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

You ask ;-ÌýÌýÌý  "Any advice?" I think you may well have just about answered it in the penultimate sentence of your posting, where you write;- "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!" If 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 3  [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] Good Luck

ÌýÌýÌýtwice apparently!ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

ÌýÌýÌý edit - I hate it when I 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" Mine has 4+ inches of concrete ceiling below it - so there is no problem [although,  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]. During its life, my feelings have swung between hope and despair, depending on how it began to mirror the previous Forum  in its later life. I recognise the forum isn't perfect [none is], and it is less exciting.  Thank goodness it lacks most of the backbiting and vitriol that the other Italymag Forum suffered from. I'd just like to echo what Jinty said - but apply it to everyone - not just some "just let us get on with our non thriving community life."   Some of us quite like it here

Re-fixing ridge tiles is a relatively simple process - but be careful of the risk of falling! This video .........ÌýÌýÌý   ........gives an idea how to do it yourself. Chat to your neighbours - they may know a local 'handyman' who will do it. My roof is unlined [just tiles and battens], and I have easily replaced broken and missing tiles They are the interlocking tiles - they look a bit like these   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 batten that stops them sliding 'down and out'.

"What do you do about your clothes and bedding?" We 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.............ÌýÌýÌý  .................... 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 much  

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 system Benefit - 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]. Some people will recommend using and architect - but I'd suggest that unless you are doing something really 'fancy', a geometra is what you want. Ask 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.  [and check what he/she will charge you] The geometra will  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.  A good geometra is worth his/her weight in gold.