House Hunters Italy - A Place in the Sun (Abruzzo, the unspoilt Italy - episode 1)

today I'm in the Italian region of Abruzzo  it's a relatively undiscovered part of Italy   but it's starting to attract interest from  foreign buyers in search of a slower pace of   life at an affordable price I'm sorry tamashii  I found property for some of the most demanding   people in the world from pop stars to royalty  and for the last two years I've been helping   house hunters find their perfect place I've  spent this summer investigating the nooks   and crannies of the European property market and  what I've discovered is very surprising nearly but   not quite everywhere prices are cheaper than  they were seven years ago and in some places   they're still falling but where are the best  places to buy and how do you find the bargains Jackie and Jane have been close friends for over  25 years and after a lot of research have decided   to set up their long-term futures here in Abruzzo  together they're looking for a renovation project   and have a hundred and ten thousand pounds with  a purchase price plus an additional 80,000 pounds   set aside to complete the necessary works 59 year  old semi-retired Jackie works in education and 52   year old Jane works in the food industry both  are now single but they met over 25 years ago   through the car club their previous partners  were members of we came together at functions   and meetings and we just hit it off instantly  didn't work since then the ladies have formed   a very strong bond Jackie and Jane supported one  another through the breakup of their relationships   but they also share common interests we spend  a lot of time talking and thinking about food   we just have fun cooking it put the music on  and like dance around the kitchen a little bit   while we're doing it the food loving best friends  absolutely adore gastronomic Italy and the Abruzzo   region Jackie and Jane are pooling their resources  and want to buy a property for a hundred and ten   thousand pounds that they can renovate it should  be big enough to accommodate visiting family and   friends Jackie's got a 23 year old son called  Zach and Jane has a brother called John who has   his own family the property should also have  a decent plot of land I think that there would   be more outdoor living than we do now I like a  lot to do with growing things our own olive oil   that would be very lovely I'm ready to take my  socks off and trample any great day walking over   deer this joint investment will allow Jackie and  Jane to live their ideal lifestyle so we've been   scouring the Abruzzo property market in search of  some decent deals food and wine loving Jane and   Jackie want to grow fresh produce and own their  own olive groves which there are an abundance   of in Abruzzo it's a mountainous fertile region  famous for growing saffron and making fine wines   there is also the beautiful Adriatic coastline  with its eighteenth-century - bocce or fishing   piers synonymous to the region from its most  westerly point Abruzzo is only around 50 miles   from the capital city Rome a place where Jackie  and Jane would love to spend more time exploring   Abruzzo is a relatively new market to foreign  buyers with property prices here being around 50%   cheaper than neighboring tuscany and an incredible  80% cheaper the number and with rome being around   an hour from Abruzzo's borders it's no wonder  that many are tipping this as a next property   hotspots in central Italy I'm meeting Property  Expert Philip Carlton who has been working in   the local market since 2003 and he knows it like  the back of his hand so what's the state of the   property market here at the moment there's been a  big increase in the number of properties available   on the market due to changes in the tax law so  grandmas or property that would have been left   normally to have in abandonment in the countryside  as a second home has now become rather expensive   for the local Italians to maintain and so all of  these old countryside properties are now being   poured back into the market so for the short  term it's going to be a drop in prices it's   an excellent time to invest and the currency  markets are working in foreign buyers benefit   as well so you've got the Euro which is quite low  and it's looking like it's not going anywhere in   the near time and sterling for example is doing  really well so that means you get more house   for your money Philips appraisal of the Abruzzo  property market bodes well for Jackie and Janes   110 thousand pound budget I'd like to know more  about how this joint purchase is going to work   and what exactly it is they're looking for how did  you discover this region and why have you chosen   here it was geographical because of its proximity  to the north the south I mean it's more central I   have always wanted to live somewhere near Rome I  think it's the most beautiful city in the world in   terms of permanent home and holiday home are you  both going to live here permanently eventually I   mean what's the story here eventually we will I am  sort of semi-retired so I'll move sooner than Jane   Jane wants to work a few more years okay so she'll  it'll be a holiday home for Jane but I'll move in   as soon as there's something ready to move into  yeah and when she's made it absolutely beautiful in all the work until just arrived do you think  there are gonna be any differences I mean what   you must have differences in personality some  differences in tastes we do we have quite   dramatic differences in taste of decoration for  example I'm the right colorful one Jane rice okay   so run me through the important things in the  prophecy room to make a big kitchen because we   spend a lot of time in the kitchen together and  even if one is cooking the other ones they're   giving helpful instruction for bedrooms room to  put bathrooms in one bathroom wouldn't be enough   for us we definitely don't want to be on a road  edge we don't want to step out of a door onto a   road we do want to be able to put our own mark on  something you know scared of a renovation project   so long as it's not scaffolding and putting on new  roofs I can't see us up there okay do you think   there's anything that you might compromise on I  think we would compromise on whether the property   had all four bedrooms in the main building if it  was the right building in the right place and had   potential to build another two bedrooms in a bit  of a guest house outside or something okay more   than happy to do that sort of thing is having the  outbuilding quite important to you it is I mean we   love having guests we're very sociable people but  we know that we this place would be our home and   they would be on holiday they probably want to  sleep in we'll be rattling around at all hours   so a bit of privacy on both sides I think this is  a good idea so we get looking yeah let's head out   Jane and Jackie are keen to renovate to suit their  needs we've just got to find somewhere with enough   space and outbuildings to accommodate visiting  family and friends so we're starting a search in   a small picturesque town of raucous Galliano it's  got a population of 1,400 people and all the basic   amenities Jackie and Jane would need including  a mini market pharmacy post office and pizzeria   so this is raucous Kellie Nia what are your first  impressions of it here beautiful yeah very lovely   old village most famous of course - the beautiful  castle up there and it cost you about two pounds   to walk around to have a look also this area is  well known for its festivals there's a couple of   really good food festivals up here you're to love  your cooking and stuff that would be good there's   a beer festival as well happening very soon it's  good things are going on yes nice to have the   choice isn't if you've got visitors how is this  fitting in to your idea of where you want it to be   well we always wanted to be close to old Italy and  we always wanted to be close enough to a community   that did things that we could involve ourselves  in so from that point of view yeah yeah yes okay   since the financial crisis in 2007 property prices  in raucous Galliano have fallen by 30 percent and   it's particularly popular with British buyers who  snap up old farmhouses outside of town in need   of restoration and turn them into homes so here  we are this is the property that we're going to   be looking at originally this was actually two  properties you can see they're clearly defined   different door numbers so the nice thing about  this is you both have the potential have your own   kitchen your own private space but the houses  are connected so if you do want to spend time   together you can but you also have your privacy  and you can have your brightly colored kitchen   you can have your minimalist kitchen I like the  balcony it looks really nice I like it been long   looks a big solid lump I mean it's on the market  for seventy thousand three hundred pounds but the   agent thinks you get it for around sixty thousand  pounds in terms of the setting and the property   you feeling good about this any negative so far  no I don't think so the views are absolutely   stunning stunning this farmhouse has been divided  into two homes that is being sold as one property   it sits on one and a quarter acres of land which  is enough to grow their own food and it already   has some olive trees to make olive oil the land  makes it feel very private even though it's five   minutes from town and because the property is on  a hill there are some great views you can even   see the castle from the balcony at the front of  the property indoors the house on the left-hand   side has a kitchen which is currently being used  as a bedroom and a large dining room upstairs is   a bedroom with wonderful views in a bathroom the  house on the right-hand side has a good sized   dining room with a fitted kitchen off it and a  storeroom downstairs upstairs is a bathroom and   two bedrooms that are adjoining the smaller  bedroom has a door with access to the other   property there's an attached garage that could be  converted into a living space the guest subject   to planning permission it's on the market well  under budget for just under 70 and a half thousand   pounds and could be bought for less so here we are  this is kitchen number one what would you change   what you like what you do not like I quite like  the fireplace made into a nice feature that wall   could go and turn that into a nice big kitchen  diner maybe you could have a bit of a seating   area this end and the kitchen round that end with  an island or something you can see it working yeah   it's a real hobby for us to get into the kitchen  and put some music on and they just cook and then   the best part of it is sitting eating it with  some wine and do you enjoy entertaining who do   you think's gonna be coming out to visit anybody  who's useful looking at the amount of work joiners   there have you got lots of I'm taking the ladies  next door to get a feel for the house on the   right-hand side so now the kitchen they're got a  big storage space there let's head upstairs to got   bathroom through there you've got potentially a  single bedroom there or you could have a walk-in   wardrobe another bedroom through there so it's  not ideal in terms of layouts I should imagine   in terms of walking through things we would need  to do something about that there needs to be a   corridor created somewhere and we wouldn't want  to create a corridor on the front of the house   because that's where the views are so the only  place would be on the back of the house so who   are you leaving behind in the UK that you're going  to miss I've got a 23 year old son so hopefully   he would want to come and visit he definitely  doesn't want to come and live here but I have   one brother only and he's got three children  the youngest one is 18 they would certainly   be visiting yeah it felt like a good time to show  Jackie and Jane the garage that could be converted   into guest accommodation so here we are this is  your huge garage space yeah that's very large   you're thinking of moving out here permanently  do you feel more pressure would you say to get   it sorted very quickly to speed up the process get  something right I mean no no because we have we   have the means to buy it certainly what we have  the means to do everything that we need to to   it so we could buy it and then decide to take  time from my point of view I'm fairly relaxed   about it because knowing that it's happening  knowing that it's happening to plan is still   very exciting whether I'm there or whether I'm  here yeah so plenty of space we did say outdoor   living was important to you you said you wanted to  grow your own vegetables yes yeah yeah your veggie   patch already established they're very good this  is obviously quite slow - got a few olive trees   down there I think maybe we just plant some more  trees down there I don't really know what else   you might do with your wasted space unless unless  there was trees in there yeah so the fruit trees   around the rest of the property and we can meet  up afterwards look tell me what you think this is   starting at the corridor and the garage for the  conversion is at the other end that works very   well this is nice isn't it be nice sit here in  the sunshine out there looking at the castle I   think this twin farm house with three bedrooms and  a garage that could be converted into a separate   guest suite has got us off to a good start the  whole property is on the market went under budget   for just under 70 and a half thousand pounds  we see quite a bit of potential in it we can   see more about the outdoor living space and how  things would fit together what about negatives   of this property as far as the land goes it's  great it having that amount of land around it   because it makes you feel sir private but because  so much of it is on such a steep slope that limits   what you can realistically do without throwing  a whole load of money at it yes yeah so maybe   a house that doesn't have such a huge percentage  of its land on such steep slopes coming up I show   Jackie and Jane a property that stirs their  creative juices yes I see walls coming down I'm helping close friends Jackie and Jane find a  property that they can renovate together here in   the Italian region of a brothel with a budget  of a hundred and ten thousand pounds they're   looking for a three to four bedroom property  with fantastic views and a separate outbuilding   that they could renovate for visiting friends and  family so far I've shown Jackie and Jane this twin   farmhouse that was on the market when under budget  for just under 70 and a half thousand pounds they   could see the potential but were not so keen on  the sloping land yet they haven't ruled it out   next I want to show the couple a place on flatter  ground so we're heading Northwest for half an hour   to a town called Gardea cranly Jane and Jackie  love the old Italy and this area is full of   history and charm plus Jackie's a keen Walker and  there are three national parks in close proximity   to the town so this is Guardian grarl a first  impressions lovely old town how does it compare   to the last occasion be good as picturesque but  in different ways yeah the other one was all about   the castle this is all about the historic center  and the scenery of the start of their maiella   National Park amazing place to start there's quite  a lot to do here as well bars restaurants and in   Abruzzo every town has its own special cake this  one here is called the three mountains cake you   are given a special brush estándar to clean  yourself up because it's so messy apparently   that cost you a pound so you have to try that so  shall we head up to the property Gardea Clara is   a sought-after area known as the terrace of a  pretzel because of its wonderful views and in   the last year sales inquiries have gone up by 30  percent the majority of interest is from overseas   investors and on the surrounding countryside  there are some great bargains to be found with   some old ruins up for sale for as little as 8,000  I'm taking Jane and Jacky to a farmhouse out of   town that is on closer to their budget of 110,000  pounds here we are this is a property that we're   going to be looking at big big yeah this is on for  just over 78,000 pounds we know that the owner is   keen to sell because he's inherited the property  it's his second home now so has to pay the extra   taxes involved with that so he is keen to sell  the agents told us he'd probably negotiate down   to around 74 thousand it's currently only three  bedrooms as it set out but you've got potential   to do whatever conversions you want to you as  you can see from the outside you've got a lot   of space there on the first floor yes at the  moment the most habitable part of the building   is on the first floor compared to the previous  house that we've seen the lands flatter so I can   see that we'd get better views of the land yeah  much easier yeah this split-level farmhouse was   built in the 1950s and consists of three levels  there are one and a half acres of land for Jackie   and Jane to cultivate with sweeping visitors of  the surrounding countryside and a selection of   olive trees that are important to Jackie and Jane  the ground floor is used as a storage space that   needs converting but could make a separate suite  for visiting guests the first floor is habitable   and has three bedrooms so plenty for Jackie and  Jane to start off with there is also a living room   kitchen and utility room work on converting the  attic into more living space has been started but   this would need to be finished off the properties  on the market for just over 78,000 pounds well   under Jackie and Janes budget of one hundred  and ten thousand pounds for the property itself this might make a nice big kitchen yeah yes yes  I see walls coming down would you be happy to   live in it in this condition once the works were  being carried out downstairs for example possibly   it kind of depends on what work they're doing  downstairs really if you don't want to be trying   to live in noise all day and things like that  so that would depend really on what we decided   to do with it you've both done renovation works  before you've totally altered your house as you   said didn't eat yes what have you done before  I've changed staircases bathrooms kitchens walls   kitchens walls go on spiral staircase I did you  enjoy visualizing it and doing it and getting it   done and the end result or the end result yes this  off in the middle line yeah yes no pain no gain is   what we tell each other so bathroom through that  another bedroom there and this is your Terrace so   do you think of a views up here beautiful less  mountainous this way okay I think we would want   it to wrap around because the best views of the  mountains are out that way up here would be living   only with no bedrooms so you'd have your bedrooms  down plus your guests accommodation see you'd be   able to make the most of the views up here which  it's a brilliant idea yeah I let Jackie and Jane   explored the property on their own oh yeah that's  nice and big in there isn't it uncool yeah I could   definitely be a bedroom couldn't it now other one  down the other end there that would be the other   bedroom yep good space for a good ensuite in them  as well - cool bedrooms yep - but - cool ladies well we've still got the views here once you move  forward a little bit nice patio here in the shade   of the tree and it's still not overlooked really  this split-level farmhouse with three bedrooms is   on the market for just over 78,000 pounds it's  fueled Jackie and Janes imaginations and they   envisage creating an upside-down house so they  can make the most of the spectacular views I have   a really good feeling about this property any  negatives at all with this property we're gonna   have to put some work into getting the mountain  views if you're comparing this to the first   property that we saw where is this one the house  is better than the first one that we saw in the   lake I better do what we wanted and the flatness  of the land here this overtakes the previous   house so we found Jane and Jackie contender but  there are still three more good homes to show   them before taking them to the next one I had a  chat with Jackie and Jane about their friendship   and how it resulted in a dream of buying a home  initially together when you first met obviously   you were imagining a different type of life how  do you get to that point after obviously having   divorced or separated we just know that we've  seen each other through thick and thin we have   pretty much kind of been there when we've needed  each other we know what we're like in a crisis we   know what we like when we're ill whether we need  nursing whether we need leaving alone whether we   know all of those things it's always gonna be  a leap of faith but we're just confident yeah   we're doing it for the right reason yeah what is  the dream life we want to relax more and let life   happen to us a little bit would you be getting a  job get to doing hobbies joining groups that kind   of thing individually we're open-minded about that  we've talked about maybe it'll be something that   we do together within the area that we're living  or maybe it's something that you know Jackie goes   off and just some teaching and I might go off and  do some work in a food factory somewhere or who   knows how are your characters different would  you say because you are quite similar a lot of   ways you obviously both very strong confident but  what are your differences I'm more flirty flighty   flighty and flirty in flirting I'm more sensible  level-headed I'm the calming the one that grabs   the reins every now and then said whoa Jackie  whoa stop being so flirty coming up it's all about   the views for Jackie and Jane oh wow that is nice  over there look at that definitely nice views you with the budget of 110,000 pounds Jackie and  Jane are thinking about starting a new chapter   of their lives by upping sticks from their UK  homes and moving here to the beautiful Italian   region of a brook so the best friends want to  take on a renovation project in order to make   their dream property their own so far I've shown  Jackie and Jane this twin farmhouse that was on   the market well on the budget at just under 70  and a half thousand pounds they could envisage   how they would make the property work for  them but were put off by the sloping land   it came with the next property I showed them  was this split-level farmhouse on for just over   78,000 pounds Jane and Jackie could imagine  renovating the property into an upside-down   house making the most of the spectacular views  and it's the clear favorite of present however   there's plenty of other great properties on the  market in this region so I'm taking Jackie and   Jane southeast further away from Rome but closer  to the adriatic coast we've lined up a property   near a small village Courtland Pella it's just  over seven miles to the closest beach so great   for Jane Jackie and their guests to explore the  villages made up mainly of Italian residents who   commute to work in the nearest big town courts  and salvo it's a close-knit community and some   where Jackie and Jane could make friends what  are your first impressions of it here it looks   like a sweet little place and they have a  fester here which lasts two days which is   a food festival and all the girls dressed up in  traditional costumes you've got all your basics   for everyday living here so you've got your  shop pharmacy post office everywhere we've   been so far a lot of people say good morning to  you you know even though they don't know who we   are they still say good morning and that's nice  it gives you a good feel about it straight away   absolutely I think it's easier to integrate into  a small place quicker than it is a big place yeah prices in Lent Ella have fallen by 20% since  the financial crisis it's remained popular with   foreign investors because it's close to the sea  but prices are half that of coastal properties   you can get a lot for your money here and  we found a large house five minutes away   in a hamlet that needs a lot less work than the  other properties we've seen so here we are this   is the property that we're going to be looking  at first thoughts it's nice to see some exposed   brick yeah see how that looks the house looks  nice I don't think the views there is nice as   some of the previous properties that we've seen  coming up the road that's a concern as well the   noise fracture there's still work to be done in  terms of conversion and improvements however this   part of the property you would be able to move  straight into you have got an olive grove here   which is what you wanted and they actually produce  50 litres of olive oil a year from that enough to   last the whole family for the whole year so  that's something that you could potentially   do as well and it's on the market for just under  eighty six thousand pounds it was on the market   for one hundred and seventeen thousand pounds so  it has been significantly reduced and the family   are looking to upsize they got young children  now so they want to pick a property should we   get inside have a look this refurbished house  has had a new roof electrics and heating system   fitted in the last five years it has a large  open-plan living kitchen diner with plenty of   space for vote Jacky and Jane to live in two  bathrooms and a mix of for double and single   bedrooms there's also an annex that currently  has a kitchen and living space once modernized   it will be perfect for Jane and Jackie's friends  and family to stay in there are three quarters   of an acre of land plenty of space for growing  fruit and vege plus it's got the largest olive   grove of all the properties I've shown the  friends so far the properties on the market   for just under eighty six thousand pounds say  you've got a bedroom through their potentials   putting in an ensuite and their sitting area  here and this is your kitchen diner lovely   flooring like the floor yeah in terms of the  style of this kitchen I know you've both got   quite different tastes haven't you yeah whose  taste is this this is hearing a beige for me   that's your style yes okay so you'd prefer more  color I would prefer a little but you could just   put a row of tiles couldn't you that had a  bit of color in there would you accept that really yeah yeah swap things around come to an  agreement with a little bit of this and that yeah   fix it is this done up to your taste could you  both live with this if you were to ask us is this   what we would put in the answer would be no yeah  see that's the compromise I'm interested if you're   you know willing to make and it sounds like it's a  bit too much of a compromise I mean if this house   had amazing views there wasn't the road outside  yeah how would you feel about this property then   it's getting closer to what we think that we  would would be accepting yes what we're seeing   so far yes then you've compromised yes and how  about having your own olive grove I know that was   something that you know that is lovely but then  would that make up for the fact that whichever   when do you look at you like what were you that  you'd like so yeah probably not even though they   knew it wasn't for them the friends still thought  it was worth seeing the rest of the house you've   got double bedroom through that way and that  bedroom there has got the terrace and then you've   got this bedroom which I presume you'd be knocking  through and you've got the garage on the other   side as well so there are potentials here there's  too many things that we can't change like the road   like the views if we could change that was willing  to make more compromise inside this refurbished   house has the four bedrooms and separate guest  annex that Jackie and Jane are looking for it's on   the market on the for just under 86,000 pounds and  although they won't be making an offer it's made   the friends think about how they would live in a  shared space we just feel that it's so unlikely   no matter how well a house has been done up that  it would be done up to fit our layout because we   are different to a more conventional couple we  don't need one master bedroom we need two master   bedrooms we need upstairs space or downstairs  living space whichever way up it's going to be   but we need places for each of us to go and have  some quiet time if we want to have a lay down read   a book but not be on top of each other all the  time but being the vicinity of each other yeah but   enough space to work together do stuff together as  well yeah I want to offer Jackie and Jane another   option that I feel would be more suited to their  unconventional needs so we're heading north west   closer to Rome but still near the coast to an  area called Salva the Athene though it's got a   population of just under three thousand mostly  Italian residents and a cappuccino will set you   back less than a pound the plan is for Jackie to  make her permanent move first and this place could   suit her well because it's just 25 minutes to the  maiella National Park where there are plenty of   walking trails for her to choose from so this is  silver DLT nah it does have all the amenities that   you need here so obviously your post office here  DIY shop this is gonna be my favorite place and   you like walking don't you I do and there's  a trekking group from here so the trekking   guide will actually meet you down here take you  trekking through the mountains and you don't have   to pay for anything except for your food and your  accommodation it's quite good and I think quite   a few of the friends that might come over might  want to do that too so that would be a positive   Belva the AL tino is considered a unique location  because it's equidistant between the mountains and   the coast a 25 minute drive to both as a result  it's popular with foreign investors I'm showing   Jackie and Jane a property that's built into a  hillside and is bigger than it looks from the   road so here we are we see this is the back of the  property please you said this property is actually   two separate apartments so you could choose to  have your own privacy and keep it that way or you   could choose to renovate it and have it as one big  property and so on at eighty six thousand pounds   even though two separate apartments it sounds a  lot of money for that mm-hm well go and have a   look inside because you may be surprised by the  space she gets and I'm actually gonna leave you   two to wander around this one on your own and I'll  meet up with you afterwards and we'll see what you   think not a great start but I think this detached  house gives Jackie and James space within the   same property as it's got two apartments outside  the front of the house faces the valley giving   fantastic views of hills and mountains especially  from the upper level and there's just under a   quarter of an acre of land with olive trees inside  there's one apartment on the ground floor that has   a large living room a kitchen a bathroom and  two bedrooms the apartment on the first floor   has a large living room with mezzanine bedroom a  separate bedroom and two bathrooms the properties   on the market for just under eighty six thousand  pounds and Jackie and Jane are starting off by   looking at the first floor apartment outside it's  quite an airy room look at this view oh wow that   is nice over there look at that definitely nice  two bedrooms two bathrooms up here the overall   space of both of these apartments would do us  but we'd need to put an internal staircase in   and then there's nowhere for I'll guess it's a  small kitchen but a table in here and it's done   give it the limited space would only me need to  be able to invite a few people at a time we'd be   crowded wouldn't we but always feel hemmed in so  should we go downstairs don't quite get the same   benefit of the views do you really from here a  few trees to go down yeah it's not enough outside   space I thought this property with twin apartments  and four bedrooms which is on the market for just   under eighty six thousand pounds would offer  the unconventional layout Jane and Jackie will   require however it doesn't work for them because  they've done so much to it it's the money it is   we'd probably have to undo everything they've ever  done and then you still wouldn't have the outside   space etc etc so just totally ruled out this one  so what's still left in the running first one we   quite liked the second house we did like yeah you  like the views there as well so I think views are   number one priority for the next property yeah I  think that's yeah that's right I may have shown   Jane and Jackie two properties they liked but I  don't feel I've shown them something that they   love I've got one more chance to fix that but  before taking them to my final property I met up   with Ruth and Stuart Holland they moved to Abruzzo  eight years ago and had no problem settling into   local life first of all we speak Italian great  and secondly the neighbors are so good they'd   arrive with cakes and the doctor invited us to  New Year dinner and we were invited yes and the   religion was invited and that was so nice they  really do want to involve us in everything how   has life changed what's the difference now in your  quality of life the difference is the quality of   life but that difference is where we're living  have used that we have everyday and sometimes   you think wow how did I get up here we climb the  mountains we're in a sporting group we're the only   English it's not a walking group it's a a teen  drinking group that's got a a walking problem   coming up Jackie and Jane wanted a Vista so I gave  them a Vista how is this review incredible Wow Jackie and Jane have been friends for over 25  years they love Italy and appalling together   their savings to set up their long-term futures  together here in the beautiful region of a flood   so Jackie and Jane have got 110,000 pounds  to buy their dream property with a further   80,000 pounds to spend on any renovation work  they decide to carry out so far I've shown the   best friends this twin farm house that was on  the market well under budget at just under 70   and a half thousand pounds they could picture  how they would make the property work for them   but weren't keen on it sloping land next I showed  Jane and Jackie this split-level farmhouse on for   just over 78,000 pounds they wanted to convert  the home into an upside-down house in order to   utilize the wonderful views and it's currently  the friend's favorite place I then took Jackie   and Jane to this refurbished house on the market  for just under 86,000 pounds they had the four   bedrooms they were after but they didn't like  a nearby road or lack of views so the friends   ruled it out we then viewed this property with  twin apartments also on for just under eighty six   thousand pounds however Jackie and Jane could not  see how it would work for them so they ruled it   out I'm determined to impress the best friends  with my final property so I'm taking them to a   quintessentially Italian town called Castle E  it's a 20-minute drive to the coast and there's   an old town with the medieval charm and character  that Jackie and Jane are looking for so this is   Casserly what do you think of it here lovely here  is the real buzz about at the moment because we've   arrived at fester time this particular festival  is for the patron saint of the town so you've got   marching band fireworks little food stalls here I  don't know if you've tried porchetta have you this   is obviously here for the fester but porchetta  vans you do find them in this area pulled up   on the side of the street for example and you can  get a porchetta panini for a couple pounds that's   a place to bring friends again yeah stay for an  evening so should we head up to the property the   mindset of Italians towards property has changed  significantly since the financial crisis for   decades homes were considered something you passed  down the family generation to generation and   never sold however foreign investment and second  home taxes have encouraged selling in a time of   austerity and that's why we have a property that  never would have been available until recently a   detached farmhouse owned by a family who want  to sell it you requested more open views how   is this review incredible Wow Wow you said wow  that's the first time I heard you yes certainly   the most impressive approach to any of the houses  that we've seen so far in terms of land the olive   grove is not yours currently however the current  owners have said that open to negotiation in terms   of land so if you did want to buy extra land you  could do this is a shared access road your land   ends at the side of the road goes up to the border  just in front of where those buildings are there   this garage is yours as well it's not currently  on the footprint however it would be up to the   owner to put that on the footprint by law that  big bond area to convert that you'd be looking   at around thirty to forty thousand pounds it's  actually been on at over 120 dropped to around   113 it's now on it just under one hundred and nine  thousand pounds but the agent thinks you'd get it   for under one hundred thousand pounds it sounds  great this detached farmhouse is set up a long   drive towards the top of a hill where there are  fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and   countryside it comes with just under an acre of  land that is already cultivated for growing fruit   and vegetables there are olive trees but Jackie  and Jane would have to negotiate means into the   deal but a barn and a garage do come as part of  the price the main house is currently divided into   three separate areas all of which the ladies could  renovate one section is habitable immediately has   a large living dining room an adjacent kitchen two  good-sized double bedrooms one single bedroom and   a bathroom as well as a large attic the second  section also habitable was once a tomato house   which was traditionally used for the messy  job of turning tomatoes into passata sauce   its roof can be used as a terrace with wonderful  sweeping views finally there is also an unfinished   two-story extension which was never completed and  the whole package is on the market for just under   one hundred and nine thousand pounds so this is  currently your kitchen diner that would want to   be opened up a little bit more a little thing  whichever way we were doing it up these spaces   would need to be opened up yet there is a lot  of space to be able to do there isn't it's quite   cool in here and it's Airy you know windows on on  both sides there so it's letting plenty of light   in have you been updating your family is about the  property search as we've been going along briefly   briefly and what do you think they think of this  place I think middle I guess yeah not to like no   no you can imagine everybody's faces client you  want you to sort of drive them on the drive yes   this is what your fault yeah say got a lovely view  up here as well I've got a small bedroom there   so bedroom there small balcony here and this is  currently the master that has access to the bigger   Terrace area yeah yeah and considered now hot it  is today it's still not really hot in here you've   got a big attic space above that's got potential  for conversion as well the only thing is I suppose   in working out whether you want an upside down  property or not and working out the configuration   is of course you have the potential for a lovely  Terrace to make the most of the views yeah   well shall we go and have a look at what could  potentially be the guest accommodation so you've   got two options here you've got the smarter house  here that's already got electricity plumbing it's   in quite a good state to quickly get yourself a  little ensuite and and bedroom in there and you've   got the extension there which is in a more basic  condition it needs a lot more work but you've got   two levels to that would you convert both trying  to link the tomato house into the underneath   part of the extension only would be a better bet  leaving the upstairs of the extension bit to form   part of the upstairs living space do you want to  walk around the property and I'll meet up with you   later and you can tell me what you think okay see  you in a bit thank you sir tomato house it's got   the electrics it's got the plumbing kitchen lounge  seating comfortable area almost ashamed to give it   over to the nice and call again this my goodness  there's different view on every kind of side so   this would definitely be our patio yes no reason  to move this and do anything with it no yeah very   nice well this detached farmhouse with 360 degree  views is in contention for becoming the number one   property it currently has three bedrooms but there  is scope for war and it's on the market for just   under one hundred nine thousand pounds I think  we have a clear idea of where we'd ideally like   things to be it'll come down to whether the  things we would like to do are possible yeah   it's all about the money it's all about the money  what I think it's probably worth doing is getting   a few estimates for you then at least you'll  have a little bit more to work with in terms   of making your decision and we'll meet up later  and see if you want to take any steps forward if you want more information on any of the  properties featured on today's show go to a   place in the Sun com forward slash programs back  to our search and I've shown Jane and Jackie five   properties for their one hundred and ten thousand  pound budget here in Abruzzo but since seeing my   final property the best friends have ruled out  this twin farmhouse that was on the market for   just under 70 and a half thousand pounds this  spit level farmhouse on for just over 78,000   pounds this refurbished house on for just under  eighty six thousand pounds and this property with   twin apartments also on for just under eighty six  thousand pounds there's one property in it this   detached farmhouse that was on for just under  one hundred and nine thousand pounds we spoke   to some experts about the costs for the work Jane  and Jackie wanted to do and the estimates came in   at around sixty five thousand pounds so if the  building work came in on budget the total cost   of this dream home would be one hundred and forty  five thousand pounds which is under the maximum   the friends plan to spend they have up to one  hundred and ninety thousand pounds in all which   they were thinking of splitting one hundred and  ten thousand for the property and 80 thousand   pounds for the renovation so in theory that hatch  farmhouse fits the bill I'm keen to see what   they're thinking now we've got approximate costs  so we're a lot more comfortable with that we are   but we'd need to put a comfortable cushion on top  of that because they are only estimates after all   we would need to be buying that house at eighty  thousand somewhere around there we know that the   the current agent has told us you'd probably  be able to get it under a hundred thousand   pound mark however eighty thousand it is it is  a big difference but there is that big barn on   a sloping piece of land that is currently part of  the property boundary we aren't interested in that   big down or the land that it's on we also aren't  interested in the garage that isn't registered so   they wouldn't have to spend the money to register  that garage okay we would be looking to give them   the land back that we know we wouldn't use we  would like some olive trees as well as part   of the overall deal but once you've reconfigured  the whole offering I really don't see any reason   why 80 is unreasonable to you happy for me to put  in that offer now yes yeah hi Dave its Sarah how   are you very well thank you so I'm just with  the ladies here and they're interested in the   farm house the land on the plateau and the barn  itself they don't want and they're not interested   either in the garage so they wouldn't have to  register that or put that through however what   they would like are the olive trees at the front  of the property so really they would like to put   in an offer of 80,000 pounds sure thanks Dave  bye so he said he'll be very happy to discuss   that with them he said they'll probably take  a couple of days to discuss with the family   because obviously it's a family property as well  so we're not expecting an immediate answer but   he sounded quite amenable to it open to it so  fingers crossed everything will go through well   and you can meet somewhere in the middle this is  very exciting to have found something that is so   close to what we wanted what we always wanted but  you couldn't have picked a better property for   views though no I mean no the trees it's got the  roll in farmland and then the mile and mountains   in the background they're brilliant fantastic  we'll keep you in contact with the agents and   fingers crossed everything goes through for you on  returning to the UK the agent informed Jackie and   Jane that the family were not prepared to accept  their 80 thousand pound offer keen to make it   happen Jane and Jackie have asked the agent to  go back to the family and find out what price   they would be prepared to accept for the detached  farmhouse so they're still in talks with the agent

Channel: Abruzzo Rural Property

Views: 979,043

Rating: 4.6951132 out of 5

Keywords: real estate Abruzzo, real estate Italy, real estate Molise, house hunters Italy, house hunters international, house hunters Abruzzo, house hunters international italy, a place in the sun abruzzo, a place in the sun italy, a place in the sun, buy house in Italy, Abruzzo Italy, italy, property for sale italy, unspoilt Italy, abruzzo italy real estate

Id: 9Yz9EEBUSKk

Length: 47min 34sec (2854 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 14 2018