Italy Buying Guide Monthly Newsletter
November/December 2009

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In This Months Issue You'll Find:

Calves brain or rabbit-head anyone?

Interview with an Italophile…

What do pensions, mortgages, property, and boats all have in common?

Using a Mortgage to secure an overseas property - what's the scoop?

Who is Elaine Ferguson and why should you care?

Christmas Special – 25% off any of our Property Buying Guides

Did you know we have a Italy Forum loaded with tonnes of info?

Ciao for now…

How are you?

I have just got back from a bit of food tourism – a natural thing to do when living in Italy!
We braved the cold Piedmontese weather (a good ten degrees colder than our own sunny Ligurian hills), and stood in the snow to visit two livestock fairs and enjoy local delicacies (usually involving relatives of the livestock we had been admiring and cuddling earlier on). Piedmont has a great culinary tradition, involving hearty beef stews cooked in wine, game, polenta, cheeses and – my favourite – bagna cauda. This is a hot anchovy and garlic dip that makes anything from raw celery to roasted peppers taste wonderful, and – being a rather strong, ‘antisocial’ dish – is normally eaten at large get-togethers, so that everyone’s breath is just as lethal as everyone else’s. Not to mention the excellent wines that are produced in Piedmont. In winter, busloads of Ligurians go on pilgrimage to Piedmont to eat ‘bollito’, a traditional dish of boiled meats that includes five cuts of meat: tongue, tail, testina (calf’s head), scaramella and tenerone steak, as well as boiled chicken and cotechino (a spiced pork sausage). The dinner starts off with beef broth, then a few boiled vegetables, and then the piece de resistance, the five cuts of boiled meat accompanied by a myriad of sauces.

I normally stick to the boiled chicken and pass on the rest. Italians are still quite into eating just about every part of an animal that could be considered vaguely edible – my partner’s favourite is rabbit head, to give you an idea – and it’s a habit that was recently applauded by a British author interviewed on Italian radio. Interviewed about the waste of food in the western world, and particularly as regards animal products, Tristram Stuart – author of Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, which has just been published in Italian – was very complimentary of the Italian habit of eating bits that Brits are now squeamish about.

Tristram would therefore be quite excited to find out that this month sees the 440th edition of the ‘Cold Food Fair’ in Borgo San Dalmazzo, Piedmont. Before you rush to book your plane ticket, let me specify that during the ‘Fiera Fredda’ the town of Borgo San Dalmazzo spends the week feasting on snails. Snails –Helix pomatia, for connoisseurs who may be interested in the specific breed – cooked in every possible manner. The fact that the fair is in its 440th year makes it clear that it is still a pretty popular date on people’s calendars, and indeed, my rabbit head-eating partner was eyeing the prospectus with a great deal of interest.

While walking around Saturday’s cow fair I was quite taken aback to find a stand manned by the Irish food board, the Bord Bia. Apparently there are 6.7 million heads of cattle in Ireland, a number of which are Piedmontese breeds that are reared in Ireland. There is even an Irish Piemontese Society which organises the development of Piedmontese cattle breeds in Ireland. While Piedmontese breeds of cattle are imported from Italy to Ireland, Italy imports tons of beef back from Ireland. While I had a nice chat with the two Irish representatives at the stand, I was offered a sip of Bailey’s and a glimpse into an Italian-Irish link that I had had no inkling of.

Italy government to pay 40% of renovation costs in Liguaria

But enough about food! The really big news in my town, which only hit this week, was that the new mayor has decided to form a ‘paese albergo’ scheme here. This is really exciting news for people who have buildings that need renovation. The ‘paese albergo’ scheme is where you, as owner of a property, loan it to the council, who manages it as a holiday rental. The town becomes one big, extended hotel, with rooms tucked away in several old buildings. It’s a great way of increasing the level of tourist hospitality in old, medieval towns without ruining them by building enormous hotel complexes.

And indeed, an enormous hotel complex would be complete overkill in a small town like mine. You are paid between 1,000-1,400 euros for every person your property can sleep (half that for sofa-beds) per year for 10 years. You can opt to have your property back for one month a year, which can be divided up into two fortnights, agreed beforehand with the local council. If your property needs renovating, the council will pay you 40% of the renovation costs.

For this scheme to go ahead in my town, the council needs to pool together sleeping quarters for 30 people, or the regional government will not give the go-ahead, and so myself and our local estate agent have been busy contacting all property owners, Italian and foreign, who have unrenovated and renovated properties left empty most of the time, either because they don’t have the cash to complete the renovation or because they don’t have enough time to come to Italy.

For people like them, it’s a wonderful chance to make their property pay, and a long-term investment if after 10 years they have a property that has been renovated thanks to the scheme.  Only one downside: all building work has to be legal, with receipts, and VAT has to be paid on the work, or no grant! Interestingly enough, you can sell your property during those ten years, however the new owners will have to respect the ten year agreement until it is up. If you would like more information about the paese albergo scheme, also known as 'Albergo Diffuso', you can download an English-language brochure from www.albergodiffuso.com

What do I have for you further this month?  Well, I have a fascinating interview with someone who adores Italy (don’t we all?) and then I ask you what  pensions, mortgages, property, and boats all have in common. I discuss the ins and outs of mortgages today plus a few bits and bobs before ending for this month.  I hope you will find something of interest here, and please remember that we at the OGC would love to hear from you.  Just ring us on 0207 898 0549 and have a chat…

Best wishes,

Gianna

Gianna Williams
Italy Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company
Italy@OverseasGuidesCompany.com
Phone 0207 898 0549

Interview with an Italophile…

Brittmarie Janson Perez is an extraordinary woman. Born in Sweden, ‘Britti’ and her family emigrated to Panama when she was only six weeks old, just before the outbreak of World War II. Her parents sent her to study in Costa Rica, Colombia and the United States.
She was working as a translator for the US Government in Panama when a military coup in 1968 changed her life. Opposing the repressive dictatorship, she and other women published a clandestine weekly.

Returning to university in the United States, where she has lived since then, Britti obtained a Ph.D. in anthropology and, after the US invasion of Panama, finished her thesis on the process of political protest in her native country. Published in Panama, it immediately became a university textbook.

Brittmarie had long known that she had an Italian ancestor: a monk who had fled a monastery and escaped to the United Kingdom in 1842. Britti decided to find out the truth about that ancestor and made her first trip to Italy. Following a clue in a document left by the ex-monk, she discovered that he was born in a medieval hill-top town in Liguria, called Ceriana, the son of humble peasants. For Brittmarie, this discovery was ‘a present from Heaven’ because she had fallen in love with her ancestor’s town and its people at first sight.

She wanted to quit their large and comfortable house, complete with indoor pool, in the United States immediately to move to Liguria. However, though her husband Frank was willing to spend a good part of the year in Italy, he did not want to live there permanently. Frank is quite elderly and he was worried that if he got sick in Italy, he wouldn’t be able to tell the doctors how he felt, or understand what they said to him. Their solution was to look for a small place that didn’t require expensive restoration and could take care of itself during their absence.

They eventually acquired the attics of two different buildings joined together by a tiny terrace. Living in one attic that had already been converted into a small apartment, with the help of Italian friends they converted the other attic, once used to make wine and store wood, into a dining room and mini-museum displaying the wine casks and other agricultural implements that were already there. Brittmarie subsequently wrote a book, The Monk’s Legacy, about her search for her ancestors. Now, she says, ‘I wake up in the morning and can’t believe that I am so happy. I’m still staggered by the miraculous train of events that led me here.’

Q: What do you like most about living in Italy?

Though the countryside is dazzlingly beautiful, what I love most about Italy are its people. Intelligent, communicative, lively and fun, they have a great sense of humour and are the best friends one could ever hope to have.

In fact, the quality of life is far superior in Italy than in the United States. The anonymity and coldness of daily life in an American city is alienating.  One can go to the same supermarket for 10 years without meeting a familiar face. In our little Italian town, any routine errand is a social event because everywhere one meets friends and exchanges news and pleasantries. When I get a cold or sprain my back in the United States, only my husband knows or cares. We do have grandchildren and friends who live in the same city, but they’re too busy with their work to visit.  Instead, in Italy, when one of us gets sick, it seems as if half the town comes to visit, bringing food and suggestions for a cure.

In the United States, we are trapped in our automobiles. You cannot live without one and most city views consist of enormous parking lots and towering skyscrapers. In the small Italian town where we live several months of the year, we don’t need a car to get around. Everything — grocery shops, a first-class bakery, post office, bank, doctor, church — is within easy walking distance. If we need to go to the city, we take the bus, and as we wind down the mountains to the coast we are treated to splendid views of terraced vineyards, olive groves and flower gardens.

Also, there is a big difference in the quality of the food. Italians would never put up with the tasteless genetically-modified stuff we have to eat in the United States. Food is more expensive in Italy, but you enjoy it more. And in the summer, when our friends harvest what they have planted in their ortos, they shower us daily with fresh vegetables and fruit. To reciprocate, since we don’t have an orto, we bring them small presents when we come every year. But we receive much more than we give.

Q: If you could change one thing about life in Italy, what would it be?

August, when everybody in Italy goes on vacation. Ordinary business is virtually paralysed, notaries are unavailable for the entire month, and it’s even difficult to get medical attention unless it’s an emergency. It’s true that every weekend in August there are hundreds of fascinating festive events, most of them free. But you won’t be able to sleep if you live near the venues where such events are held because the noise level is so high!

Also, there’s the matter of household appliances. From an American’s perspective, most European-designed appliances are inadequate or difficult to manage. For example, the temperature of my electric oven is so unreliable that when I make meringues, I have to sit on the floor for an hour, peering through the glass door with a flashlight to make sure they don’t burn. Our noisy energy-efficient refrigerator alternates between gurgling like a brook and revving up its motors like a rocket preparing to take off for Mars. As for our washing machine, though we bought the simplest model available, it has so many complicated controls that it took me a week’s reading to understand the instructions.

Q: What words of advice would you give to someone thinking seriously about moving to Italy permanently?

My advice is based on our experiences of the past 10 years in a small country town. I think it applies whether you are going to live in Italy permanently or only several months of the year.

First, get a basic knowledge of Italian before you do anything. We bought Italian lessons on tape several months before making our first trip. Studying the language seriously, my husband and I tested each other daily and even played the tapes when driving. After you go, keep on building upon your foundations. Italian is a beautiful language and Italians like to talk above all else. The better you know the language, the richer your life will be. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We all make them. Once, at a grocery store, I thought I was asking for toilet paper but I actually requested ‘a hygienic postcard’. Another time, at a fancy restaurant, when asked what I wanted to drink, instead of saying tap water, I politely asked the waiter to bring me water from the toilet. You should have seen his face!

Second, try to get ‘adopted’ by a local family. This is crucial because in Italy so much is determined by your social network. Don’t confine your friendships to expat circles because if you do, you’ll miss the best of Italy. Getting ‘adopted’ is easy because Italians are open and kind. We first stayed at a small inn run by a local family who adopted us immediately. This adoption soon led to a rapidly widening circle of Italian friends who answered our questions, provided advice, assistance and generous help. In fact, we now have more friends in Italy than in the United States.

Third, take your time before buying anything. Be very careful about purchasing property that needs restoring or converting into something else. When ever you have an important decision to make, especially before buying or reconstructing a house or apartment, ask as many locals as you can for their opinions. They will love to help because, aside from being generous and kind, Italians are instinctive problems solvers.

Last, don’t look back. If you open your eyes and hearts to the beauty of Italy and its wonderful people, you will be amply rewarded.

Please let me know if we can help to make YOUR dream of living in Italy come true.  Just pick up the phone and call the OGC Resource Centre at 0207 898 0549.  The team is standing by with all sorts of help and recommendations that will help you along your way.  Estate agents, lawyers, an IFA (Independent Financial Advisor) and much more all come recommended by either the team themselves or by other Italy Property Buying Guide readers.  You will be under absolutely no obligation and who knows?  You may just find the help you need to make your dream a reality.

If you are interested in help finding a property … fill out the following property form: http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/property.htm

What do pensions, mortgages, property, and boats all have in common?

They could all involve the process of moving money internationally. 

Many ex-pats living in Italy have or will have to move money from the UK to Italy (or vice versa) and when doing so, there’s the matter of changing sterling into euros (or vice versa). This small matter often has large consequences when people fail to understand the risk of costly loses throughout the international money transfer process. 

When transferring money between countries with two different currencies the losses occur through bank charges, poor exchange rates and bad timing. All three types of losses can be drastically reduced by using a currency exchange and international payment specialist. 

Specialists are able to provide better exchange rates than those offered by a high street bank. Where the bank often sets their exchange rates in the morning, specialists call into the market floor and get the best possible live exchange rate which is often 2 – 4% better than the rates listed at the bank. On £50,000 that’s a 1- 2k savings! Furthermore, specialists concentrate on one thing and one thing only – moving money. By doing this, they understand where fees are charged and how they can be avoided. Aside from good rates and fee reductions, Specialists have a few options that allow clients to create various money-saving strategies. 

This all sounds good theoretically but what does this mean in real life?  Let’s consider a pension, mortgage, property and a boat payment!

Pension
Tony moved to Italy in 2007 and quite a bit has changed since then – especially the value of his pension. Lucky for him, in August 08 he contacted a specialist and signed up for a Forward contract. This allowed him to fix his monthly pension payments at €1.23/£1 for a value of €2,460. If he simply took the going rate, poor Tony would have received a decreasing pension payout to the tune of 15% by November 09. 

Mortgage
Sadly, unlike Tony, his neighbour Richard failed to talk to a specialist at the same time. His mortgage payment was € 700 per month. Richard paid his mortgage from the UK using sterling month by month through a bank. By November of this year, the cost had risen to £636. If he worked with a specialist, every payment could have been set at £569.

Property
The Streeter’s finally realised their dream of buying a property in Italy in September 2008. The initial payment on the home was €163,575. The quote that they got from a bank was for a euro exchange of €1.19 to the £1. However the Streeter’s were smart and decided to go to a currency specialist and obtained a quote of €1.223 to the £1. The couple saved €4,414 on their euro exchange by getting better-than-bank-exchange rates.

Boat
Ted often looked out to the Mediterranean and wished that he could buy a yacht. Over the past year, boating in Italy seems to have become more and more popular and Ted wished to see himself out on the water – not others! In a fortunate turn of events a family member left him a considerable legacy in the UK and Ted knew that his days of being landlocked were over. He found a boat in April and needed to come up with the payment in late June when the boat was being delivered. With this in mind, he contacted a specialist, discussed the cost and rates and decided to set up an ‘Order to Buy’. This means that if the euro exchange rate hit a certain level, the specialists would buy the currency. Thankfully, in late May, the rate hit €1.15/£1 just in time for Ted to make his payment. By setting up the ‘Order to Buy,’ Ted was able to save just over £4,500 .

Each individual and each payment is different – that’s why it makes sense to talk to a specialist about where you are and what you want to achieve. Unfortunately, specialists cannot predict the rates or make them change in your favour, however they can get you better rates than offered by the bank AND allow you to pick from various options that have the further possibility of saving you money. 

Charles Purdy is a Director at Smart Currency Exchange Limited – the only international payment specialists in the UK that works specifically to help people moving money for property purchases or for regular payments such as mortgage or pension payments. To move money to Italy or repatriate back to the UK, check out:  www.SmartCurrencyExchange.com/quote.aspx

Here is a testimonial received from a happy Smart client: 

Having recently used smart for the first time, I was impressed by the service provided, the level of information and the relative ease of the process.  Your representative was informative and open, even advising me going forward of times when the exchange rate was likely to dip, therefore to avoid if possible.

I transferred a relatively small amount. The costs were incredibly low, a token £5 charge, and the exchange rate excellent.  I will be using Smart going forward; it saves me time, saves money and means the recipient bank account gets more euros for my sterling.

I was also very impressed that from start to finish I dealt with the same representative rather than the ''whoever is on shift in the contact centre when you call''.  It is a personalised touch that the banks would do well to reintroduce. Thank you, Viv Hudson

Using a Mortgage to secure an overseas property - what's the scoop?

If you are buying a property abroad today, one of your main concerns is going to be how to get a mortgage – very few of us can slap the full price on the table in cash! You don’t have to be Einstein to know that this has become far more difficult since the onset of the credit crunch…unless of course you don’t watch TV or read the headlines on every billboard or newspaper! It has also become more difficult to raise a mortgage for a home abroad, a fact you need to consider at the outset of your property search.

So…what to do?

For a start, you will need a far larger deposit than before.  Mortgage lenders are insisting on this and are not likely to drop their requirements any time soon.  What does this mean to you?  Well, probably that you will have to find in the region of 25% of the value of your purchase in cash …a frightening prospect for many. HSBC's deal, the cheapest at time of writing, demands a 40% deposit or equity stake - as does the two year fixed mortgage on offer from Cheltenham and Gloucester. Meanwhile, Woolwich's two year fixed rate mortgages require borrowers to put down at least a 30% deposit.

According to recent research by Moneyfacts, borrowers now need to find a deposit three times higher than they would have needed two years ago ( Moneyfacts incidentally is an independent financial information provider in the UK). This means that, on a mortgage of £150,000 you would now need to put down £39,000.  That is £25,500 more than would have been required before the credit crunch – frightening isn’t it?

There are a very small number of lenders who are prepared to provide far higher loan to value (LTV) deals, but these mortgages are liable to be much more expensive.

So – again, what to do? 

Well, I guess there is always the tried and tested way – borrow from willing parents – the Bank of Mum and Dad as it’s now being called!  That’s if they have not been hit by the credit crunch too.  Also, if you are saving towards a deposit, you need to make sure your money is getting the best possible interest.  A warning here however:  make sure it is lodged with a reputable company who will look after it for you.  I was pleased that my pennies were with Lloyds Bank as the crunch hit:  they are simply too important to be allowed to fail…
 
What I would say is that at this point it may be a really good idea to consult an IFA (Independent Financial Advisor).  What do they do?  Well, many things, but what concerns you here is that they would look at your particular financial status and work out what would be the best possible way to fund your property purchase.  They have entrée to many mortgage offerings and will be able to give you an idea as to which would best suit your circumstances.  A quick chat to the OGC Resource Team could help you here – they have a reputable IFA they could recommend. Give them a call on 0207 898 0549 and have a chat about this.

When buying a home abroad a route that many go is to remortgage their UK property and use those funds to buy abroad.  Sadly the credit crunch has affected even this option. The value of your house may well have dropped in the current market, and this in turn means that your equity will have dropped.  Ultimately you may struggle to remortgage at all in the current climate.

A mere three years ago it was possible for first time buyers to borrow mortgages equivalent to five or six times their yearly earnings. 100% and 125% mortgages were also widely available, meaning that home buyers could purchase property which was actually beyond their means.

Fast forward to 2009 and high LTV mortgage lending has all but disappeared. Not unreasonably, lenders today are looking to lend to people who are going to pay them back - they cannot afford for customers to default on their debts. This may look like an obvious requirement but that’s exactly what went wrong worldwide recently: people were loaned money that they couldn’t pay back …and we all are suffering as a result.

In addition, how much money they are prepared to let you borrow is now far less. They will take into account too financial commitments such as school commitments, loans, and credit card debt as well as what you earn when deciding whether to offer you a loan. This means that if you are planning to apply for a mortgage it would be a very good idea to first ‘get your house in order’ and pay off or reduce loans appreciably.

All this means that you need to make sure that you have a good credit rating.  How to do this?  Well, if it's been a while since you looked at your credit record or you think your record may be less than spotless (for instance if you have defaulted on any payments), you should check your Experian credit report and get your credit score. You can do this by clicking on: Free Experian Credit Report

This will allow you to know whether you have a good credit record or not.  The unfairness of this – if I can put it that way – is that the less money you have borrowed or the fewer accounts you have run up, the less information will be available to provide you with a good credit record – a bit of a Catch 22 situation isn’t it?

How to find the Best Mortgages for You

As stated earlier, I really do think that the best route to take is to discuss your particular needs with an IFA.  They will have a number of options available and will take your particular circumstances into account. Give the OGC Resource Team a call on 0207 898 0549 as they have access to IFAs that work specifically with people buying overseas - they will point you in the right direction.

And remember – times have been hard, but better days are ahead and things will get easier.  Never give up on your dream… 

Who is Elaine Ferguson and why should you care?

Elaine is the ‘Client Services Manager,’ for The Overseas Guides Company (OGC) and the official company karaoke superstar.  With a degree in Music Technology & Management (Staffordshire University) and a love for singing, mixing and DJ-ing, Elaine loves all things musical.

When asked how she arrived into the interesting world of emigration and buying overseas property, Elaine commented, “When I came out of university, jobs in the music industry were almost impossible to get.  And although I love music, I didn’t want to be a pop star – my actual passion was for the business side of things…”

Elaine started off her working life in the wine industry – she worked for one of the largest wine distributors and learned about customer service, marketing, sales and how business really works.  After an excellent experience, she relocated to London with her boyfriend, and went to a wide range of interviews.

As soon as she met the team at the OGC, Elaine knew that she found her next ‘home.’  The team needed someone that was eager to learn, assist readers and find ways to provide a better service.  Since June 2008, Elaine has really grown into her role and enjoys working with readers and hanging out with the OGC family. 

When asked what Elaine likes best about her position, she explains, “I really enjoy helping people.  I know that might sound cheesy but it’s great to get feedback that I prevented someone from losing their money or helped someone to ensure they’re property purchase was legitimate.   One time a reader called in to tell me that I saved her over £5,000 due to one of my recommendations.  Not everyone gets to help people and I feel fortunate that in some way I might be making things better or easier for our readers.”

This is what an OGC reader had to say about Elaine:

I am so grateful to know there is someone like yourself who can keep people right, and for hard working people not to get ripped off. You’re doing a wonderful job -  I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU DO!

Pamela McVey

To speak to Elaine or another member of the OGC team, please ring Mon-Fri, 9am to 6pm on 0207 898 0549.  The OGC Resource Centre are available to you – free of charge – to offer recommendations, assistance and at the very least help to point readers in the right direction. And if you ask nicely, you might even get Elaine to sing you a song!

Christmas Special – 25% off any of our Property Buying Guides

Are you stuck for that ‘perfect’ Christmas present?  Would you like to get something that is different?  Rather than purchase bubble bath, smellies, a scarf or any other impersonal gift, get a Buying Guide!

The guide is perfect for anyone interested in buying and or moving abroad.  Full of fantastic information and in a format that’s easy-to-read and nicely packaged your partner/friend/relative will definitely be pleased to receive this unique gift.

And in the spirit of Christmas, the OGC is offering all Guides at the discounted price of £15.98 (digital – meaning, you’ll need to print it out from your printer) or £22.48 for the professionally printed hard copy.  Guides on offer are for: France, Greece, Italy and Cyprus and each guide comes with 2 bonus booklets including worksheets to fill out during the property buying journey and ‘your questions answered.’ 

This offer is only available until 24th December and you need to enter the code XMAS3485 for the discount to apply.

To get more information on each guide on offer, please select the country link below:

http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/guide.htm
http://www.GreeceBuyingGuide.com/guide.htm
http://www.ItalyBuyingGuide.com/guide.htm
http://www.FranceBuyingGuide.com/guide.htm

Also available to buy soon is the brand new, updated Emigration Guide.  Note however we still so have some of our free, first draft, un-polished guides available, but they are rapidly running out. If you would like one, please go to: http://www.emigrationguide.com/thankyou.htm

If you have any questions, give the OGC Resource Centre a ring on 0207 898 0549 and they’ll be happy to assist you.

Here are some lovely words from a guide reader:

I found your guide to be very insightful. I have learnt so much from it. The list of questions to ask developers is great as you can print out several. The money aspect and losing out on the exchange rate was not something I had even considered. This guide is what everyone should have and read BEFORE buying property abroad. I also find your updates very useful. It’s nice to know there is someone that you will tell you both the good and the bad. Thanks for a great read.
Jasmin Brown, Scotland

Did you know we have a Italy Forum loaded with tonnes of info?

We have an excellent Forum to help you with your concerns - and we would really welcome your input. Just click on:
http://www.ibg-forum.com/

There you’ll find stories from buyers that may well interest you. There are also reviews, questions and all sorts of feedback on moving abroad and the whole property buying experience that you may find useful.  Far better to learn from somebody else’s findings than make the mistakes yourself…

It’s a community for you to voice your concerns, offer your ideas and hopefully get information that will make your journey easier! Perhaps you have a few top tips of your own for moving to Italy? Are there problems you have come across along the way for which you have managed to find easy solutions? Do you perhaps have a story of your own which you would like to share with your fellow readers?

Go to forumand any questions you may have will be answered by me.  And it could just be that, if I don’t have the answer for you, someone else will! To give you an idea of the kind of questions asked, here is one posted by Yvonne:

I would like to know if my lpg cooker can be used in Italy, will I need a different connection, any advice/information would be very welcome.

Ciao for now…

Christmas is rapidly approaching – I’ll speak more about that in my next newsletter.  Until then, keep well, warm and happy!

Best wishes,

Gianna

Gianna Williams
Italy Buying Guide
The Overseas Guides Company
Italy@OverseasGuidesCompany.com
Phone 0207 898 0549