, but more than a little out of my depth. Besides these 6 main districts there's also the other lagoon islands to choose from: Giudecca, just 1km south of San Marco, offers affordable new-builds, but feels strangely out on a limb, whilst Murano and Burano, world famous producers of glass and lacework respectively, make for cheaper alternatives, but if lace lacework and glass aren't really your thing … well, what's the point? Back in Venice itself, the remaining 5 sestieri all have their individual style and atmosphere, too: Castello feels authentically Venetian, but is perhaps a little too quiet and off the beaten track; Cannaregio and Santa Croce are both interesting areas, but don't have quite enough tourist cachet. Which leaves San Polo and Dorsoduro, both of which were ticking all the correct boxes in my head: vibrant and lively, a fair share each of Venetian must-sees, yet with quieter pockets away from the main tourist drag. Having narrowed down my search I felt confident that my trip to Venice would bear fruit. And indeed it did. Over the course of 3 days, I viewed a dozen or so apartments, a wide range that encompassed those requiring full restoration and others that were fully restored and furnished and already had permission to let. What is so unique about Venice is that every single building is different. Eventually you have to consider each on their individual strengths alone, as making comparisons can often cloud the matter further. Costs can vary dramatically, too. Basic rates begin at around €4,000 per sq mtr, although fairly basic fare in San Marco can command as much as €8,000 per sq mtr and those precious locations on the Grand Canal can often reach the €10,000 mark. As a guide, 2-bedroom apartments can range from €350,000 to €600,000, with factors such as the floor and the location holding quite dramatic sway over price. Given the limitations of space in Venice, a balcony, small courtyard or even just a picturesque view can all have an impact on price. And despite the looming threat of acqua alta, you mustn't disregard cheaper properties simply because they're on the ground floor. All you need to establish is the height above sea level and then remember that the lagoon waters reach a height of 1.3m above sea level just once or twice a year. (The highest recorded acqua alta was 1.9m back in 1966.) Like I've suggested, the great thing about Venice from a fly-to-let perspective is its year-round high season, attracting a strange melange of honeymooners, film buffs, art historians, pilgrims or those simply "doing Europe". The Lido is just a brief vaporetto (or waterbus) ride away, so you can also get your stint on a beautiful stretch of beach. Such heady pulling power ultimately means that the holiday market is very well oiled, with no shortage of established agents organising your bookings, check-ins, check-outs, maintenance and cleaning for very competitive fees. And an empty week or two simply means there's a handy window in the calendar for a discounted trip for friends, family or even yourself. For me Venice is the definition of having your cake and eating it. So what can you currently expect to gain on the Venetian property market? Well, once again, location very much determines exact prices, but a 2-bed apartment typically yields between €900 and €1,200 per week, and even more during the super-high season. Taking into consideration the costs of managing the property remotely, you can expect a healthy annual yield upwards of 6%. The overall picture is rosy, too, with property prices rising by 8% to 10% annually across the region. Thus equipped with a low-down on Venice that extended beyond the well-thumbed pages of my Rough Guide, I finally honed my search upon just 2 apartments, one each in San Polo and Dorsoduro. And The Winner Is … Don't get me wrong, the San Polo apartment was out of this world: 1st floor, 3-bedrooms, vast balconied living room overlooking its own romantic stretch of canal, all within 5 minutes' walk of the Rialto, but the refurbishments it needed would definitely have pushed my budget to breaking point and beyond. On the other hand, the Dorsoduro apartment was on the ground floor and therefore considerably cheaper, despite its generous size. It was also higher than that all-important maximum flood level. Although it didn't have a balcony or courtyard, it was detached on 3 sides (one canal-sided) and therefore enjoyed this amazing sense of space and light. In terms of actual size, it extended to 100 sq mtrs, comprising a huge living room, 3 bedrooms (one vast; two good-sized), a spacious kitchen, plus a bathroom that desperately needed enlarging somehow. To get it up to holiday-letting scratch, the apartment needed refurbishing throughout, but there were many amazing details in place that I wanted to retain, amongst them filigreed plasterwork on the ceilings and beautiful Murano glass chandeliers in every room. When my offer of €336,000 (€12,000 below the asking price) on the apartment was accepted, I used the remainder of my budget (€70,000) for renovations, an extensive 2-month programme of work that saw the apartment stripped right back to the brick, before being fully re-wired and re-plumbed under pristine plaster and beautiful new floors. Properties In Italy had put me in touch with an excellent engineer/project manager who oversaw every aspect of the renovation work. By the time the apartment has been fully furnished I'll have spent in the region of €430,000, but already, as I write, and before all work is fully finished, I have bookings to the value of €12,000 and enquiries coming in on a daily basis. The agent I'm currently dealing with is suggesting occupancy rates of up to 80% per year should be wholly achievable. And in the wake of the recent flooding that has caused so much misery and destruction in the UK, I cannot help but feel a certain smug satisfaction when I think of those who initially pooh-poohed my idea of buying in Venice.

David Wills - September 2007

Further research: For more information about Ca' San Sebastiano or to reserve it for your own property viewing expedition, visit www.casansebastiano.com.

Ca' San Sebastiano - before/after restoration

the sitting room - before	the sitting room- after
the kitchen - before	the kitchen - after
the bedroom - before	the bedroom - after

A property in the Euganean Hills

Properties in Italy with Paul & Karen Sanham at the Hard Rock Café in London

It has been a dream of ours for the last 5 years to buy a home in Italy, but no one has ever found us a property within our specification, price range or in the right location.

We met "Properties in Italy" at the Dolce Vita exhibition in April this year. We left our contact details and the type of property that we were interested in and within a few weeks we had received some details of properties that matched our criteria. We then made arrangements to go out for a viewing. Nothing was too much trouble, Alessandra even managed to host us for lunch even though her first baby was due within a couple of weeks.

We had always been looking in the Veneto region, but it was the stunning beauty of the Colli Euganei that made us decide to buy in this area. One property particularly stuck in our mind, so we went back for a second viewing and our excitement was more intense than our first viewing. We needed a lot of vision as the property was still being built, but it felt so right and the location was perfect, nestled into the hills with stunning views all around. Arrangements were made to meet the family building the house and we put in an offer, we had to wait a nail biting 2 days to find out if our offer had been accepted. Within 4 weeks we met Andrea and Max in London and signed our Preliminary Contract over a celebratory dinner in the the Hard Rock Cafe.

Although it is very daunting trying to understand the minefield of burocracy surrounding buying a home in Italy, "Properties in Italy" have all this under control. Every question or concern we have had Andrea & Max have been there at the end of the phone or e-mail giving us the answers and guidance that we need. What we have found in our experience so far with "Properties in Italy" is they take the time to listen to your requirements and concerns. They do not give you the 'hard sell' they want you to be 100% certain that you are making the right decision in buying your dream home. Every aspect of buying a home in Italy is taken care of by "Properties in Italy", it takes the pressure out of the whole process.

Finally it is also nice to know that in the meantime we have made new friends.

Paul & Karen Sanham

Proud owners of a beautiful house in Faedo