Carole got in touch as Michele had spoken to her about some concerns he had about our geometra. The suggestion was that he overcharges foreign clients, is incompetent and takes a cut from the contractors (so they need to charge a higher price). He felt he would not get the work as he was not prepared to pay the “fee” and that we should change geometra ASAP.
A fair bit of to and fro ensued and we came to the conclusion that the bad things Michele had heard related to Andrea who showed him around and not to Gino. We assured Michele that he should quote (with no fee) and we would decide. Also that we expected to pay our contractors direct (not through our geometra). We want Michele to have a fair shot at getting the job as we like him and his work.
Still, we decided that we need to be a little cautious over the quotes we receive.
Andrea came to the house with a potential contractor and we asked Michele Gigli (working on our 2nd floor bathroom) to also attend. There was no documentation to speak of and the visit seemed to just consist of Andrea walking them through the house and giving a verbal overview of the proposed works.
Andrea seemed quite impressed by Michele’s work in progress (as are we).
Prior to this meeting, Gino sent through an updated pool solution with more paving and a blue liner.
At the meeting, we told Gino that we had discussed the colour of the swimming pool liner with our friends (David and Carol) and that they had explained to us that their pool had a beige one and that the water made it look a pale blue. As we liked the look of their pool, we told Gino we were happy to revert to the beige liner they had originally proposed.
We also saw the heating and cooling solution from Stefano (technico) for the first time.
We discussed getting in quotes from builders now that our requirements were becoming clear.
The sale of our family home in London and purchase of a new flat needed to be resolved before we travelled out to Colle di Compito. The plan was to stay in Italy while work on the new flat was taking place.
We had made arrangements with friends to visit and we needed to make a Channel crossing on Sunday 14 August. We booked Rogers Removals to clear our belongings and furniture into storage for the Friday and bit our nails over the exchange of contracts. If we couldn’t exchange in time, we would have to cancel the removals and our planned trip. It was really nerve wracking, but we finally exchanged on the Wednesday so everything was on. With completion at the end of August, we’d be leaving the house early and the work on the new flat could only start in September.
On the Friday, the removals guys came and chaos ensued. Things started gently enough, but it soon became apparent that more people were needed for packing and removals. Gradually others joined as they finished their other jobs and by the end it was mayhem with a large number of people trying to get everything done as quickly as possible so they could start their weekend. Once the house was clear, we jumped in the car (full of as much stuff that was destined for Italy as we could fit in) and headed off to Canterbury to spend a couple of nights before hitting the Channel Tunnel. It was all so hectic that there was no proper time to feel sad or say goodbye to the old place. We brought up our family there (Fenella grew up there herself) and we will have have many happy memories.
Gino sent through documents submitted to the comune for the internal works and pool permissions.
We got a bit of a shock as the proposed pool solution (which we had not seen prior to submission) had a beige liner and the mock up pictures made the pool look like a concrete tank. There was also insufficient paving for any sun loungers. We immediately told him we were not happy and wanted changes made.
Today, we signed two contracts appointing Gino as our geometra for the house and pool. Not cheap – payments in three tranches.
Before signing, we went through a bit of a clarification process as the contracts looked pretty meaningless to us. The following scope was agreed by us and Gino separately to the signed contracts.
Covered activities are:
All the necessary Investigations
All the DWG digital drawing up plans
Applying for permissions
All the detailed projects if needed
A full economic evaluation of the contractor’s quotes
A supervision of the contractor’s work
A full quality of work
A full verification of the regulations involved in the works
A periodic reporting on progress and blockages of the yard
A full Up-to-date records with the Municipality of Capannori regarding the property
Assistance in applying for the bonuses which will include the collaboration of 2 more professionals which are NOT included in the agreed quotation
A sign-off sheet to be provided at the end of the works
Works included in the above activities:
The renewal and integration of the electrical system(rewiring, additional sockets, relocation of fuse boards) including work necessary for the construction in a workmanlike manner and in compliance with current regulations
The renewal and integration of the heating and cooling including work necessary for the construction in a workmanlike manner and in compliance with current regulations
The complete replacement of all windows to the front and side with new double/triple glazed windows including mosquito screens including work necessary for the construction in a workmanlike manner and in compliance with current regulations
The addition of new windows in the two rear openings from the large room on the second floor.
The replacement of existing shutters with new ones and installation of shutters on all the other windows to front and side (including change of colour) if approved from the PA
The strengthening of the floor of the large second floor room (the living room) and laying a new floor in wood.
In collaboration with the structural engineer, improving the solution to strengthen the roof of the living room.
All the internal/external renovation (Replastering and decorating of the living room, the opening the new door from the kitchen to the covered seating area, replacing the existing back door with a window, replacement/refurbishment of the existing kitchen on the first floor, the removal of the kitchen “grill” and wall restoration, the layout of a basic kitchen to be placed on the second floor, the refurbishment of the second floor bathroom)
The creation of a new first floor bathroom where the study is now – including replacing the existing partition wall (including the removal of the piano while the wall is down ).
The conversion of the existing first floor bathroom into a laundry.
The enlargement of the ground floor bathroom including digging the floor down as discussed.
The realization of a new semi in-ground swimming pool as replacement of the existing one
The paving and decking around the pool according to the design specifications
The paving the area at the rear of the house according to the design specifications
Works that will not be carried out immediately but which will be included in the permits (the authorization of which is valid for 5 years for the works relating to the permits relating to the landscape regulation and 3 years for the CILA , SCIA and Preliminary Act of Consent authorizations)
Repair/replace the rendering at the rear of the house and full repaint (in compliance with the specifications that will be indicated by the landscaping commission)
The removal of the roofing above the external stairs at the rear of the house
The renovation of the stone work at the front and side of the house
The replacement of the internal doors
Works not included in any of the permits but which will still be supervised so that they are carried out in a workmanlike manner.
Creation of an entrance vestibule by the front door.
Rebuilding the more modern portion of the rabbit/hen house.
Metal grille to cover the drainage channel at the front of the house
The paving and decking around the pool
The paving the area at the rear of the house
Works/fees not included
Identifying contactors
Managing contactor work
Applying for the reclassification of the “attics” as habitable rooms
Making a room out of the “hay loft”
Note:
regarding the identification of the contractors: the identification of the companies that will carry out the works cannot be the responsibility of the designers as the current situation of construction workers in Italy does not allow us to safely indicate a company for the execution of the same. Therefore we will be actively involved in the search for personnel and companies suitable for the purpose but without this being able to associate the companies with our professional activity.
regarding the managing of the contractors works: for the same reasons written above, we cannot and will not be able to have direct control over the times and methods of processing, which represent the exclusive task of the companies themselves. As project manager we will be able to put pressure, even of a legal nature, on the executing companies, in order to respect the project schedule.
And again as project manager we’ll be constantly evaluate the works to be done properly, but without having direct control of the workers of the company itself. For this task there’s one specific figure , provided by the contractor, which is basically constantly in the yard.
We decided it was time to make a start on the terracotta tile floors on the second floor. It seemed that no matter how often we mopped and swept them, they still looked dirty and dusty. The picture below shows one of the floors after a thorough cleaning.
Some research online revealed that the best approach is to use a strong cleaner to remove any previous treatments and then to seal either with wax or a synthetic sealant. We identified a range of products that looked likely to be good and headed off to Leroy Merlin in Prato to get kitted up. We bought a strong cleaner, wax sealant (as that was the only one available) and a cleaning fluid to use after treatment when the floor needs a good clean. We also bought a bunch of abrasive pads and scrubbing brushes.
After sweeping and washing the floor, we attacked one room with the strong cleaner. Vigorous scrubbing on hands and knees and the floor looked something like this.
After the floor dried, we tried out the wax polish on a small section of the floor that would be under the bed. We were a little unsure of the result as the tiles took on a more yellow hue from the wax. Anyway, with no time to do the whole floor, we left the decision for our next visit.
Met with Gino, Andrea and Stefano (technico) to go through our priorities again. For the heating they recommended a gas boiler with radiators and an LPG (they call it GPL) tank in the garden.
I decided that a good way to avoid spending the majority of each stay strimming and cutting grass would be to buy a ride on lawn mower. Perhaps a bit of an indulgence as we don’t have oodles of land and some of the terraces are rather inaccessible.
Nevertheless, I started researching. First off, I wanted to find a battery operated mower as the battery powered tools we have bought so far have been pretty good and I’m not a fan of petrol engines which can give trouble starting if left idle for extended periods. It turned out that battery powered sit on mowers are about twice the cost of petrol ones which would be hard to justify. Also, there were no local dealerships that sell them. I wanted to buy from a local dealership primarily to have somewhere to take the thing when it inevitably needs fixing or servicing.
On a walk to Ronco, we spotted one in somebody’s shed and took a picture to get the make and model. Seemed about right for the job – and it was red!
So I researched that make and found a dealership about 20 minutes drive away not too far from Montecarlo. We went past it’s showroom and called the number in it’s window to get someone to come out and open up. The one in the pictures below was larger than we needed and came with a fitting to spit mulched cuttings out at the side.
We picked one with a bag to collect the cut grass and ordered it along with a mulching kit. Mulching is an alternative to collecting and removing the cut grass and is recommended to help retain nutrients. This would give us the best of both worlds. We’d have to wait till the next trip for the mulching kit, but the mower could be delivered in a week.
A week later, the guy showed up with our mower on a trailer, unloaded it and drove it up into our garden. He gave a quick demonstration and left the keys and a manual. I drove it up onto the campo and tried it out. The bag filled with cut grass within about 10 meters and pretty soon the mower ran out of petrol.
The next job, therefore, was to go down to the consorzio (agricutural supplies shop) and get a petrol can and then off to the petrol station to fill it. Refuelled, I tried again, but really struggled as the catcher was filling up quickly and the discharge channel from the cutter to the catcher was getting clogged up with clumps of wet grass.
All the kerfuffle attracted the attention of the neighbours above us (Nicola and Piero – father and son) who came down into our garden to lend a hand with their expertise. They told me I’d be better off with the mulcher kit and I explained that I was waiting for it. We took the catcher off the back of the mower, but then the mower wouldn’t start. I seemed there was a safety feature that needed the catcher in place to depress a switch. One of them ran off to get some packing tape and we taped the switch down. Now I could drive the mower and the cuttings were coming out the back like a fountain. So my new mower was already held together with sticky tape.
The discharge channel was still getting clogged up as the grass was very long (and wet at the base). We came to the conclusion that the grass was too long for the mower and needed strimming first. So I abandoned the mowing and retreated to try another day – after strimming.
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