Introduction

Italian Restorations has been at the forefront of property restoration and development for over 10 years. To achieve this Italian Restorations has built up a strong network of accredited Architects, Geometras, Builders, Electricians, Plumbing and Pool engineering contractors.

At Italian Restorations we believe a professional service is the combination of dedicated customer care, outstanding communication and on site management that is second to none. Italian Restorations assists clients who have purchased an un-restored property in Italy by managing the project through planning and design, estimates, commencement of building works, to completion. With our professional teams of contractors and technicians we are able to orchestrate a tailor made project suitable for you, keeping those inevitable surprises down to a minimum.

A great deal of our clients are based on the other side of the world and due to business commitments can only visit their on-going restoration twice, or even once, a year. Italian Restorations was developed with exactly these kinds of requirements in mind. With our multilingual staff and by means of electronic mail, digital photographs and written reports we will keep you informed of the progress no matter where you are in the world.

The Italian way of life

One of the many reason’s people want to spend time in Italy, putting aside the beautiful countryside, pure air and temperate weather, is its people. Their laid back approach to life, the seemingly stress free existence, their energetic hospitality and the urgency in which they can discuss at length a slightly suspicious coffee they may have had that morning with a passing neighbour, or two. All these examples and many more give Italy and Italian’s the delightful reputation they hold to visitors from other countries.

With that in mind, managing projects in Italy takes on cultural and Bureaucratic complexities that may not be evident in other parts of Europe. Therefore, from a client perspective, it is good to remember these points and their implications on, for one example, project schedules. At Italian Restorations we have extensive experience of these ‘complexities’ and work to clear the often, at times, unpredictable path of restoring a property in Italy.

Top reasons to restore

•    With our expert assistance, the client can “paint on a blank canvas” and create a design that best fits both taste and budget. You design the finished result. This has all the advantages of building a new home whilst maintaining its historical integrity.

•    There is often an investment opportunity to add value to the house, the finished value being greater than the cost of the sum of its parts (purchase price + restoration costs).

•    Rather than having to make one large payment, milestone payments are staggered over the duration of the project, easing cash-flow management. A lower initial capital investment is required.

•    You guide the dream, we create the reality.

Italian Restorations

We are here to escort you through the whole process from design and permission stages, through to restoration, landscaping and final completion. Keeping you informed of progress we can organize anything from a light refurbishment to a complete new-build respecting the traditional style and building methods, as well as swimming pools, tennis courts and roads.

Our service in brief

The following details the main areas of our service:

•    Liaison with known Geometras or Architects to carry out professional design and presentation to the local comune for permissions.

•    Tendering to known network of master builders and tradesmen to ensure highest quality work for the best price.

•    Material price negotiation.

•    Project administration.

•    General organisation and co-ordination of sequence of works.

•    Advice on choice of materials depending on aesthetic and budget constraints.

•    Quality control.

•    Services (Gas, Electricity, Phone, Internet etc.).

•    Time-line management.

•    Budget control – financial “creep” limitation.

•    Interpretation and translation.

•    Accounting and effecting payments.

•    Reporting and communication.

•    Photographic archiving.

•    Post restoration support.

The General Restoration Process

Initial plans

Getting the internal and external design of the project right is critical to the success of the project but is probably one of the most enjoyable phases from the clients point of view. We will work with you and a Geometra / Architect to plan your spaces and design your facilities. This process may take many drafts but the importance is to get it right to minimise any variation during the project lifecycle.

Estimations

Once we have established what there is to be done, we calculate a detailed ‘Bill of Quantities’, which itemizes each job to be carried out. This is drawn up in English and Italian. Extensive work goes into calculating a detailed Bill of Quantities because we aim to avoid surprises. The final price that we present to you represents a market cost evaluation of the entire job/phase.

Permissions

Whether building an extension, a new house, or cutting a new road, we will need to go through the process of professional design for presentation to the appropriate comune.

Once we have confirmed the final designs they will be submitted by the Geometra to the local authority. From this point, permission to commence work can take from 2 to 9 months depending on the location and complexity of the project.

Organisation of works

We have a network of accredited builders, plumbers, electricians, landscape designers, pool suppliers and more, who have worked with us for many years. Again, we work with a Geometra taking care of the day-to-day issues that arise, while maintaining an overview of the whole project, ensuring schedules and finances are adhered to, and in
accordance with legal and technical standards.

Reporting

With all of the many aspects that a restoration entails, we aim to keep you updated with the main events of a job. Using the aid of digital photographs, email, telephones and faxes, it has proven possible to keep you updated wherever you are in the world! We produce a regular update with associated photos of progress and are available at any time to discuss the project.

If you would like to realise your dream to restore a historical property in Italy, why not contact us?