Buying Apartment Number 2

Me again.  I thought I would keep you up to date on the new apartment in Umbertide.  When standing in the airport in Rome, we got a call from Mani that we had bought the apartment next door and he wanted us to be tranquilla about it as we went home.  Buying an apartment in Italy does not resemble buying one in the US except for the beginning of a desire and the end when the money crosses hands.  The part in between, like most things in Italy, is completely mysterious.  What could be mysterious you wonder?  Well the first thing is the price.  I know what the "stated" price is and I know how much we are supposed to put down for the compremesso, I am still unclear if these numbers are added together or are they subtracted if you know what I mean.  Someone is buying the apartment for us and then we buy it.  This all has to do with the fact that we are Americans and trying to get the best price.  Learning to trust the serpentine Italian process has been difficult but it has paid off for us.

So why are we buying apartment number 2?  The first apartment was quite small, around 800 square feet.  Buying the apartment next door will allow us to combine the two, and I will have a normal size bedroom where I can have a chest of drawers.  It is a small thing, but I thought pulling my clothes out from under the bed would get old after a while. We have a very good plan for getting the two apartments together, and thanks to my friend Sally, we will have a very good plan to separate them should we want to sell them in the future.

Here are some "before" pictures of the apartment.

Entry way.  Master bedroom to your right

master bedroom with enough room for drawers! (Bedframe goes!)

This had been the kitchen.  Note all the "kitchen" things.  Will be master bath

Will connect to current apartment through door on right

Love the tile?  All going.  Will be part of current kitchen

The floors and ceilings will be similar to our current apartment when finished.  This apartment faces the piazza with the same great views.  It doesn't have the same views out the back.  Will post pictures as work begins......god knows when that will be....I have learned we manage to cost and quality not time so this could take a while....