Treasure in Tremoli

We had been dreaming of the Italian life for many years before we finally committed. Francesca is Italian and we determined that we would not become one of those 'buying abroad disaster stories' that you continually hear about, how could we with Francesca's knowledge gained in childhood, of the Italian property market? Two years down the line and I'm pleased to report that with the help of Tony and his builder extraordinaire, Giuseppe, it hasn't happened. We managed to purchase the house of our dreams and are well on our way to converting it into our own Calabrian idyll. For us it's going to be our permanent home, not a holiday home so we needed to be completely certain we were doing the right thing.

I'm almost ashamed to say that we bought the first house we looked at, but it's true. We had been searching online from our home in Newcastle for quite some time. I remember spotting the house in Tremoli one dull Saturday morning whilst watching football focus on the BBC. Francesca liked the look of it as well. The price was right, it needed some work but it definitely had potential. Nothing happened for a year but we continued to look online and kept going back to the house in Tremoli. We needed to have a look. Arrangements were made and we visited Scalea to check out the area, meet Tony and see the house. Suspicions were raised when I discovered he was a Manchester United fan but as he had Italian origins Francesca said not to worry and off we went past the skips in Villaggio La Bussola towards the stunning mountains of Santa Domenica Talao and on to Tremoli. 

First impressions of the house were great. It was everything we hoped it would be despite the fact that it needed work. Tony held nothing back and told us everything he thought it needed. Daunting as it was we both realised at that point that he could be trusted and decided that this was the place. 

A year later after much deliberations we finally did the deed and bought the house. Cautious of the fact that the house needed work we were concerned that much could go wrong and we could be adding our names to the 'nightmare abroad' articles. Tony introduced us to Giuseppe and the man has been fantastic. All the work done so far has been completed as requested, on time, on budget and to an exceptionally high standard. He knows not to listen to me (why would he, I can't speak Italian?) but follows Francesca's instructions most of the time and as a result our house is taking shape and looking fantastic. 

There's still a way to go. Some finishing touches to the outside. We've had to have quite a bit of stabilising work done, and a load of concreting, finished off with a patio and paving in local mountain stone. Giuseppe has done the work to last and we have no worries about completing the job. Both him and Tony have really gone the 'extra mile' in helping us with not just work to the house but in a whole range of other things.  When we have needed help and advice they have been there for us. We need a sport shop, we call Tony or Giuseppe, we need information on residency, we call them, best beaches, eateries, car hire, literally anything and we know it's not too much trouble. Giuseppe and his wife have become friends. They understand the difficulties foreigners face when buying abroad and have for us made the whole experience as painless as possible. As a result the dream continues despite the fact that Tony still doesn't realise Manchester United will continue to have a negative impact on his reputation...

- Brendan & Francesca

If you would like to find your own Italian dream, visit Calabria Property Consultants where you will find something to suit your needs.

Our Home Away from Home

It has been 2 short years since we first visited Scalea. After somewhat impulsively deciding that 'life is very short' and that I wanted to buy a holiday home in Italy (having never visited the country before, I might add), I engaged in a lengthy email exchange with Tony, the proprietor of Calabria Property Consultants, sharing with him my dream of a property centred around my love of beautiful surroundings along with Mediterranean food and wine!  My budget was small, however a weekend was arranged for viewings, and I was very excited!

When we arrived in Scalea, we were greeted by Tony, despite it being past 11pm, and accompanied to our B&B.  The following morning, our 1 1/2 days of property viewings began, and I soon fell in love with a small apartment in Centro Storico with a little balcony taking in the sea views; bliss! 

Three months later I returned for the final purchase of the property.  On this occasion I traveled alone, but was warmly welcomed into the fold of other property owners (residents and holiday home owners) and enjoyed many social gatherings!  These continue, and every time we visit we find our social life is far more vibrant than when we are in our home town in the UK. Indeed, every day we bump into someone we know.

We have made some improvements to the apartment, including a little plumbing, decoration, and installing louvred shutters to improve the ventilation to the property. There is still some decoration to be done, but somehow the DIY doesn't detract from the holiday?  The weather has mostly been kind to us, even during December,so I can only think those wonderful rays of sunshine are responsible for our good mood when working.

The apartment is now a home from home.  When we visit, we find the steps up to the property a challenge for the first couple of days, but it does at least give us an excuse for our over-indulgence at the excellent local restaurants and bars, and of course, the views more than compensate.  

Our neighbours always wave and chat across the balconies.  We are taking Italian classes in the UK and each time we return, we understand a little more and can be a little bolder with our attempts at the language. With our limited Italian, and a heavy reliance on actions and sign language, we muddle through with much laughter along the way!

Mostly when we visit, we fly from Stansted to either Lamezia or Naples and take a beautifully scenic train ride to Scalea. The fare can be as cheap as €9 when booked in advance, and the station is only a 20 minute walk from our apartment. Scalea is a well serviced town, everything you need is within walking distance of Centro Storico: the beach, the bars, the countryside, the restaurants, supermarkets, fruit and veg stalls, hardware stores, and the market on a Monday provides a multitude of goodies.  A short drive away are some wonderful towns, beaches, adventure sports and historical attractions providing enjoyable days out too.

The last two years have flown by and our love of Scalea has grown.  My impulsive purchase has given us more pleasure than we could have imagined; just waking and opening the shutters to the magnificent view warms the heart.  And the apartment is there for the long term, for the enjoyment of our friends and family as well as ourselves. 

- Jane Boor

If you would like to find your own home from home, visit Calabria Property Consultants where you will find something to suit your needs.