Italian Adventures – We Bought a House in Italy!

I’m heading back to Italy soon and it got me thinking about all of the work that has been done to the house and garden over the last few years. SO many people have reached out to me for advice and connections to contractors, painters, etc. The sad truth is that I have a LOT of learned advice but not a lot of helpful connections. I have a project manager (PM) that keeps strong control over contacts and scheduling. I get it, but at this point in my Italian adventure, I need to forge my own way forward and be able to conduct business as necessary. I have learned many things, happy surprises and very hard lessons. And honestly, I am still getting it wrong some of the time, but I am much better. There should be a guide book for renovating in Italy with tips and tricks to minimize hard lessons and help you feel more in control along the way. Maybe I will create one in partnership with my local friends who have been doing this much longer than I have. Hmmmm.

When the PM says the workers will be there on Tuesday, you need to ask Which Tuesday and at What time. I have wasted more time waiting for workers to arrive, only to find out they are coming ‘dopo pranzo’ closer to 3pm. Or that they are working at someone elses place (that I connected them with!) and then will swing by my place after. SERIOUSLY! I have learned that the US ‘babysitter rule’ needs to be applied in Italy with respect to renovation work. Do NOT connect your contractor or workers with others until your project is nearly finished. Better yet, wait until your project is complete!

I saw an Instagram post a while back that was Spot On! It read: Do not be afraid of a six month home renovation. Those 12 months will be the most fulfilling 2 years of your life.

In my first year, projects ran very smoothly and we made great progress. My Italian neighbors frequently commented on how surprised they were about how fast I got things done. This was 2022, post Covid, but there were still delays in supply chain and shortages around the world. This was understandable and I was prepared. I rolled with the punches and pivoted when necessary. I got creative and made it work. This was excellent but it also set me up for serious disappointment in future years. I thought everything would be like this. NOPE!

Clearing and redesigning the garden was a fun project, albeit expensive. I had a vision from the first day we visited the house and we were about to bring it to life. My advice…be prepared for the expense. Gardening, landscaping and hardscaping is expensive no matter where you live. But it’s the gift that keeps on giving. I have no regrets! I enjoy it, my visiting family & friends enjoy it, and all of my Italian neighbors enjoy it. Va bene!!

And then there was the roof. This is where things went very south. Prior to buying the house, the Geometra noted in his report that the roof was 60+ years old and had ‘outlived its useful life’. Fortunately, there were no signs of leaks or immediate problems so we took care of the other projects first. When it came time for planning & budgets, I had to decide on things like new cedar beams, steel beams, etc. The Comune told the Geometra that in order to bring everything up to code, we would need to elevate the roofline almost 2 feet. The top floor was attic space historically. There were tiny round windows but also electricity with some lighting. A good sign. You could stand in the attic, just not completely in the corners. But since we had to elevate the roof, that would make the attic floor reasonable for livable space.

There is a previous post on the roof replacement so I won’t go into details here. But what I will share is that this is the first of many times I was shocked by receiving a bill for cost overruns.

The budget for the new roof was 90,000 euro, which included labor, materials, scaffolding, etc. It was a huge price tag, which is why I delayed it so I could save up, but it also needed to be done and it’s a large house. What I didn’t anticipate was receiving an email a few months after its completion with a true-up bill for an additional 50,000 euro!!!!! I was at a conference with work colleagues when I opened the email and I literally turned ash grey and almost threw up. WTAF!!!

This was the first of many more cost overruns.

I have learned many hard lessons throughout the renovation process, especially when it comes to finances. Much of the pain points are my fault for not asking more questions up front. When presented with a budget proposal. translate it and dissect it carefully. YES, I said Dissect it. Some of the things you would assume are obviously included turn out NOT to be. The budget NEVER includes all of the ancillary costs of the Geometra, Comune filings, bolle (stamps), etc. If they are building walls, does the project quote include finishing the walls, ready for painting. One would think yes, but I learned otherwise. Even when the project has been closed, all of the paperwork filed, workers gone, months later you receive yet another bill for the SCIA closure with the Geometra. Another 2,600 euro out of your draining bank account.

OK, enough with finances, it makes my head, heart and stomach hurt.

When it comes to projected timelines, here is where it goes very wrong. In the early days of a project the workers are there everyday and stay long hours. But then you head back to the US (bound by Schengen rules) and the work stops. About 1-2 weeks before your return, the work picks back up. If they had simply kept working while you were gone, the project would be complete long before your return. But nope, that’s not how it works.

I have security cameras so I can see when people are there and when they are not. When the PM tells me it will take 3-4 weeks to complete, but you arrive and there is still 8 weeks worth of work to do, you start to learn the hard way. I had a very stern conversation with my PM, calling out that if the workers would come to the house every day, or at least more than 1 day per week, the work would have been completed on time. Much to my surprise, I was told I was being unreasonable.

So here’s my advice. Pack yourself full of patience. Learn to go for a walk and clear your head before you return a message or make a phone call. This is how it works. But DO read every line item on a projected budget. Ask a LOT of questions, you have a right to understand and get clarity. Make friends with locals who have done some renovations and learn the questions you need to ask that you would otherwise not know to ask. DO get several quotes for comparison, you are not locked into your PMs preferred set of workers. You know they are getting a kick-back so you need to level the playing field. Simultaneously manage the project budget and expenses alongside your PM and don’t simply rely on them to manage everything. It’s your money and often they think you have a money tree (or 3) in your backyard.

Under the Tuscan Sun is a movie, not real life. La Dolce Vita exists, you just have to manage through the BS.