One of the things that might have helped you make the transition to Italy – as well as, perhaps, one of the aspects of your new life there that you were most looking forward to – may well have been the exciting prospect of having your friends, family and loved-ones to stay in your new home.

The reality of receiving guests, however, can be a very different experience indeed. When you decide to move to somewhere sunny, your visitor traffic may well increase exponentially compared to that which you were used to when living in the UK.

And because you are living that bit further away, your visitors will almost certainly wish to prolong their stay for that bit longer. So what may have been the odd weekend visit from Uncle Stanley and Auntie Vera, could potentially turn into the expectation of a twice yearly visit of a week or more. Times that by the number of people who are most likely to want to visit you, and you can suddenly find that your calendar is becoming on the full side – especially during the summer months.

Added to the possible stress of such extended visits, is the fact that if people are coming over to a foreign country, you may well find yourself thrust repeatedly into the role of tour guide/translator/taxi driver, with your beloved home being regarded less as your private haven, and more as a hotel to be used and abused as such.

Being in the position to be able to offer a more personal (and definitely more affordable) break to the people you love most in the world, can be a very gratifying thing; but for the sake of your mental health, your friendships and your wallet, try not to let it get out of hand.

I learnt the lesson the hard way after a disastrous two-week visit to my previous home in southern France by some (usually perfectly well-behaved and seemingly normal) old friends and their two-year-old daughter. I was laid-up on the sofa with a badly broken ankle at the time and from my perch I could only watch helplessly as my home was turned into a quagmire of sand and wet towels, as the child banged holes into my kitchen table with her spoon, spilled drink on my sofa and - with the complicity of her parents - tied me to an enforced day-long diet of cartoons on my very own television. They hogged the bathroom, reluctantly replaced the contents of my kitchen cupboards, but with cheaper versions of the items they consumed, and didn’t even bring us a present to thank us for their stay.

Needless to say, the friendship was damaged irreversibly and they will never be invited to visit me again, wherever I happen to be living. Of course, that visit was an exception to the rule, but when people start to view your house as their holiday accommodation, as opposed to seeing it as your private home, behaviour can change in even the most reasonable of folk.

So if you are happy to let friends, family and loved-ones come and stay with you on a regular basis, I would suggest that you encourage them to be a little more independent than if they were just popping over for a weekend. Once you have showed the sixth group of people round that quaint little local church, or walked them for the ‘nth time round the local market, you may find the whole experience starts to wear a little thin.

So why not suggest to those that are capable, that they rent a car? Or lend them yours if you don’t need it every day – in Italy the insurance covers the car, not the driver. So, as long as they are over 21 and hold a European driving licence, they will be covered by your insurance.

And why not keep leaflets and maps of local attractions to hand? Then your visitors can decide how they would best like to spend their days, rather than you having to organise an itinerary for each visit. Enjoy your visitors – they are an excellent way of getting to know your surroundings, as well as keeping a close bond with home – but try to make sure that they know how to respect your home and your life during their stay.