Monday, July 21, 2008

HOUSE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA

Yes, I'm sure many of you know that our house is for sale, and clicking on the picture in the right hand column will take you to everything you ever wanted to know about the house and the area. For those who might be stopping by the blog for the first time, or who might be Googling, I thought writing about our HOUSE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA might be a good idea. Just scrolling through the blog will also let you know what life is like in central Umbria, what we do for fun, and what's going on in San Venanzo. In the past year or so I've started posting videos of various things here in Umbria...sometimes they're of festivals, sometimes just a field of sunflowers. Stop by OUR YouTube PAGE any time to get a taste of small town Italy!

I know the dollar is weak, but I also know that there are many Americans who are still searching for that perfect second/retirement home in Italy. The British pound does better against the euro, and of course for Europeans the euro is still the euro. The fact that Ryan Air now flies into the Perugia airport from both London and Barcelona makes access to Umbria easier than ever. Read
THIS ARTICLE by James Martin, who has some thoughts about property in Italy.

No matter what currency you use or what your reasons are for wanting a home in Italy, we propose that Umbria is a beautiful choice, and that our
HOUSE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA, in the hilltown of San Venanzo is certainly worth a look! After you've read all the information on the HOUSE FOR SALE post, please contact us at: umbriahouse4sale@hotmail.com to let us know when you'd like to see the house!

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

A LIFE FOR SALE

Have you heard about this guy in Australia who's SELLING HIS LIFE ? It's up for bid on eBay, and the auction closes on June 29th. Apparently this guy went through a painful breakup and now wants to start over somewhere else. He plans to walk out of the house with only his wallet and passport in hand, and head to the airport for a destination as yet unknown. Intrigued?

Of course my first thought was "What if this works? Is this something that would help us sell our house in Italy?" I wrote about the woman who sold time shares to her house in Italy to help her with the initial purchase. I think she sold a week or more vacation time in her house, then once everyone had finished their vacations (total time was a year I think), she owned the house free and clear.

I think what might make the difference for this eBay auction, and what may have helped the woman with her timeshares was the national publicity they received. Once network television and the news wires pick up these stories, you just can't put a value on that kind of advertising!

I'm not sure I could leave everything I own in my house...I'd have to take my photographs, souveniers and special mementos with me......but all the 'stuff' could certainly be replaced. I guess we're not quite as anxious to get away from our life in Italy as the guy in Australia. Anyway, it's certainly a unique approach, and if you're interested, just click on the link above. He's including his house and all it's furnishings, his car, and even his friends!

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Thursday, August 30, 2007

HOUSE FOR SALE-CENTRAL UMBRIA-SAN VENANZO €195,000

See more pictures of the house on our Flickr page

READY TO LIVE THE DREAM? Many people dream of living in Italy. Some dream of a life under the sun, next to the pool with nothing but the hum of the cicadas to keep them company. Not us! Dreaming of living in Italy meant just that: LIVING in Italy, not as we would on vacation, not as tourists, but living day to day with the Italians.....making this our HOME. We visited Umbria on our first visit to Italy, and it was the one area that drew us back again and again and again. We loved everything about Umbria, the green heart of Italy. We love the medieval towns, the Roman ruins and the even older, mysterious Etruscan sites. We love the rolling hills covered with olive trees and vineyards, the snow-capped mountains off in the distance, the fields of sunflowers. We love the life we live in our little Umbrian hilltown. We love being a part of the community….stopping in the bar for a coffee before walking to the post office to mail a letter, or stopping in the bakery for a freshly baked loaf of bread, still warm. We love being able to walk to the hardware store to buy a few nails to finish a project, or to stop in the butchers to buy something for dinner. We love sitting on the piazza eating gelato, watching the kids play, talking to friends.
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San Venanzo itself is a gem.

Because it’s a hilltown we always have a breeze in the summer. Because it’s small (population 1500) everyone knows everyone else, everyone says hello. The town band plays for every festival and feast day. The town picnic is held every June, and in August nearby Rotecastello holds it annual medieval festival. Concerts are held on the piazza, and the town celebrates the feast of it’s patron saint with an incredible fireworks show in September. Additionally San Venanzo has it's own soccer team and a brand new soccer stadium. There is also a large public pool with a picnic area. San Venanzo also has a volcano museum, tracing the history of the only (now extinct) volcano in Umbria. As the only full-time English speakers, the people of San Venanzo have welcomed us with open arms, whether it's waving hello as we pass by, offering us advice on where to buy goods and services, or letting us know about an upcoming festival. We've really become a part of the community.

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The scenery is ever changing and always breathtaking..... So now it’s time for you to decide: are you ready to stop dreaming and start making Italy a part of your reality? Maybe you want to join forces with a friend or family member to buy the house as a place to visit until you’re ready to retire. The house could be rented out to help pay for some of the cost! (We have friends who might be able to help with this.) Or maybe you’re like us…ready to retire to Italy NOW! Whatever your situation, this house might be just what you’re looking for.

Price: €195,000

Contact us at umbriahouse4sale@hotmail.com for further information or to set up an appointment

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Location: in the centro of a small Umbrian hilltown. The house is in a quiet location: it backs up to a newly restored park and is across the street from a nursing home. It’s secure and private, yet there are still neighbors close by and everything in town is within walking distance. The town of San Venanzo (pop. 1500) has everything you need: a post office, 3 small groceries, 2 butcher shops, a hardware store, newspaper stand, bakery, pharmacy, gas station and general store. There are 3 bars serving sandwiches and gelato, a laundry, several barbershops and beauty shops, as well as a bank with an ATM machine (bancomat). There is a lovely hotel, VILLA VALENTINI which also has a fantastic restaurant. The medical clinic is open 6 days a week. High speed internet (ADSL - Broadband) is available. San Venanzo is 45 minutes from Orvieto, Perugia and Assisi. We're about two hours from both Rome and Florence. Also nearby are Todi, Bevagna, Deruta and Montefalco. Ryan Air flies into the Perugia three times a week from London, and service from Germany and France is scheduled to begin soon.

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House info: 110 sq m (approx. 1100 sq ft) 2/3 bedrooms 3 full bathrooms (1 w/tub, 2 with shower stalls) Large eat-in kitchen with fireplace Living room (Could be used as a 3rd bedroom, or furnished with a sofa-sleeper for additional sleeping space) Large garage with storage area South facing garden with patio and barbeque Tile floors throughout Cast iron radiators This house is on two levels. The ground floor consists of: Entryway into a large, eat-in kitchen, all kitchen cabinets and appliances to remain. Granite countertops. Counter level corner fireplace. Also on this level is a pantry and separate laundry area with room for both a washer and a dryer. A bathroom with shower completes this level The first floor consists of: Spacious living room with a large window/door. This room could also be used as a third bedroom. Small bedroom also with a door/window Large bathroom with full-sized tub, toilet and bidet Smaller bathroom with shower stall, toilet and bidet Large Master bedroom New within the last 3 years: Caldaia for hot water and cast iron radiators (A caldaia is on on-demand water heating system, meaing there is no hot water tank) Water softening system New kitchen floor New kitchen including appliances Roof has been cleaned and repaired New copper gutters New flagstone patio with built-in barbeque All windows and doors are either new or have been recently cleaned and re-varnished. All windows are double-paned and weather-stripped All windows have screens All shutters have been cleaned and re-varnished within the last year. High speed internet service (ADSL/Broadband) is available in San Venanzo!

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Expenses: The house is on gas mains (cheaper and no tank to refill!) and city water.

ICI (property tax): We currently pay less than €40/year

Garbage tax: €160/year

Gas: Over the past 3 years we’ve averaged out the cost to €130/month. Obviously it’s lower in the summer, higher in the winter

Water: Again, averaged out to €20/month

Electricity: Averaged out to €54/month

Also note: interest paid on a foreign mortgage MAY BE deductible on a U.S. tax return. Tapping into the equity in your U.S. home may also be a way to finance your purchase and receive a tax break.

For some basic information about buying a house in Italy, THIS PAGE on the Expats in Italy website might be a good place to start.

PRICE: €195,000

Some furniture may be available for sale.

Please contact us at: umbriahouse4sale@hotmail.com if you have any questions or if you'd like to schedule an appointment. Below are pictures of the house both inside and out. If you're having trouble getting all of the pictures to load, use this link to our Flickr page KITCHEN KITCHEN WINDOW KITCHEN CHINA CABINETS COOKING AREA...OVEN, MICROWAVE, COOKTOP AND FIREPLACE PANTRY (under the stairs) LAUNDRY DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM THE FRONT DOOR AND ENTRYWAY AS SEEN FROM THE KITCHEN UP TO THE FIRST FLOOR....THE DOOR TO THE GARDEN IS AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS THE STEPS AREN'T STEEP, AND ARE VERY WIDE LIVING ROOM BEDROOM...the bed is a trundle bed, allowing us to have 2 single beds or a double bed for company UPSTAIRS BATHROOM #1 UPSTAIRS BATHROOM #1 UPSTAIRS BATHROOM #2 UPSTAIRS BATHROOM #2 AS SEEN FROM THE MASTER BEDROOM MASTER BEDROOM AND THE VIEW FROM THE MASTER BEDROOM WINDOW THE HOUSE FRONT DOOR GARAGE GARAGE DOOR (OURS IS THE CLOSER, SQUARE ONE), AND THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK BACK YARD (measures approx 24ft x 25ft wide....7.4 m x 7.6m wide) THE DOOR INTO THE GARDEN THE PARK BEHIND OUR HOUSE

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FLOOR PLANS Here are the floor plans for the house as drawn by our geometra. As you look at the floor plans you'll notice shaded areas that are marked "Altra Proprieta"....this is the part of the building that belongs to the other house. At one point the house was divided into two parts by two brothers. The building is on a downhill slope, with our front door being at the higher end. The front door opens onto a nice sized landing. To your left are the stairs to the upper floor with the living room, bedrooms and two bathrooms. At the top of these stairs is a door that leads out to the backyard. From the landing going forward are three steps down into the kitchen. The pantry is under the stairs, and the laundry room and bathroom (bagno) are down one step from the kitchen.

At the top of the stairs is the doorway that leads out into the backyard. The hallway (corridoio) runs along the back of the house. The first room off this hallway is the Living Room. Next is the room we use as a Guest Bedroom. After that is Bathroom #1, what we call "The Blue Bathroom". There is a door at the end of this hallway, which allows you to make the master bedroom it's own little suite, and to give you some privacy when there are guests. There are also two steps down into another, shorter hallway. To your right is Bathroom #2, also known as "The White Bathroom", and to your left is the hallway that takes you to the master bedroom.

Here's a Google map that will show you exactly where San Venanzo is: CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

See more pictures on our FLICKR PAGE

Price: €195,000

email: umbriahouse4sale@hotmail.com

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