I was working intensely with a couple who were really keen to find the right home for them on Lake Como, but the properties weren’t quite right when they took their long awaited trip in August to visit. The spaces available in Europe weren’t compatible to what they were used to in Northern America and it was with a heavy heart they decided that maybe they would just need to wait. By December they had decided that it was better to invest closer to home and increase their savings and funds further to then be able to find the space and home they really wanted.
They were sorry to do this, but decided it was the right course for them which is understandable. Then, out of the blue in the 2nd week of January I received an email where they’d seen a property online that they thought could be ‘the one’. They asked what I knew about it and the answer was honestly I haven’t seen it! They asked if I could go and view on their behalf – so armed with 3 A4 pages of questions, off I went at 8am the following morning. After returning to my desk that evening I had written responses to all their questions, plus my comments and observations having seen the property. Plus of course, the obligatory photos showing all genuine elements of the properties – not the staged estate agent photos you occasionally see online. One question they had among the many was ‘what is the kitchen like’, the answer was a sink sat in a unit!
My phone rang a little after 11pm Italian time, with a few more questions and to discuss! After a lengthy conversation, they wanted to make an offer…which obviously had to wait until the next morning when the real Italian world woke up! By 3pm we had been back and forth and had an agreed price and terms. 2 hours after this, they had set up an FX company to get the best exchange rate and appointed the lawyer (a bilingual property lawyer from Milan who works with a lot of our clients) who turned around the preliminary agreement in the space of just 2 days – then the deposit was paid!
We closed 6 weeks later, having organised a remote power of attorney, notary etc. Then we began some works, all the while communicating closely with the client – we needed to open a window that had been there previously, add a kitchen and furnish the apartment before they arrived to see it for the first time!
The day they finally arrived I was waiting downstairs and was a little shocked to see only the wife had come. It materialised the husband was so excited he had forgotten to get a parking ticket for the car. We went upstairs with them filming every reaction for their friends and family on their “first viewing” of their new home. My heart was in my mouth as we did the first tour. The video stopped and their genuine delight shone through, it was the right decision. With their bed already made and some Prosecco in the fridge, they had a great first evening in their house, it felt like home already.
Going back the next morning to ensure the smooth delivery of the sofas, I found the clients happily ensconced at their dining table eating omelettes delivered by their new neighbour and restauranteur, a fine example of a warm Lake Como welcome.