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"i'm off to try and scratch a living in the less salubrious areas of Birmingham"Ìý......is there a 'more salubrious area' in Brum?

You ask ;-ÌýÌýÌýÌý "Any advice?"ÌýI think you may well have just about answered it in the penultimate sentence of your posting, where you write;-Ìý"Our lawyer is being rather inconclusive on this matter and we don't want to spend hundreds of thousands on a restoration only to discover 10 years down the line that the legal title wasn't as good as it should have been!"ÌýIf you cannot get a definitive answer [in writing] from your lawyer, I think you have 3 options

1. Buy it anyway - probably not a good idea
2. Seek [at cost to you] a second legal opinion, in the hope that that will give you a definitive result
3. Walk away from the property

Me? - I'd plump for option 2, with the fall back of option 3Ìý [unless you are prepared to accept the possibility of losing the house, and your money, at some time in the future, in which case just go to option 1]ÌýGood Luck

ÌýÌýÌýtwice apparently!ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

ÌýÌýÌýÌýedit - I hate it whenÌýI press the wrong button, and post a blank!ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

"how do you sleep under a roof that bakes to plus 50c in the summer or drops to minus temps in the winter...holiday home??? sounds more like hell"ÌýMine has 4+ inches of concrete ceiling below it - so there is no problem [although,Ìý I could lay 6" of polystyrene on it if I lived there all the time - but only as a heating cost reducer]

When I started this thread I had no idea where it would go [if at all].ÌýDuring its life, my feelings have swung between hope and despair, depending on how it began to mirror the previous ForumÌý in its later life.ÌýI recognise the forum isn't perfect [none is], and it is less exciting.Ìý Thank goodness it lacks most of the backbiting and vitriol that the other Italymag Forum suffered from.ÌýI'd just like to echo what Jinty said - but apply it to everyone - not just someÌý"just let us get on with our non thriving community life."Ìý ÌýSome of us quite like it here

Re-fixing ridge tiles is a relatively simple process - but be careful of the risk of falling!ÌýThis video .........ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ........gives an idea how to do it yourself.ÌýChat to your neighbours - they may know a local 'handyman' who will do it.ÌýMy roof is unlined [just tiles and battens], and I have easily replaced broken and missing tilesÌýThey are the interlocking tiles - they look a bit like theseÌýÌý but are not nailed in position.I replace them from underneath the roof - the tiles just slide in and out easily, with a little lug that catches on the battenÌýthat stops them sliding 'down and out'.

"What do you do about your clothes and bedding?"ÌýWe are pretty lucky - the house is relatively dry and we store the bedding in wardrobes - its cold [but not damp] when we get it out for use.If you are worried about damp you can use something like this.............ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý.................... which will ensure the clothes etc stay dry [and they reduce the space requirement].We get over the cold sheet problem by using hot water bottles for the first night - although you could take over an electric blanket if your a real softie................."Do you suffer a damp bed the first night?"No - I just make sure I don't drink too muchÌýÌý

For me the answer isgas - offelectric - offWater - off and pipes drained [open up lowest taps and also flush loo after turning water off]Central heating system - don't drain, but make sure plenty of antifreeze in the systemÌýBenefit - no chargesDis-benefit - a cold flat when you arrive [for us it takes 24 hrs to warm it up properly if we do a winter visit]

I totally agree with Capo's comments - a local geometra is an essential - they know the people that matter and how to 'work' the system to your advantage - timescales for approvals by the commune will be less [although still long].ÌýSome people will recommend using and architect - but I'd suggest that unless you are doing something really 'fancy', a geometra is what you want.ÌýAsk your neighbours/estate agent/commune for recommendations - then ask to see some of their work [drawings/plans and actual works] before making up your mind which one to use.Ìý [and check what he/she will charge you]ÌýThe geometra willÌý draw up the plans, get the various estimates [haggle when you see them - it works], make the submissions to the commune for approvals, and supervise the works.ÌýÌýA good geometra is worth his/her weight in gold.