AndyPT

Dear forum inhabitants!

We're about to buy a house in Abruzzo and we found that most of them are currently disconnected from mains. The ad says:
The question is - how long this "just" would take after we've got our deeds? And is it possible, that the electricity supplier wouldn't reconnect us at all because the wire is too old or for whatever other reason?

Please help us as reading on this topic in Italian is very confusing.

Geordieborn

I would guess you are either looking at very old properties, those with debt or not connected at all to mains electric and/or water. If you are prepared to say exactly which property it may be possible to give you a better idea. Do you know who covers the area for the water, is it ACA? Have you considered getting the help of someone who can speak both Italian and English? A number of people we know did just that and did not pay a massive amount. I'm guessing the agent is not helping you in this respect?

Pulaski

Do you know how recently utilities were connected? I.e. was it recently, say within the past year, or was it decades ago?

AndyPT

Well, we're only coming to see the house the next Monday, so I don't know any details yet. The house had been connected previously, though for how long it has been disconnected I don't know (yet), but definitely not decades, a few years at maximum.

We simply don't know how things are usually done in Italy, so I hoped someone would share their experience.

philat98

Pulaski

Not at all, ... I have been helping Make America Great Again!

Geordieborn

Andy take your time and ask as many questions here, elsewhere and of the agent as you can, I think you will then find things at least become a little clearer.

In love with forests

I am still in the research stages of buying a house, so my advice is purely theory at the moment.
ENEL seems to be the largest electricity supplier in Italy. They are a very large international company, so their website has loads of info in English.
https://www.enel.it/en/supporto/faq/subentro

You cannot reconnect the property until it is in your name, so after the sale. I think it is usual for houses to be disconnected if they are unoccupied? If you have concerns about the state of the wiring or water pipes, maybe get a surveyor to carry out a thorough inspection? I think I would be more worried about the prospect of replacing faulty wiring than something as relatively straight forward as reconnecting supply.

modicasa

People cut off the electricity of r lots of reasons, but mainly to save money on property taxes - if there's no electricity it's proof you dont live there. So assuming that there's a meter and the line arrives at the house, then it will be easy to have it reconnected. Water is different - it is unlikely that a country house has mains water - so you will need to find out where your water comes from, consorzio, cisterna, pozzo etc.

AndyPT

Guys, thank you for your valuable input.

Kind of answering my question:
Of course, a prescription is not a real-life experience, but still, it is something.

They call it "Take over" (subentrò) https://www.enel.it/en/supporto/faq/subentro

Though it is still unclear just for how long a house could stay disconnected and still be eligible for this simple "subentrò".

modicasa

If the meter is there then you're ok. If there's no meter then its a riallaccio.

Jake.White

Andy : Do you know if the house has a disconnected mains water supply or if it has a cystern underneath to collect rain water from the roof..? If it has neither of these you might consider having a borehole drilled to tap your water from an underground source. It's quite a normal procedure for country houses in Italy but can be quite expensive : I think anything up to around 5000 euros.

AndyPT

Thank you, Jake, for your advice. The house has a disconnected mains water supply and our agent has promised to help us with the reconnection. We shall see...

Jake.White

No worries and I wish you luck. Be wary of estate agents promises though...and anyone elses for that matter.

Pulaski

I am not familiar with getting wells drilled in Italy, but I suspect that your "up to" might actually be a "from", as €5,000 sounds like a bargain, and the price will only go up the deeper the drill has to go, and of course if the well has to be drilled through rock.

In the US you'll likely only get a shallow well, say 50-100ft (15-30m), in soft ground for $5,000-$6,000, and if you need to go down 300ft (100m) or more you're looking at $20,000-$30,000 or more!