We asked for a meeting as everything seemed to have gone quiet since the contractors came to visit. We had also received notification that the comune wanted a totally in-ground pool so as not to spoil the look of the hill. This seemed crazy to us as the existing pool is not visible from the street. We had also received a quote from an electrician that seemed way off the mark (e.g. TV points in every room, an intercom system) .
Gino said he’d bring one of the contractors that he had recently sent the computo metrico to.
We also sent this agenda in advance to focus everyone’s attention.
Meeting with the contractors
We started off with the building contractor, electrician and plumber going through the planned works and giving proper consideration as to how that should be done (finally). As there would be a fair bit of electric trunking and central heating piping to get around the house, a false wall across the front of the first and second floor was proposed so that substantial tracks in the fabric of the walls could be avoided. This seemed like a sensible approach to us.
As a result, Gino would need to send out an updated computo metrico to the four contractors.
Meeting with Gino and his guys
Once the contractors had left, we addressed the topics in our agenda. The main points to come out were:
- A new proposal for the pool would need to be submitted. We suggested keeping it in the same position, but building the terrace out so that it extended in front of the proposed visible portion of pool wall. Our main reason for wanting to take this approach is not to lose any of the paved area (so that it would continue to be large enough for sun loungers. They seemed to think this was a reasonable approach.
- Once we started digging into the quotes from the electrician, it turned out they were made without reference to our requirements and was simply an example quote for a house of the appoximate size of ours. Pretty disrurbing really.
We arranged a follow up meeting for 7 November.
Fallout
After the meeting, Martin had a discussion about the “example quotes” with Riccardo and as a result we sent the following to Gino on the following Monday:
I have to say that we found the meeting last week very unsettling. In particular, the fact that the quotes we were sent for the electrical installation and the photovoltaic solution were just off the shelf examples was worrying for us.
Our friend tells us that to get accurate quotes we need technical drawings with the location and specification of each element and the routes of the pipes and cables. From that will follow accurate technico computo so we can get reliable quotes.
We have yet to see the technical details / drawings of
- the photovoltaic project
- the heating project
- the cooling project
- the electrical project
- the strengthening of the floor of the living room on the second floor
- the opening of the new door in the kitchen
We have seen a plan of the proposed locations for the photovoltaic cells for the permission, but no details of the analysis of how many panels are required and how much storage.
Similarly, we have seen a diagram of an LPG tank, but no assessment of the boiler or the number, size and location of radiators that we require.
The same applies to the air conditioning. We have yet to see the technical assessment of the size and quantity of the units to adequately cool the rooms.
Assuming all these assessments exist, please send them through to us. We need to see them to be reassured that any future quotes relate to our requirements. If they do not exist, please take all steps necessary to ensure that they and the relevant technical drawings are available and sent to us before our meeting on 7th November.
Finally, please confirm the time and location of that meeting and let us know what dates and times this week you will be visiting with the electrician, plumber, etc.
The intention was to light a fire under Gino.