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Welcome to the forum Becky. If you spend some time looking back through the various threads you are sure to find loads of useful information. There are quite a few forum members from Abruzzo and I'm sure they will be in touch.
Linda

Hi Becky

We're currently buying a property with HAI just outside Montebello Di Bertona in Abruzzo. We've been to Manoppello also, lovely place. Good luck with your purchase, hope everything goes OK.

Regards

Kerry

Thanks for your encouraging remarks.It's good to find someone else who's using HAI.Did Gaetano take you to see your house? We looked in this area with him and saw a pretty place with a new roof;loads of land but it was too close to the neighbours so my partner wasn't keen.I really loved that area though. :)

Did you see 'our' house in Mannopello I wonder,with Enzo? It's up a very steep lane with one side brick and one stone.I met all of the owners at the Notaio's and they told me it used to be a church.We plan to start work next year and are full of apprehension but also excited!!

Incidentaly did anyone at HAI say anything about earth tremors/quakes which do occur in Abruzzo.When I asked Sara she had'nt heard of them happening.There does seem to be a little element of heads in sand and we were advised by HAI that in Manoppello there were no specail measures we would need to take when restoring the house.this I find odd.

We were shown the house by someone from another agency, HAI were advertising it but were then told the other agency had the 'exclusive' there was a lot of arguing then I think they arranged to split the commission.

We looked at a few houses around Mannopello with Enzo but I don't think yours. Good luck with the restoration, we're still very apprehensive about the whole thing, ours is just going to be a holiday home for now, we'll maybe move out to Abruzzo when the time is right.

Earthquakes are a part of Italy that you just have to put up with, pleasures of living in a mountainous country I suppose. The only tip I've got is don't put a membrane damp course in, it'll make the building too unstable if you do have a large tremor. I've been looking for building insurance that covers earthquakes but I've been told no chance! I've decided to just ignore it and if the worst comes to the worst I'll just think of it as a bonus if I survive (a bit morbid I know) the chances are pretty slim that anything will happen in your lifetime.

[QUOTE=manopello]Incidentaly did anyone at HAI say anything about earth tremors/quakes which do occur in Abruzzo.When I asked Sara she had'nt heard of them happening.[/QUOTE]

My family live on the edge of the Abruzzo park, on the Lazio side, and not so many years ago - well about 20, the earthquakes were severe enough to take down one of their homes, and for everyone to have to evacuate and sleep in their cars on the mountain! So, they certainly do happen! :rolleyes:

the whole of abruzzo is covered under seismic measures..... as indeed is most of italy there are a few regions left out..... abruzzo has had several earth tremors already this year... which have been centered on the ascoli area...its quite common and this area is not alone in this respect... several in the north this year.... they are all reported on the news.... and in the newspapers... but i would regard them as very more of an interest than a fear

the more active area is in the molise abruzzo border area....you might well notice house prices are much cheaper there... i find it strange that anyone selling houses here in italy would not be able to advise you properly on building regulations...i would regard something like this as common knowledge...

as regards building insurance and earthquakes i think someone else has posted that the post office have a complete house insurance scheme which includes earthquake cover... and as far as i remember they also said this was also at a competative price

good luck with your purchase and i would not worry too much about earth movements but i think you will find that all the building regulations are based on the possability of one and any building requiring a new licence to be habitable will have to conform to these or if it requires any planning permission for work this work will have to be under those rules...ie floors, roof and walls

When I asked why no mention was made in our survey of building regs in the Chieti area covering earthquakes my agents (HAI) told me none applied :eek: .2 other Brits living in Abruzzo said they'd never heard of there being earthquakes and were astonished when I told them about Ortona being almost devastated twice.Now one is quite worried!

It worries me that agents are not truthful about this.We knew the risks before we bought and will be restoring so we will make sure that our house is as safe as possible and we are in an isolated area so unlikely to be hurt by parts of other buildings falling on us.What about those who buy a newer house or flat in a town?

Your info about the Abruzzo/Molise border is useful.I think L'aquila is also more risky.The houses over there are much cheaper than elsewhere.For a reason :eek: .I have heard it's possible to get compensation from a government scheme if your house is damaged but can a non-resident get this.Also how do you cover yourself from liabilty when renting a holiday home?
I assume that as long as you had taken all the appropriate measures to conform with the building regs then you could not be held responsible??Any ideas.

one of the reasons that the aquila area is priced at a lower rate is that the area is notoriously cold.... aquila being one of the coldest cities in the whole of italy.... sulmona... etc etc... being equally fresh... the weather often gets trapped that side of the appenines and you will find it compares with bolzano in the alps as one of those areas if you do not like cold to avoid

the most famous...infamous quake in recent times in central italy was the one in the molise... three towns in abruzzo in the southern area were put on alert and partially evacuated... the calamity of all this was that a lot of primary school children were killed in what was a new building... many of them sons and daughters of those involved in the abusive construction of that building...the use of non regulation materials and the communes lack of control...they were involved in the pay backs.... if im allowed to say that... anyway it is all under investigation... by the way that was in 2002 and not i would say out of anyones recent memory

furthermore to your point... re government help... the other more well known quake in assisi .. resulted in the church being damaged which before any other buildings were restored was up and running again...many of the inhabitants of that area are still living in lorry containers ... so dont count on government help here.... the church will always be first on the list...

in your other comment you also mention holiday lets.... you will find you will need to be very careful in the construction of your building to fall in line with all necessary safety regulations when doing this ... and that you also fulfil all the tax regulations... i would presume that if you use a letting agent they will have an insurance scheme in place available for clients wishing to let thru them... or at least be informative of the conditions

to be honest if you think this thru and place yourself as trying to do the same thing in the uk...or anywhere else in the world... especially as the EU controls are supposed to be much the same in all european member states if you investigate the problems people find they face in england in these sorts of enterprise... they will apply here... only the application will be convuluted with italian domestic regulations and a lot slower...

Hi Becky
We are also in the process of buying in Abruzzo on the edge of a town/village called Canosa Sanitta, it is about 25km due east of you, about 10 km north of Orsogna.
We are buying through HAI, we met Enzo but did not buy through him.
Beautiful area around this part of Italy (other parts are beautiful also, thought I better add this to avoid being trampled on)

Maybe one day we can try to rival the 'Puglia Party'.

Best of luck
Dave

Must arrange one next year as so many of us seem to be buying in Abruzzo!Anyone up for it?