GENERAL INFORMATION

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All houses in Umbria receive from the heavens more water on their roofs and surrounding terraces and patios than they can possibly store or use throughout the whole year. Much of this water could be stored in underground tanks, or even surface swimming pools, for use during the dry months when there is often a restriction on the main water supply. A well is of prime importance, and should be installed in all country properties.

A family of four people, even if in occupation all the year round, 365 days, may consume, at a maximum, per day;

8 x showers x 20 litres = 160 litres
16 x lavatory flushes x 5 litres = 80 litres
4 x washing up x 5 litres = 20 litres
260 litres x 365 days = 94,900 litres
1 hour of plant watering = 150 litres x 122 days (4 months) = 18,300 litres
Total: 113,200 litres, which equals 113.2 cumt.

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Assuming an average home of three bedrooms on two floors, with some 150 square metres of floor space, the roof area will be about half of this, plus a percentage for the pitch and overhanging eves, so allow 85sqm. Also assume a patio or terrace on two sides of the house of some 8m x 4m, some 64sqm., for atotal surface area of 149sqm. Assuming only 1mt of rain falling per annum, one receives 149cumt., and you are only using 113cumt. Save it, don't waste it. A concrete tank or “swimming” pool 10m x 5m x 3m holds 150 cumt. A permission from the local Commune, and the Corpo Forestale, the Forestry Commission, is required to build a swimming pool. A solar powered pump could be used to circulate the water through filtering systems and, if necessary, into household storage tanks. A very tiny solar powered pump operating some eight to twelve hours a day will deliver a surprising volume of water to a loft tank from where it can be drawn by gravity as required.

Farmhouses were always built near a water source, spring or well; this served to supply water for the inhabitants and for the animals that occupied the ground floors and barns; every group of buildings had to have a supply of water. In every case, if the water is supplied as above, it is necessary to establish whether there is sufficient water for the requirements of a modern house. Then it is necessary to clean the well or the source, check the purity of the water and connect it to the house. If the water flow is insufficient, it will be necessary to drill a new well, or make a connection to an alternative water supply. If the source is a spring, it will need cleaning, and a storage or buffer tank will be needed, or an old one restored, and secured with a door or cover. If a well, then cleaning, restoration of any masonry that might be damaged, and securing with a door or grill, will be required. The purity of the water can be tested at most pharmacies; enquire at your local one.

Electricity is now provided to European standards with regard to volts, amps, watts etc. Therefore, all your current domestic appliances will work. The plugs and sockets are, however, different: three pins in line, instead of in a triangular arrangement as in UK. Apparently it doesn't matter whether the black wire goes in the red hole or the black in the blue as long as the green/yellow goes in the middle, and no, by reversing the flow of current the vacuum cleaner doesn't blow instead of sucking, and no, your gramophone won't go backwards and the old films on TV will be shown the correct way round, and the stagecoach wheels still go backwards!

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An electrical supply can be provided by the "ENEL" (national organisation that provides electricity for all of Italy). It is necessary to make a request to the local office of the ENEL for the power supply required (usually 6kw).

Lighting: central hung lamps and lights are often impracticable because of the low ceiling heights; small discrete spot lights mounted "behind" travi (main beams) are a cheap and reliable solution. Standard lamps and table lamps can be operated from a door mounted switch; up to three items can be contained in any socket outlet, i.e. table lamp and two sockets; two sockets & TV, etc. Ultra-modern lighting systems can look very effective with the old tiles, beams and stone walls.

Inhabiting

Visitors often will not knock at the front door, or ring the bell, but clap their hands and call to an upstairs window, "Signora", to attract the attention of the wife of the house. Traditionally people have always lived upstairs, the ground floors being reserved for the beasts, stores, wine production etc.

When first shown a house which we had restored, a local Sardinian lady could not understand how two so obviously educated, respectable, and seemingly intelligent people could possibly live in what had been the animal housings on the ground floor of our farm house. Why, we even had the manger from which the beasts ate! It was now dark, polished oak, lined with terra cotta tiles and containing books, magazines, a CD player, lamp, and a bottle or two of restorative. The old lady shook her head in sorrow. Living on the ground floor indeed!

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Local modern houses generally follow the traditional building patterns: stores and motor cars beneath and people above. Most homes are equipped with every convenience: cooker, fridge-freezer, microwave oven, TV, Hi-Fi, etc., etc., but life still revolves around the kitchen, Grandpa – Nonno – dozes; Grandma – Nonna – crochets or helps with the meal; Dad watches the TV; Mum cooks; the children do their homework or play on the floor. The family always lives together.

They have a best room, a salotto, which, although looking like a page out of a furnishing store catalogue, can't be called a sitting room. People rarely sit in this room, and they certainly don't lounge, so that term is out. It isn't a drawing room, no-one withdraws to it, but parlour – parlare, to talk – is probably the best description. A show place for formal meetings, when you are first invited you will be received in this room; afterwards, as a friend, you will always be entertained in the kitchen. Although the parlour has easy chairs and a large colour TV, the family will always sit around the dining table on hard chairs until bed time, often watching a smaller TV.

What to do Next

Once you’ve bought the property, what then? Retirement, floating on a sea of Orvieto Classico, or some sort of occupation. You could do worse than consider some of the following: Become a project manager for a theme park/leisure park/golf course/marina or country club. Create or open a leisure centre, roller skating rink, ice skating rink, Go-Kart rink, bicycle racing area, skateboarding zone, windsurfing school, pony trekking, dry ski school, horse riding or, a caravan site. Property rentals and B&B, and if the latter, what are the real prospects of letting properties in the summer? Well, the season is from March to November. Remember, we are not at the seaside, where the season is only three months. We have a much longer season because many people visit our area for historic, cultural, artistic, religious, gastronomic and architectural reasons, as well as sunshine, and many of our clients rent a restored property whilst seeking one to buy, and also while restoring it.

You could even help us sell houses or invest in a portfolio of properties managed by us, or do it yourself with us acting as consultants.

Are you still thinking - or only dreaming? Are you backing away from a perceived risk or approaching an opportunity?

Well, if you’ve read this far you must be interested; look now at www.propertiesumbria.com for more advice and information and a list of Tunstill’s houses, with prices and descriptions, or simply to read more about the buildings and the methods used in their construction, Frequently Asked Questions, basic information and details of the consultancy service offered by John Tunstill (occasionally referred to as “The Man Who Invented Umbria” because if he had not been instrumental in selling and restoring, therefore rescuing, some two hundred buildings for posterity during the last 20 years, in another 20 years they would be lost forever) and his Tunstill Team.

Come and see us in Italy and turn the dream into reality.