Abruzzo
 

Hi.

We're heading to Abruzzo to do a reccy next week.
Well be looking at areas firstly before looking at individual houses.

What I need help with is the locations add names of diy stores, builders merchants, kitchen and bathroom suppliers etc. I'd like to see how prices are and what is available.

I'll be doing most of the work myself if we find something that needs modernisation.

On this trip we'll be in Pescara for 3 days then Teramo for 4 to look around that area. After that we'll head below Chieti and lastly over to Terracina/Fondi.

Any info would be appreciated.

Re: Abruzzo
 

My wife and I have a home near Teramo. DIY seems more popular in Italy than in the UK so there are DIY stores in most places. There used to be Castorama which is the French version of B&Q but they left the area a couple of years ago. The big chain in the north of Abruzzo is Brico which you can find at San Nicolo a Tordino near Teramo. There's a large store at the Gran Sasso shopping centre and a smaller one in San Nicolo. There are many builder's merchants - BigMat, Plastica Vomano and other one-horse operations. You need to speak Italian for most of them. There are also plumbers' merchants and specialist tool shops.

Near Pescara there is LeRoy Merlin, OBI and at Citta Sant Angelo there is a large Brico.

Think carefully about how much you do on your own. I have done a huge amount of work on ours and it has taken 16 years to get it into shape. Also make sure you get a good lawyer we used one of the best in Pescara but even so we had problems. The seller lied at the time of the sale and it was 10 years and an angry confrontation with a neighbour before we discovered that half of our bathroom was built on someone else's land. We hadn't extended, the seller "forgot" to let us know that he had built that room on his cousin's land the land registry maps were so poor even the notary could not tell where the boundary was.

Everyone I know has had problems with boundaries and the legality of buildings.

Re: Abruzzo
 

Thanks for all the info.
We have arrived in Italy and will head to Pescara tomorrow as it was a late flight in. We have stayed overnight in Tivoli so we're on the road easily.

I've refurbished a few houses, including our own last year (glutton for punishment) so not daunted by the work or materials themselves.

I'll head to some of the places you suggest to see what range is available and rough costings for future planning.

I've read a lot about the whole legal minefield that is buying property in Italy so when the time comes I'll be seeking out suggestions for competent lawyers etc.

My partners extended family are Italians in Roccassecca in Lazio so we'll get some of their advice too.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply, if it's ok with you I'll put some questions to you through time.

Re: Abruzzo
 

Hello, I hope you're not suffering overly with the heat but enjoying yourselves!
There is an excellent bathroom store on the way to Silvi Marina called Epica. Mondo Convenienza near Pescara Nord do a huge range of kitchens and household furniture, it's budget stuff but attractive enough.
There are small outlets everywhere who will do you bespoke kitchens and bathrooms- at a price. Ikea also do budget kitchens that perform well.
For DIY materials you may be best getting to know your local builder's merchants and Ferramenta's which are everywhere and stock more things than you can see up front.
A couple of things I'd like to say-
Don't expect deliveries or hired workmen to turn up on the expected date-patience is needed here :)
Don't allow workmen to do jobs for you if you are absent!
Get to know the locals and ask for their recommendations and to see work they've done before. One trusted local jobber who has been in the area and worked for years will know who'll do good work for you- should you need them- the plumbing and electrics are sometimes a bit strange and ancient.
Haggle.
Have fun

Re: Abruzzo
 

Not where I live it isn't. Most people don't even paint a room in their house by themselves but get the painters in. Girls don't know and aren't taught how to use power tools and most of them wouldn't know the difference between a Phillips and a flathead screwdriver.

People wonder how come I haven't blown myself up yet when they hear that I've chopped the UK plug off an electric kettle or a hoover and replaced it with an Italian one.

The lady who runs the paint shop in my town is always surprised but pleased to see me whenever I go in wearing my paint splashed clothes to buy sandpaper, masking tape or buckets of that whitewash stuff they use here.

The men at the builder's yard are even more surprised if I turn up looking for plasterboard or something.

Before Ikea, Brico was more expensive than B&Q and you had to buy all the bits for a simple shelf separately: the shelf, the brackets, the raw plugs and then a pack of screws. Ready to assemble and use packs didn't exist. At least the village "ferramenta" (ironmonger's) sells all things like screws, hooks, nails and raw plugs individually so if you only need one, you can buy one and not a whole packet, and we're on first name terms now.

Internal doors cost a bomb here. Nothing like the stripped, plain door in the UK for £25.

My dad wouldn't even let me leave the UK without a packet of mixed size screwdrivers and a packet of fuses in my suitcase - no fuses in Italian plugs - and knowing how to check the oil and water etc. of a car.

Re: Abruzzo
 

:goodpost:

No Screwfix, Toolstation or Wickes either ! :nod:

Re: Abruzzo
 

Yes, the heat has been tremendous. Although it's set to drop (to only 24°:amen: ) so will be more bearable at the weekend.

We've started our hunt and the missus has fallen for the first house we saw. Result, as it was the one out of all that I've seen online that I liked best. So we'll continue looking around with that in mind.

I have to say, I'm surprised how accessible Abruzzo is, I got the impression from websites and forums that the region is remote and rural. Not so. The motorways are great, SS roads no problem and it doesn't take long to get around. Lots of large supermarkets, home shops and diy/builders merchants. So that's been really good to see.

Prices seem comparable with back home. White goods are a little more expensive but get them at sale prices and it'll be roughly the same. Was in Gran Sasso shopping centre yesterday.
Glad to be out of Pescara, too busy. Teramo is nice enough, they're doing up the main pedestrianised Street so when it is finished it'll look good. Apparently there is something on (based around some sports event) in the town centre on Friday. Found a wee local restaurant last night, good fun chatting with the locals and manager. Them in basic English and us with basic italian.
As we don't need to trawl through as many towns/villages as first thought we may go to Grotte di Stiffe.

Re: Abruzzo
 

when you head out to chieti region i am a retered builder and have lived here 13 years and give you the down on lots of pitfalls areas to avoid how the sythem works here if you do your own work as i have done
and traids men how to sort the corn from the chaff and ive been there done that and got the t shirt and it wernt cheap
we find the central chieti the ideal place to live in abruzzo 25 mins pescara air port and more important still 20 mins a top university hosptal ie chieti
one of the top hospitals in erope
any if you any ???? dont be frightened to ask we are here

Re: Abruzzo
 

Finding someone to do something is always tricky. Often the more you pay the poorer the work.

We just had a new boiler fitted by a company with immaculate offices in town. We paid the company an hourly rate for labour on top of the estimate. A few weeks after the work was completed the TV stopped working. When I went on to the roof I found they had attached the boiler flu to the TV aerial and the wind had pushed both over.

Re: Abruzzo
 

P S if you would like to pop in for a chat cup of glass of ect put 95 via casere pretoro chieti in your sat nav your wellocome

Re: Abruzzo
 

Thanks very much for your offer, one we'd like to take up.
We are now in Lanciano. We'll stay here till Tuesday as we don't feel the need to go to Lazio. Abruzzo has been decided upon.
We are open to when we are available. Let me know when is best for you. Day or evening and which day.
We've debated costings and despite my better halves' (?) reluctance to admit it's her dream home, we are at the point of 'no other place will match up'.
Now we need to know in detail the buying process.
My mobile no. is --------------. I'll edit this message in 2 days as no doubt admin will warn about giving out phone numbers.
Thanks again.

Re: Abruzzo
 

I will and I have edited it already, but I will now PM it to Linseed Oil.

Lorna

Re: Abruzzo
 

Thanks Lorna

Mark