# Thinking of moving to Montegabbione



## turtleblues (May 26, 2017)

We have found a house near Parrano and it will need some renovation. Does anyone know of an English speaking Geometra in the area? Also do you recommend getting an attorney before making an offer on the property?
Nice to be back on the forum, we were sidetracked on ur France move.


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## turtleblues (May 26, 2017)

Have found an English/Italian speaking attorney. The real estate agent has an architect (bilingual) and Geometra. We are hesitant to use someone who has ties to the realtor, do any of you have any suggestions regarding this? I have read that in Italy using in-house folks may become a problem down the line.


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Have they shown you a project for the work? Have you considered making the house offer conditional on the work being done before you move in?

It's not so much an issue of inhouse people but of dishonest people. There are honest people working for realtors and there are dishonest third parties. Unless somebody here knows the people involved not much we can say really.


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## Troz (Jan 29, 2018)

1. Maybe we were lucky but we used a geometra recommended by the realtor and he's been honest and helpful. To state the obvious, in Italy it's all about connections and introductions. I'd rather have an introduction, even from the realtor, than pick someone at random. Will the geometra want to lose face with the realtor if he lets you down? Will the realtor want to risk having an unhappy foreign customer when foreigners may be a major part of his income? Sometimes you've got to trust your own judgement of people's character. 

2. As for the lawyer, we got one before making a formal offer. This is because the offer itself comes with legal consequences. Our Italian friends thought we were crazy but we thought it was worth it for the peace of mind. And in a small to medium sized community the lawyer may know the geometra or have another suggestion.


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## Troz (Jan 29, 2018)

PS: Another criterion to use when choosing a geometra, if you can find someone to make a recommendation, is whether he is well-connected at the local comune. If he is, this may smooth the way with getting permits and so forth.


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