2022 draws to an end. The end of the year is always a time to look back and assess your work - the good and the bad, and think about what can be done better. With that in mind, I need to explain my potential role in your purchase of a house or business in Piedmont, Italy.
The first thing you need to know is that the market has positively boomed this year. I’ve worked locally for close to 19 years and it’s always been good. We saw a downturn in the 2006/7 era but it quickly picked up again and never really died, only a little more effort was needed. This year we’ve not seen the likes of it before.
The Langhe is really tough now but savvy buyers are realising that it doesn’t have to just be Langhe and ignore Roero and Monferrato. These areas are also attractive. I’ve lived in Roero for 19 years and would never leave it. Canale is by far my favourite town in the entire area.
So how can I help you? I’m a consultant, not a real estate agent. I can help you find a house - Yes! I can take you through the entire process - Yes! I can assist you after you buy - Yes!
Here are some things I can and can’t do for you, and a brief explanation of how I work. It should make it easier for both of us.
Consultant, not a real estate agent
If you ask for a meeting - in person or on Zoom - I charge for my time. I want to impart valuable information to you, not just try to sell you a house. You might be working with an agent and need guidance. Maybe you can see that you can’t really trust the agent so need a second opinion.
Here are a couple of recent examples:
A very nice Canadian couple approached me for help. They were considering making an offer on a house in Langhe. Scientists tell us we can make an assessment of someone in a second - this agent.. it takes a millisecond. They knew they couldn’t trust him. We met in Alba, talked, visited the house with the agent and found a ton of reasons why they should run away. So, they paid me, not much in the scheme of things, but it saved them from a fortune’s worth of trouble. They’re still happily searching.
An American man contacted me. He bought a house in what I consider the ‘dark area’ of Piedmont, right under the Alps in the area of southwest Cuneo. I love Cuneo but not all of that area is great for living. He had bought a house through an agent in Torino. He needed some help to get the restoration going. I sent him to my architect and she reported back that it’s a disaster. The agent had not been honest with him, he couldn’t carry out the work as he wanted, and the house she described as ‘terrible, and I hate it’. He bought without anyone local to assess, guide or be honest with him. Hmmmmm.
If you call me and want to meet or talk on the phone please know that it is my living and I will share valuable information. Check my YouTube channel for lots of stuff that will help you get started. I’ll come back to that in a moment.
If you ask for a report on a house and you decide not to buy it, I do still need payment.
I’m not really involved in sales below €500,000
Sometimes there are exceptions - great houses that are below this price, or that are close to home/work, friend’s houses that I know are good. My starting point in 2023 is €750,000, then up from that. I don't waste my time with junk - houses with issues or in bad locations.
If you’re looking to spend less (I get a lot of requests for €80k-100k) I’m not really your man. I can probably refer you to one of the trusted agents I work with but that is about all.
It’s just me! I have to prioritise
I have 3 assistants for certain tasks but mostly I work alone. If you ask for a meeting that you are not willing to pay for and I have to cancel because something else comes up - please don’t get upset and throw your toys out of your pram. You’re buying in an area that is exploding with interest and I’m super busy.
If I take time to answer your emails, please understand the above. I try to keep my inbox empty but it’s not possible. You might have to nag me a little ;-)
I have a YouTube channel!
Thank you so much for all the very positive comments I got this year because of the few videos I managed to make. I promise you I’m working as much as I can to do more. I just got myself a great video editor, as editing I’m not good at and sort of hate doing. New productions I promise will be really special. I also have a new, beautiful, Italian assistant to introduce you to. That will all be in the next video. I promise you she is gorgeous.
As I sit and write this my office is full of audio and video equipment I’m grappling with so I can start to make more videos. I will really appreciate your support and please subscribe to the channel. If you have already - thank you!
If there’s a subject you would like me to cover please get in touch!
This is my channel: Langhe Property YouTube
2023 is going to be a great year
I really hope to work a little less but I know that this is a real turning point for the area. I have people telling me they’re selling their houses in Tuscany to buy here as it’s much more accessible from northern Europe! We have a better Summer too ;-)
Maybe someone really famous will buy here and that will be it - the George Clooney effect in Como and Sting (and a ton of others) in Tuscany. So far this year I’ve met with a Hollywood actress, a Hollywood film director that worked with the Beatles, Stones, etc ( and he was mentioned in The Crown - 5/3), an Italian actress, the former manager of Prince and some serious, and I must say, super-nice business people of very high calibre.
They all bought something. Why are you waiting?
