“RUNNING A BUSINESS IN ITALY IS NO PICNIC!”
Sophie Bye, from London, runs the 500 Touring Club and lives in a city-centre apartment with her husband and their new baby.
My fi rst ever car was a Fiat 500, which I bought when I was living in an Italian seaside town and I took back to London with me. They’re such beautiful cars. I joined a local Fiat 500 club in the UK, and we used to go out in a convoy for picnics. It was such a joy, and gave me the idea of buying a fl eet and doing tours around Florence, which has now been my business for the past fi ve years, with my English husband. We get lovely customers – quirky, fun sort of people who’re up for a laugh. Which is lucky because, frankly, running a business here is no picnic. For example, I’ve had 35 totally erroneous parking tickets, all of which I have had to fi ght to get rescinded. My other criticism would be that the health service wasn’t very supportive when I had my baby four months ago, though my Italian neighbours and friends certainly were.
I love the little shops here, mostly owner-managed and run with real passion. The outdoor lifestyle too, in the most beautiful city on the planet. I love the light, the buildings, the history seeping out of every stone. We’re soon moving to a village just to the south of the city; a very expensive residential area because you’re a short scooter ride from the centre, yet amongst olive groves and vineyards. My Italian is fl uent, and all my working relationships are with Italians, but socially I do have an English sense of humour, so I do tend to socialize with fellow Brits – the conversations are just funnier!
www.500touringclub.com.
ON THE MARKET IN FLORENCE
Where: Central Florence Price: €740,000 (£620k)
Newly renovated 2nd fl oor two-bedroom apartment (with lift!) close to the Duomo (cathedral) and Uffi zi Gallery.
www.pitcherfl
accomio.com
or Bologna. Both are around 100km away but only take around an hour by train. By car, Florence is 1,400km from the Channel ports.
CLIMATE
Summers are hot, with temperatures regularly hitting the 30s, so most residents still opt for an afternoon siesta. Winters do get chilly but you could still be sitting out at a pavement café in January. There’s no shortage of rainfall, especially in the autumn when rain is often heavy and prolonged. When it stops, however, the autumn sunshine is gorgeous, and Tuscany is famous for the quality of its light.
WHERE TO LIVE Tuscan property is beautiful and
exceptionally well constructed, often in warm stone and terracotta. The downside is a shortage of the classic British favourite of two/three bedroom cottages close to a village. Property tends to divide into apartments and farmhouses: the apartments often very old (in Florence the main building buildings were Roman, 1500s and 1700s) and the farmhouses very large – more than 400 square metres. Hence, several British companies specialise in taking the grand farmhouses and renovating them into more manageable units. City apartments: Corso Flaccomio from Pitcher and Flaccomio (www.pitcherfl
accomio.com) says: “The historical centre of Florence is
very small – you can walk across it in 20 minutes – and pedestrianised. We would recommend this area for
someone buying a holiday or second home, or for rental. Apartments average €5,000 per square metre (psm); €6,000psm with a view of the River Arno and maybe €7,000- 8,000psm for the Piazza della Signoria or by the Uffi zi Gallery. But the centre is so small that paying so much extra isn’t usually worth it. Those prices are for a basic apartment, liveable but renovated maybe 15 years ago, without lift or outdoor space. Only a small percentage of apartments have lifts – many buildings being 500-plus years old – so you can add €100,000 onto the price of apartments with lifts, parking and outdoor space. If you buy a listed property, you must get any renovations approved.” The Oltrarno: This is the south bank of the Arno, still within the historic centre. The outgoing British consul David Broomfi eld said in a recent interview: “It’s a delight, the ‘true Florence’ as they often say. The small shops, the artisans; I can fall out of my front door and go to the dry cleaner’s, the supermarket, get my shoes repaired, get a haircut and still have time for lunch! Everyone knows you, everyone greets you; there’s a village feeling about it.” Outside Florence: The countryside of Chianti is a particular favourite, earning it the nickname Chiantishire for the number of British buyers there. Budget for €3,500-plus psm for unrenovated property, and another €1,000psm for renovation costs. Favourite towns include: Impruneta – a town of around 15,000 people, 20km south of Florence
Where: Central Florence Price: €325,000 (£272k)
One-bedroom, 2nd fl oor apartment in the fashionable Oltrarno part of the city near the river and Ponte Vecchio.
www.pitcherfl
accomio.com
Where: Panzano Price: €480,000 (£402k)
Two bedroom house on three levels with stunning views, outdoor space, close to the charming and traditional town of Panzano.
www.pitcherfl
accomio.com
FOR MORE ITALIAN PROPERTIES GO TO
www.aplaceinthesun.com/italy
into the Chianti countryside of vineyards and olives. Greve – at the very heart of wine production. Panzano in Chianti – a lovely
medieval town halfway between Florence and Sienna. Villages with pedigree: If you
think a bit of their talent might rub off on you, look for the boyhood villages of two local geniuses at Vinci, to the west of Florence, and Caprese Michelangelo, further south-east towards Arezzo (where singer Sting happens to have a holiday home).
aplaceinthesun.com 41
Where: Florence hills Price: €950,000 (£796k)
Six bedroom, 300-square-metre chalet-style property near Florence, recently restored.
www.housearounditaly.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100