Fantastic house!! I definitely would not let your meow dictate what you do or don't do! I also would definitely put in a pizza oven lol!! You could extend your future patio. Can't wait to see more! I hope you keep sharing! I just found this video by chance.
Ciao Kimberly, Thanks so much for watching and for writing! We are returning in late February so I plan to take a bunch of video then and post again by March. You found my video by chance - it's a miracle that ANYONE found it! lol! I never expected such a wonderful response. Stay posted and I hope to have another video soon. :)
The house is great. But, don't listen to anyone about keeping anything in the bathrooms, gut them, there is nothing historic about them. Make them how you want them. The floors throughout are gorgeous, keep. Can't wait to see the reno on this house.
Thanks for the encouragement. We really don't have money to completely gut them but I'm definitely thinking like you - the bathrooms are not historic so we may as well make them functional for our use and preferences. Glad you like the floor tiles. My neighbor says that these, too, are historic - though I'm not so sure about that. They certainly are old though. Eventually I do think I will replace the red ones in the bathroom. We'll see. Thanks for watching!
Beautiful ! The lizards are not harmful part of nature as you live the home they will start outside themselves For the mouse problem give a home to a cat just the smell will drive them away . They are wonderful pets! Blessings from Puerto Rico! 🤗❤️
Thank you for the blessings! Unfortunately, I am allergic to cats. :( But I think maybe you are right - when we live there, maybe the geckos will not be so interested in being inside with us. I hope so!
A natural bug deterrent thought for you is to use bay leaves around doors, windowsills, in cabinets and in storage rooms, I buy them in bulk and use them generously. I live in a very moist, humid and mostly hot climate in Southeast Georgia, USA and the bay leaves have been the best solution for me. We have geckos by the plenty here but because of screens and tight wood joints, we rarely see them inside. I'm not afraid of them although I've lived in this environment for over 6 years, I still am surprised when I find one peeking out of a hiding spot behind the shutters at me. I love how thrilled you are and agree to wait to see what type of trees they are before doing any trimming but I would think Enzo would be able to tell you if they are lemon trees or some such. In my location, oranges and lemon trees are full of oranges and lemons to the point, people are giving the harvest away because we had an encellent season. I'm very curious to hear what you find out about all the trees, bushes and all green growth you have around your property. I've subscribed and can't wait to watch your videos as they develop in the future.
Maureen, Thank you so much for your comments. I think once all the screens are replaced and holes in the front door, etc, there will be fewer geckos. I'm not afraid of them, I just don't want so many of them in my house! I actually love bay leaves - I use them in cooking and also think they are quite pretty - what a wonderful suggestion for deterring bugs. As for the trees, we are sure they're not fruit bearing and actually would like to plant some lemon trees, as they would be a perfect fit for the climate. Also want to put in a small greenhouse as well. Stay posted!
Your larger lizards are wonderful. We have them here in Western Australia. They can be quite social and territorial. We named our lizard who call our walled backyard ‘home’. It takes time to get used to your new flora & fauna. Beautiful!
😅 That's funny! None of the geckos were too large, no more than 6". The problem was that there was clearly a nest. I failed to show how many there really were INSIDE the house. We return in a couple weeks and hopefully they are all happily living in the yard now. :) Stay tuned! Thanks for watching and for your kind comments.
Looks like an idyllic place to live and enjoy! What an adventure! There are lots of folks that will follow your channel because they, too, have dreams of foreign escape and land ownership. Your property obviously needs work but it will be your pleasure simply because you love it already! Good luck!
Thank you, loved the video. My Grandpa was born in Villafranca. I know I will never visit there so it is so wonderful to watch your videos. Will be a beautiful home when you are done.
Villafranca di Verone? in Northern Italy? I've never been but heard it is absolutely beautiful there. Thank you for watching. I'm glad to hear it makes you feel connected to this magical place.
@@findinghomejanpeppler Thank you for writing back. No Villafranca, Sicily. Grandpa Giovanni Catalano told me they always knew when Mt Edna erupted, mud balls would fall from the sky. He sailed from Palermo to Louisiana in 1912. I subscribed. Thanks.
@@elainemoreland3908 oh Wow! I didn't realize there is a Villafranca in Sicily - it's actually close by - just on the other side of Sambuca! What a fantastic story. Mud balls all the way over from Etna! Your grandfather (wonderful name, btw) was part of the great migration to the States. Sometime I will have to visit Villafranca. When I am living there FT, please remind me! I would love to show you photos and video from there.
@@findinghomejanpeppler Thank you. I thought Grandpa was joking with me, than I saw a story where an American married a Sicilian man, lived in Palermo when mud balls started hitting the windshield. He was my best friend, the love of my life.
@@findinghomejanpeppler in Providence of Palermo... my only advise is pick your contractor on references and get multiple bids ... had some contractors throwing out ridiculous prices when they knew I was American look at day rates for workers and price everything out and you will be fine, also get a good notario to search for any heirs as they can stake claim , if there is you would have to buy them out ... Good Luck and enjoy ... I do and never looked back ... Auguri
@@josephguastella8037 ah yes, all good advice! We hired an attorney/geometra to make sure the property was clean of other heirs, property lines were correct, etc. And my neighbor Enzo, who is looking after it for us, has already made sure we get the Sicilian price instead of the American price! This means we wait for the weekends when locals can do side jobs, but that's okay! Grazie!!
What a charming, nostalgic house you’ve purchased. It will be fun to watch the transformations. I love the idea of stone patio with pergola. Also love the color yellow of the house and your room, but for me, the critters would surely have to go! Enzo definitely is an asset to have as your neighbor, but it’s your house now and your money, so you may have to win some battles to do what you want with your home😅 Will be watching🥰
Thank you so much, Judith!! I am truly grateful for your positive and encouraging comments. We are returning in a few weeks so I hope to have another video soon!
Im Sicilian, I appreciate your Home and Adventure. YELLOW is a very stimulating color for a bedroom. It causes Restlessness. Blues an d Greens are better for bedroom so you can Rest. Thank You, for showing this. Its the Dream.
Ciao Margaret! Thank you for watching and for your comments. You are right - yellow is definitely stimulating. I've actually had a yellow bedroom before and loved it. I tend to stay in bed much longer than I should, so yellow motivates me. :) I prefer to have a bedroom with big windows and have the natural light wake me up, so this was a way to help achieve that since the windows are small. That said, I've already decided to tone it down by doing a sponge glaze 3 shades lighter. I plan to do the rest of the house in more warm earth tones. I do love green though - the doors are green and I hope to incorporate that more inside as well. It seems like in every other Italian renovation video I watch, everything is always painted white. That's far too bright for me! Are you currently living in Sicily? We will be back in February and I'll share more then!
The neighbour's interest is tricky! You need to assert who is boss (the owner) and decide not only what you can live with, but what would give you JOY. This is a compromise between modern comfort and history. Expose the bones where it makes sense and make the rest comfortable. When waa the building built? Those pieces of furniture look art deco. Unless you would really cherish living with them, sell them and bring in pieces you like.
thank you, Martina. The whole property gives me joy! There actually aren't any bones - it's just concrete, built in the '30s during Mussolini's reign. More than our neighbor, our budget will decide what we can live with. We're returning in a few weeks so stay tuned for an update. Thanks for watching and for your kind thoughts. Much appreciated!
Hello, My name is Camille from California. I love your house. Your renovation triumphs remind me of Frances Mayes book, Under the Tuscan Sun. The house is spacious and very old world. What a delight to bring it back to life. Love the yellow living room. I am looking forward to the next installment. Buona fortuna.
Ciao, Camille! Grazie mille!! So kind of you to write. ah yes, what a wonderful book. And, if only I had the $ she did to hire contractors! lol! But I can certainly relate to falling in love with the place and making a pretty spontaneous and life-changing home purchase! Look for more installments coming soon (I hope!)
Central air conditioning throughout the house would be ideal as well as a wall surrounding the entire property... Great house and project...well done!! 💪😊
Loved this!! I can't wait for your next videos and I wouldn't want to leave either. This did remind me of the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun". I would love to be doing this
Just 'found' you! Loved this vlog, your sheer delight at having arrived at your dream home was delightful. Subscribed straight away you were really amusing when you made the connection re the paint actually lol ed 😁 at your reaction 🤣😂 Thanks for taking us along with you....Looking forward to to seeing your adventures in Italy .Mary Inishowen, Donegal, Ireland 💕
Thank you so much, Mary! Yeah, I'm still laughing about the yellow paint too! I think I'll tone it down with a sponge glaze. We're heading back in a few weeks so I hope to have a new video for you soon!
Just beautiful! Congratulations! I’m wishing I could move there from the USA but I am a good bit older and not sure I could do it now. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
Just discovered your channel. Love it! You have a great attitude! Very encouraging. Please, please adopt some cats. They'll definitely keep the critters away! (I have 3.) Your home looks lovely! I share your sentiment. I just returned from Italy where I visited friends over Thanksgiving and scouted properties in Abruzzo. I plan to return in March (God willing) to close on my little home. I'm homesick already!
Congratulations on your home in Abruzzo! That's wonderful!! Thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to cats - I can't breathe around them. :( But I'll figure something out. Thanks again.
Just seen your UA-cam video tonight...luvvvv it and the house is stunning...looking forward to seeing the restoration...I just love your gardens...enjoy your new home...luv from ireland
Thank you, Amy! I appreciate the good wishes. And yes, I'm such a newbie at this - it took me a while before I figured out how to use the phone. lol. And this is my first time using iMovie. So if you have any other useful tips, please share!
I live in Italy and i have both washer and dryer separate ..apart from internet two places very useful for renovations and home goods if you have near you are Mediaworld and Leroy Merlin...equivalent to Loews and Home Goods in the USA.enjoy.
Thanks for the tip! I'm never really happy with laundry that comes from the all-in-one machine. I haven't seen those store names in Sicily but I'll look and I'll ask my local friends.
Beautiful! Do what you want with the bathrooms, they were renovated at one time and exept for the water tank on top of the toilet, nothing looks historic in there. Your house, your choice to decide what you want to keep, not Enzo, even if he seem like a very kind man.🙂 I look forward to your next video
Thank you, Emy! I think I agree with you - the bathrooms clearly aren't historic. Someone gave me the idea of maybe using an old dresser to hold the sink. That could be cool - if I could fit it in the tight space!
I hope your doing well Jan. I enjoyed your Vid immensely. You seemed sad at the end. I look forward to seeing more of You & Your Sicilian Home. I will be staying tuned - Fondly -Jim
Greetings from San Diego! Congratulations on your new purchase...so happy for you! A few things...your place is amazing, the yellow looks wonderful, what a great outdoor space, and the ending was painful to watch, but coming back will put that great smile on your face again. We get it! Looking forward to seeing your progress. Welcome to the "Owning a house in Italy" Club! It's truly magical! 🙂
Just found your Channel. I am following about 10 vloggers, Renovating Chateau‘s in France and love watching them. I did subscribe and look forward to see what you do with your home. NUMBER1…did I hear the gentleman say, why take out the lizards? Tell him if he likes them so much he can capture them and take them to his home. NUMBER 2..regarding you putting in new toilets or renovating them or any room in YOUR home…take them out. It is your home, not his. You can still keep the history of your home without those toilets, showers or sinks. Ask your neighbor if he would like them. I agree with you, the steps are beautiful and think about all those before you who made them “worn down”, now that’s history! Looking forward to see what you do with your lovely home.
Aw MamaBear, thanks so much. This is the first video I've ever done and I'm completely new to this but I, too, follow other's renovations on UA-cam so I thought maybe some folks would be interested. I'm glad that you are! My neighbor has a property where he once rented out wonderful rooms and yes, they have those antique toilets! And yes, that was my friend Nino's voice. He didn't think we should keep the lizards but rather, as it was the first day I had keys to the place, there were so many that trying to get rid of just that one would be rather useless. ;) No one, I think, actually wants them in their house. My neighbor has replaced the window screens for me (extremely kind of him) and that should help now with keeping them out. So glad you love the steps as well. I think they are perhaps the best feature of the house.
This is fantastic! You are doing a great job! Beautiful countryside Each room is going to be gorgeous when you are finished It just takes time Bring some mousetraps when you come back! The furniture looks nice! Great channel!
Just watched your whole video and subscribed. I have bought a house in Italy in 2022 spring as well and have few videos on it. My initial idea was to buy a house in Sicily and was looking for various properties but couldn't find what I wanted, so got myself a house in Campania region. But I'm still dreaming about Sicily. I might sell my house in the future in buy in Sicily who knows :) Anyway, happy for you and please post some more videos ;)
Ah Campania! I was going to visit there in 2020 but then the pandemic squashed that plan. I subscribed to your channel and look forward to viewing your videos! Yes, Sicily is pretty special. If you come back to visit, let me know - hopefully I will be there and we can connect.
I would love to know where in Sicily this home is, and I would love to see more videos with the renovations! It is a beautiful space and I hope there will be more to watch!
Glad that I found your vlog and look forward to seeing your new adventures in your new home. Love the yellow. They left beautiful furniture, and I'm glad to see you have found a use for it. OWLTRA OW-2 Indoor Electric Mouse Trap 2 PCS, Instant Kill Rodent Zapper with Pet Safe Trigger, Black on Amazon are excellent and remove the need for poisons or cats.
Thank you! I'm glad you like the yellow too. An Italian said to me, "well, it IS the color of Italy" meaning, it's pretty common. Maybe that's partly why I love Italy - :) I wonder if those traps would work on geckos. I don't really want to kill the geckos - just don't want them in my house. And I'm allergic to cats. :(
@@findinghomejanpeppler Hehehe, gecko-nators!! Don't see why not. Instead of using peanut butter used for mouse bait, use fruit for geckos. Peanut butter is toxic to geckos. Good luck with it. 🐭🐭🦎🦎😃😃
hey thanks! I'm new to this whole video thing but you can also read about the journey to this purchase at findinghome.substack.com/s/travel - the Italy section of my Finding Home newsletter. :)
The trees can be trimmed up where you could walk under. Trimming them up, will make them beautiful just don't forget to seal them where you cut limbs so they don't rot. I just ran across your channel. I cant wait to see all the progress! Congratulations!
Thanks for your comment, Kimberly. We are definitely planning on trimming the trees but aren't sure if the time of year matters. They're not fruit trees, so maybe it doesn't. But honestly, I didn't know about sealing the limbs - thank you! What does that mean exactly? Though I suppose I can google it. Thanks for watching!
Hi! So happy to find your channel and looking forward to following the renovation process! Looks like the house has a lot of potential! Janice from Arkansas USA
Thank you, Janice! I currently live in Tulsa - so I'm not that far from you. But yes, I hope to live in Sicily full time, even before the house is done. Fingers crossed!
Amazing place, the trees look like they all need good prune. If you do one on the path maybe you could have a round seat. Looking forward to what you do with it..
Gechi are considered good luck in the home and they are efficient insect removal. The more you have things cleaned up , dry, and insect free the less you will have inside. I'll take 100 gechi over 1 spot of muffa ! Nice location where you can just pop down to Marinella👍 Welcome to Sicily!
@@findinghomejanpeppler I've lived here full time 20 years. We live in the countryside in Noto. I love that area near Selinunte. My only advice is to buy some good quality, professional deumidificatori. We run ours almost continuously from late fall through to the spring. To counteract insane electric bills we have the deumidificatori e air purifiers running off of plug&play fotovoltaic panels. I was tired and frustrated waiting for the supposed Ecobonus and ended up buying independently. Well worth it and ended up costing less!
@@lindachartier2504 Thanks so much for responding, Linda! We are thinking of solar panels as well but I don't want them on the roof, as they will ruin the look of the historic house. We did, however, have a Domodry system installed, which is supposed to completely dry out the house and repel water from it in the future. On top of that, we are running two dehumidification units - but yes, the energy cost is crazy!
Congrats! About your bathrooms... do what you want! It's your place and at the end of the day, you and only you -not Enzo- gonna spend time there... also nothing there looks historic... but you can use one of your old dressers and put a sink there + use those frames of the "cheap art" in the closet (if are in good shape) for the bathrooms mirrors. Beautiful stairs and light fixtures 👏💛 sorry my terrible english! 🙈 good luck!
Grazie, Maria! Penso che tu abbia ragione. Che bella idea! (mispiace, parlo Italiano un po' Italiano e no Siciliano - ma, sto imparando :) I have reused frames for other things but not for a mirror. Mi piace l'idea of using a dresser to hold the sink. I will need to find a smaller one. I can't wait to find used furniture stores in Sicily - or what we call "thrift" stores in the States. Grazie ancora for your good wishes!
17:58 🚛 the word is missing a letter. It's Traslochi, not Raslochi 😆 (which means moving, change the location where you live). You see: -lochi is like "location".
Fix it All (patching compound) if you are painting the windows this inexpensive powder mixed with water makes a strong repair for wood that holds until you are prepared to replace. I used it on a number of exterior wood sill on a 50 year old home. On one I had to build up a missing piece. It is undetectable15 years later. I spent the time to sand and have repainted it once. It dries very hard try and make repair as smooth as possible. I mix in a throw away cup. (I have never used the pre mix nor the presto patch by Dap). I've used it on rough, dry wood that is not smooth so I could make them look new. I would try this if available even in that big window hole unless someone there can repair that area. It is NOT easy to sand down and I can not say it enough make the repair a smooth as possible or less than needed and do a second build up.
Thank you, Hope! This is very helpful. I've never heard of this before. Just found it online. Think I may purchase it and bring with us on our next trip. Thanks again!
@@findinghomejanpeppler I went to buy a new box in the middle of a project...no longer carried at locations close to my home. Custom Building Products is the company name and insert your zip code to find locations that carry their product..DAP Presto Patch or Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty could also be used..it looks like.
@@Hope-fv3kf ah, thanks for the f/u! I found a photo of the Fix It All but I couldn't find a place to purchase. Just looked at DAP and Presto Patch and think I'll go with Presto Patch. Just want to bring a small can w/ me and then I see when I'm back in Sicily if they have something similar (i'm sure they do but it helps to have something to show them).
@@findinghomejanpeppler I Used the Durham's water putty. Small $4 at home Depot covered area the size of 30"x72" with 1/4 left in the container. Popsicle sticks I bought at dollar tree I use for mixing. I save cottage cheese size containers for mixing as a medium plastic putty knife can access the opening to use spreading the patch product and easy to throw away although I keep my plastic putty knife for many projects. Plastic bag work to place roller or brush for the evening to be used again the next day or week without needing to rinse. A favorite I used to clean tools was old carpet/rug and underlayment before taking to the dump. I wiped all tools on this before rinsing. I didn't have easy access to water and did not want pipes messed up with any products. I used one room for painting everything with a DIY Truecoat 360 paint sprayer $250-300?. Doors, Windows, cabinets, shutters. I also used it initially for ceilings and walls. It must be RINSED every time.Store upright. Henry's feather finish is a thin cement type product. Strong, cement look gray or white or layered creates a cement marbled look, sand, must have a sealer if used as usable surface. Using white you can add colors to have the look of stone.( I'm planning making a styrofoam big rock and covering with this stuff) Casa refined by Jorge UA-cam has ideas for faux cement planters. And for outside A large planter is a metal filing cabinet, drawers removed, turned on it's back, can add wheels, spray paint oil rubbed bronze or cover in wood with liquid nail, or the feather finish for a cement look ( who can move a real cement planter box) fill with planting soil and even add a privacy screen to the back should you desire hiding some view.
Dr. Jan, UA-cam suggested your video to me this evening as I sit in my Berkeley CA, USA home. I spent the last year caring for mother, aunt, brother, cousin, and home in Western NY and am finally home. As a new retiree and dual Italian citizen my family is anxiously waiting for me to find a home in Italy. I’ve been planning and preparing for years. I had to Google you since there wasn’t any introduction on your channel. Wonderful to discover your interests and I look forward to your blog posts. Lastly, are you familiar with Clare Cooper Marcus and her book, House as a Mirror of Self?
Dear Susan, Thank you so much for writing. Yes, I'm very familiar with Clare Cooper Marcus - had even hoped to talk to her about my research and dissertation but she had retired by the time I sought her out. It sounds like this year has been filled with transitions for you. Perhaps not even yet transitions, but certainly goodbyes. That is a lot of caring for others. With all that you've been thru recently, you need rest. Lots of rest. It is wonderful that you have been planning and preparing for a move to Italy for years. Now, perhaps, set that all aside and just go. Without an agenda. Go to rest. Go to recover. Bask in the Sicilian sunshine which will soothe your soul. You're right - there is, as of yet, no introduction to my channel. I hadn't planned on creating a channel. I simply loaded this video for my Substack readers. The response from my visual world surprised me. I promise to work on an intro and a new video after the holiday. Please do stay in touch.
@@findinghomejanpeppler I totally understand why your intro isn’t there. We are all a work in progress. I read Marcus’ work years ago and found her books enlightening. As a neighbor Berkeley resident she offered to visit my home but that was ions ago. My mother’s demise was more than some of my nine siblings could endure and hence rending our family’s unity. My older brother explained we need to create family from those around us who care. I feel honored to have cared for my mother and aunt in those last days. I’m still holding onto mom’s house for reasons some may not understand but when the time is right I’ll know how to proceed. For now, home is within my being and although I’m restoring, rehabilitating, and maintaining houses, I am certain I can and will create a space in any place that I dare to dream.
Lovely house needs some TLC, congrats! Sicily I’m assuming has 365 days of sun, how awesome! I prefer getkos or lizards to flies, roaches and mosquitoes and if lizards can clean them out then I’m a friend. 😅 looking forward to your journey!
Thank you. It's been raining recently, so not always sunny but it IS the Mediterranean so much better weather than where we currently live in the States.
!) Learn to leave with critters, lizards help with spiders and mosquitos...and they are harmless...2) need to walk around the perimeter of the house and see the roof, gutters, where water seems to enter the house and fix that first ...3) find someone that can render the outside with cement and seal it so u do not have more issues with water coming in...for that it is best to ask several people since the construction of houses there are very different as the houses in USA> Good luck and please bless the house asap...
Thank you, all good advice! I have had formal house blessings in my homes before and I am sure I will with this one as well when we are ready to move in. But I appreciate the reminder - I will make sure to smudge and bless it myself when I return and then have the priest do it again later.
@@findinghomejanpeppler You do not need a priest..just take olive oil in your hand and with your right thumb take oil and do 3 crosses above the treshold of doors, windows, corners of the house, all mirrors and floors...first cross...in the name of the father, second cross....in the name of the son, third cross ...in the name of the holly spirit. Ask Jesus to remove any unwanted spirits, dark energies and to bring angels of light to ward the house all the time. You can do the blessing on yourself as well, your car and the land around your home. Basically are all walls, all floors, all mirrors, treasholds of doors (front and back) and including closets, etc., windows top and bottom, and fireplaces...all and everything walking each room from left to right leaving the floor last...you can bless the ceiling drawing the 3 crosses in the air looking up the ceiling. Blessings to you and yours.
Hi Jan, congratulations on your purchase ! Where is Sicily is this ? Being a Canadian of Sicilian decent, I can feel your emotions at the end of the video. You will adore living in Sicily and everything it has to offer. Thank you for bringing us along.
Thank you! and thank you for watching! Sorry I'm only seeing this now. This is in the Trapani province. Do you have a place in Sicily? Maybe we'll see each other there sometime!
@@findinghomejanpeppler no we don't have a property yet but I plan on getting one soon to prepare for my retirement. My family is from the Agrigento area.
@@AgreetoDisagreeShow oh that's a beautiful area!! And VAlley of the Temples is, of course, magnificent! We are very close to Selinunte. Not as famous as Valley of the Temples, but also ruins w/ temples and right on the water.
@@AgreetoDisagreeShow ah yes, Segesta is quite nice. Selinunte, however, is the largest archaeological park in all of Europe. Next time you come to Sicily, I hope you’ll check it out!
Well the two bedrooms are really mirror images of each other - I just chose one to be the master, lol. I'll show more in upcoming videos. Thanks so much for watching!
Currently we are living in Idaho and Oklahoma and yes, I want to move to Sicily permanently, but it may take a little time to figure that out. Thank you for watching and subscribing!
ah yes! Thanks for the thought. I hate having so many apps on my phone and - as you can tell from the video - I'm still learning how to use it lol! But that's a great suggestion for when I'm there. It would be nice to identify everything that is in the yard.
Yes, it was renovated 22 years ago to be a guest house of 4 different rooms, each with its own bathroom. I like having a bathroom downstairs in the living room but we certainly don't need one in the kitchen! I think that space will be good as a laundry room. Thanks for commenting!
I can't wait to see what you do with it. The good side of the lizards is that they may be eating any bugs. One solution is getting some diatomaceous earth and eventually get a cat when you are done with any toxic pest control. It looks like you have a lot of interested neighbors and neighbors help eachother in Italy. I can see Enzo is trying to help. Other's will help too once you start to get to know them.
Thank you, Ber! Yes, a cat may be the solution even tho I'm allergic to cats. We'll see. The new window screens may help too. Enzo is my one neighbor, well, the one in walking distance, and he is amazing. I am so grateful for him. Italians are the best people. Are you living in Italy?
@@paolotubo74 Very true - a Mediterranean gecko. And if there was only one - no problem. But there were LOTS. Other viewers have told me they bite if you try to move them (well, I would too if you grabbed me by the tail) and they can eat wiring and destroy air conditioning. Bottom line: I don't want to kill them, I just want to keep them out of the house. Hopefully, the new window screens will help!
Un that house you can save all the forniture making work a "restauratore", You must change all the windows for sure, but, about the floor, you can put on the "cementine".. Ask for a geometra that can help you with a legal restauration. About the water closed tank, try to preserve it, like you have to preserve that Historical remembering of fasciscm ( colonna con fascio littorio), it's history...The gekos are not a bad think, because they eats flaies and mosquitos... If you don't want to change the floor, you can make reataure it, it's so beautifull!!!But , unfortunatelly, I think that you have to change all the windows... About the well, ask if it's possible to connect the plumm of the house with it...
thank you. Yes, we now have the water from the well pumped into the cistern / water holding tank and then that water goes into the house. We love the floors! And yes, we will have to replace each window - one thing at a time! Thank you for watching and for your good advice!
My grandmother cooked on the Purdy Ranch for years and my grandfather worked as a hired hand. His name was Rudi Klein but you probably would not have known him.
@@anniefawcett9936 oh my goodness, Annie - that is wonderful! Bud Purdy was a good man. Sadly, Ruth Purdy died before I moved there. Your grandparents may have been there during the time that the Purdys were friends with Ernest Hemingway!
My mother started there in the late 50’s and in 61 she met and married Rudi. I me Bud and one of his sons. I was about 8 and what I remember about him was he had a beautiful smile. They were very good to my grandmother and Rudi.
Hi, thank you for the video we find it very interesting, your place looks fantastic it's exactly what we want to do and we are currently looking for villas that require refurbishing works in the province of Sicily for us to one day retire in , where in Sicily are you? By the way my nonna used always say leave the lizards in your home as they will go around all night and day killing mosquitos for you!! Regards from Angelo London England
Hi Angelo, I'm glad you found my video and I'm sure someday you will find your villa too! I will post other videos sharing the process we went through to find this place. We are in the region of Trapani. Thank you for watching!
I have to deal with many animals here in Thailand, whether ratsnakes, cobras, green treesnakes, scorpions, hornets and so on. I don't mind, it's also the habitat of the animals. i have never killed a mouse or rat, i catch snakes with my gardener and take them to another place. I have many gravel paths that make noise when walking and many animals have time to hide. larger lizards can also sometimes be seen, but they can flee up trees - these lizards are at least 50cm tall. that's why I smile when I see how much you afraid of small little creatures 😆😆
🤣😂 I wasn't afraid of the geckos, it's just that we had so many of them inside that it was unsettling. I don't want to kill any, I just don't want so many inside! Hopefully we can make them happy in our yard. I just finished a video specifically about the geckos and would love to know what you think. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
I was in Sicily a couple of weeks ago. My cousin met a man in Amalfi and They are now engaged. Palazzolo Acreide was the city I was in also Palermo. I’m thinking of buying a home in the Syracuse region. Where area is this hime and do You mind saying the cost and the cost Expected to renovate? .
Loved this video, especially the end. It's been happening to me every time I leave Italy too. Were you able to get a mortgage in Italy? Did you have to open a bank account? I'm strongly considering doing this. I have my codice fiscale already.
Thank you, Elxa! Yes, Italy is such a magical place (and, I think, Sicily even more so), that it is always very hard to leave. Where do you live? I think everything is much easier if you are an EU citizen. Congrats on getting your codice fiscale! We only got ours (one in each of our names - we are co-owners of the house), when purchasing the property. Everyone told me it was impossible (virtually impossible?) to get an Italian mortgage. Luckily, the home was not too expensive (I'll reveal more about this later), about 1/3 of what a starter home in the States would cost, so Tom was able to take a home equity loan on his current property before the Fed raised the interest rates. We expect to have it paid off in 6 years. I'll reveal more in future videos. oh, and you may want to subscribe to Expat Exchange, Italy. I learn a lot from other folks there.
@@findinghomejanpeppler Thank you for the reply! I live in Los Angeles. A home equity loan is an interesting option. You guys got in when the rates were good. It’s a bit late now I think, and much higher rates than Italy offers. Hmm. I’ll check out the Expat channel too. Thanks again, subbed!
@@elxakiltse8773 Ah, LA! 20 years ago, I lived in WeHo and then by Fairfax & Olympia. Sicily's temperatures are a bit similar, though colder in the winter.
Six months is long by Italian standards. Most clear the notary in about four. Not like the State's where it takes 30 days. I am always amazed with Italian properties where furniture is just left. Often you will find a tavern, cellar or barrel vault with stuff from previous owners. Just to let many viewers know it is common in areas south of Umbria to need a new kitchen. Many sellers take them. Be careful to ask is the property naked or what kitchen and bathroom furniture stays. Most realtors will not give out exact addresses too. Try to refrain from purchasing ground floor units in Italy; much more difficult to sell. Often they are too dark also. It is better to call a realtor in Italy rather than via email or WhatsApp. Most never respond to initial emails. Please realize most buildings before the 70s lack AC. Insulation did not really start in Italian construction until the late 80s. Methane or natural gas is about 4x more in Italy. Be careful with G energy rated homes. An amazing Country but the lack of customer service and the bureaucracy make it very challenging at times. Avoid Italian banks. The fees are higher than the States and minimal customer service. In smaller towns it is not uncommon for businesses not to be able to break a 20€ bill. Always have change on you. Do not rely on Rome to Rio for bus or train schedules. If you can utilize the Trenitalia site then you are ahead of the game. If you are from American suburbs you better get used to walking. The majority of people do not speak English, especially over 40 and in Southern Italy.
Hi Ken, Sorry, I'm only seeing your comment now. All good information - thank you for sharing. The hold-up in our case was Feragosto - the august holiday. Are you living in Italy or have you spent a lot of time there? Obviously, you know the country well!
It's a pretty house I can tell you like yellow you got a yellow house and yellow bedroom too
Fantastic house!! I definitely would not let your meow dictate what you do or don't do! I also would definitely put in a pizza oven lol!! You could extend your future patio. Can't wait to see more! I hope you keep sharing! I just found this video by chance.
Aww, just saw you're not posting any new videos. I hope you will eventually!
Ciao Kimberly, Thanks so much for watching and for writing! We are returning in late February so I plan to take a bunch of video then and post again by March. You found my video by chance - it's a miracle that ANYONE found it! lol! I never expected such a wonderful response. Stay posted and I hope to have another video soon. :)
@@findinghomejanpeppler Oh good! I'm glad you will be posting more! I'll look forward to seeing more!
What an amazing place! We look forward to follow the renovation. Love all the yellow! Love Sicily! Good luck from Sweden. 🇸🇪
Thank you!
I’m sorry to laugh, Dr Peppler, but that smashed gecko in the window was hilarious! Bless your heart. 😂 ❤
Oh I can totally laugh about it now! Honestly, though, I feel so bad - still! ay-yi-yi!!
How wonderful that you are so happy with your new home!!!
The house is great. But, don't listen to anyone about keeping anything in the bathrooms, gut them, there is nothing historic about them. Make them how you want them. The floors throughout are gorgeous, keep. Can't wait to see the reno on this house.
Thanks for the encouragement. We really don't have money to completely gut them but I'm definitely thinking like you - the bathrooms are not historic so we may as well make them functional for our use and preferences. Glad you like the floor tiles. My neighbor says that these, too, are historic - though I'm not so sure about that. They certainly are old though. Eventually I do think I will replace the red ones in the bathroom. We'll see. Thanks for watching!
Absolutely. Bathrooms and kitchens shouldn't be historic. They should be functional and how you want them to be.
You remind me of the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun " !! What an adventure, best wishes from NZ
🤣😂 lol! Except that my Italian romance will be with the house, the landscape, the town, the island, and the people! Thank you for the good wishes! 🙏
Beautiful ! The lizards are not harmful part of nature as you live the home they will start outside themselves
For the mouse problem give a home to a cat just the smell will drive them away . They are wonderful pets!
Blessings from Puerto Rico! 🤗❤️
Thank you for the blessings! Unfortunately, I am allergic to cats. :( But I think maybe you are right - when we live there, maybe the geckos will not be so interested in being inside with us. I hope so!
A natural bug deterrent thought for you is to use bay leaves around doors, windowsills, in cabinets and in storage rooms, I buy them in bulk and use them generously. I live in a very moist, humid and mostly hot climate in Southeast Georgia, USA and the bay leaves have been the best solution for me. We have geckos by the plenty here but because of screens and tight wood joints, we rarely see them inside. I'm not afraid of them although I've lived in this environment for over 6 years, I still am surprised when I find one peeking out of a hiding spot behind the shutters at me. I love how thrilled you are and agree to wait to see what type of trees they are before doing any trimming but I would think Enzo would be able to tell you if they are lemon trees or some such. In my location, oranges and lemon trees are full of oranges and lemons to the point, people are giving the harvest away because we had an encellent season. I'm very curious to hear what you find out about all the trees, bushes and all green growth you have around your property. I've subscribed and can't wait to watch your videos as they develop in the future.
Maureen, Thank you so much for your comments. I think once all the screens are replaced and holes in the front door, etc, there will be fewer geckos. I'm not afraid of them, I just don't want so many of them in my house! I actually love bay leaves - I use them in cooking and also think they are quite pretty - what a wonderful suggestion for deterring bugs. As for the trees, we are sure they're not fruit bearing and actually would like to plant some lemon trees, as they would be a perfect fit for the climate. Also want to put in a small greenhouse as well. Stay posted!
Your larger lizards are wonderful. We have them here in Western Australia. They can be quite social and territorial. We named our lizard who call our walled backyard ‘home’. It takes time to get used to your new flora & fauna. Beautiful!
😅 That's funny! None of the geckos were too large, no more than 6". The problem was that there was clearly a nest. I failed to show how many there really were INSIDE the house. We return in a couple weeks and hopefully they are all happily living in the yard now. :) Stay tuned! Thanks for watching and for your kind comments.
Look beautiful 😍.. I hope you can finish it soon and can enjoy it every day.
Thank you!!
Looks like an idyllic place to live and enjoy! What an adventure! There are lots of folks that will follow your channel because they, too, have dreams of foreign escape and land ownership. Your property obviously needs work but it will be your pleasure simply because you love it already! Good luck!
Thank you, Gail! I so appreciate your kind words!
Thank you, loved the video. My Grandpa was born in Villafranca. I know I will never visit there so it is so wonderful to watch your videos. Will be a beautiful home when you are done.
Villafranca di Verone? in Northern Italy? I've never been but heard it is absolutely beautiful there.
Thank you for watching. I'm glad to hear it makes you feel connected to this magical place.
@@findinghomejanpeppler Thank you for writing back. No Villafranca, Sicily. Grandpa Giovanni Catalano told me they always knew when Mt Edna erupted, mud balls would fall from the sky. He sailed from Palermo to Louisiana in 1912. I subscribed. Thanks.
@@elainemoreland3908 oh Wow! I didn't realize there is a Villafranca in Sicily - it's actually close by - just on the other side of Sambuca! What a fantastic story. Mud balls all the way over from Etna! Your grandfather (wonderful name, btw) was part of the great migration to the States.
Sometime I will have to visit Villafranca. When I am living there FT, please remind me! I would love to show you photos and video from there.
@@findinghomejanpeppler Thank you. I thought Grandpa was joking with me, than I saw a story where an American married a Sicilian man, lived in Palermo when mud balls started hitting the windshield. He was my best friend, the love of my life.
Renovated my home in Sicilia over 10 years ago and been spending summers there since... no regrets and will do it again... congratulations
Hey, that's fantastic! Where in Sicily? Any hard-won advice for me?
@@findinghomejanpeppler in Providence of Palermo... my only advise is pick your contractor on references and get multiple bids ... had some contractors throwing out ridiculous prices when they knew I was American look at day rates for workers and price everything out and you will be fine, also get a good notario to search for any heirs as they can stake claim , if there is you would have to buy them out ... Good Luck and enjoy ... I do and never looked back ... Auguri
@@josephguastella8037 ah yes, all good advice! We hired an attorney/geometra to make sure the property was clean of other heirs, property lines were correct, etc. And my neighbor Enzo, who is looking after it for us, has already made sure we get the Sicilian price instead of the American price! This means we wait for the weekends when locals can do side jobs, but that's okay! Grazie!!
What a charming, nostalgic house you’ve purchased. It will be fun to watch the transformations. I love the idea of stone patio with pergola. Also love the color yellow of the house and your room, but for me, the critters would surely have to go! Enzo definitely is an asset to have as your neighbor, but it’s your house now and your money, so you may have to win some battles to do what you want with your home😅 Will be watching🥰
Thank you so much, Judith!! I am truly grateful for your positive and encouraging comments. We are returning in a few weeks so I hope to have another video soon!
What a wonderful property! I can’t wait to see what you do with it. I would love to hear how you ended up in Sicily and buying this house.
Thanks, didi! Others have asked as well. I'll try to put something together to answer that!
Im Sicilian, I appreciate your Home and Adventure. YELLOW is a very stimulating color for a bedroom. It causes Restlessness. Blues an d Greens are better for bedroom so you can Rest. Thank You, for showing this. Its the Dream.
Ciao Margaret! Thank you for watching and for your comments. You are right - yellow is definitely stimulating. I've actually had a yellow bedroom before and loved it. I tend to stay in bed much longer than I should, so yellow motivates me. :) I prefer to have a bedroom with big windows and have the natural light wake me up, so this was a way to help achieve that since the windows are small. That said, I've already decided to tone it down by doing a sponge glaze 3 shades lighter. I plan to do the rest of the house in more warm earth tones. I do love green though - the doors are green and I hope to incorporate that more inside as well.
It seems like in every other Italian renovation video I watch, everything is always painted white. That's far too bright for me!
Are you currently living in Sicily? We will be back in February and I'll share more then!
Whaooo complimenti...troppo carina questa antica stazione ferroviaria 💜
Grazie mille!!!!
The neighbour's interest is tricky! You need to assert who is boss (the owner) and decide not only what you can live with, but what would give you JOY. This is a compromise between modern comfort and history. Expose the bones where it makes sense and make the rest comfortable.
When waa the building built?
Those pieces of furniture look art deco. Unless you would really cherish living with them, sell them and bring in pieces you like.
thank you, Martina. The whole property gives me joy! There actually aren't any bones - it's just concrete, built in the '30s during Mussolini's reign. More than our neighbor, our budget will decide what we can live with. We're returning in a few weeks so stay tuned for an update. Thanks for watching and for your kind thoughts. Much appreciated!
What a great house project & property. ❤
thank you!
Hello, My name is Camille from California. I love your house. Your renovation triumphs remind me of Frances Mayes book, Under the Tuscan Sun. The house is spacious and very old world. What a delight to bring it back to life. Love the yellow living room. I am looking forward to the next installment. Buona fortuna.
Ciao, Camille! Grazie mille!! So kind of you to write.
ah yes, what a wonderful book. And, if only I had the $ she did to hire contractors! lol! But I can certainly relate to falling in love with the place and making a pretty spontaneous and life-changing home purchase! Look for more installments coming soon (I hope!)
Central air conditioning throughout the house would be ideal as well as a wall surrounding the entire property... Great house and project...well done!! 💪😊
Thanks. I promise to talk about the a/c another time!
Loved this!! I can't wait for your next videos and I wouldn't want to leave either. This did remind me of the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun". I would love to be doing this
Thank you, Donna!
I Can't wait to see the finished product; so far is looking great. I love to see the deco. Great Job
Thank you!!
Best wishes with everything, great you will make a home out of the fine property. Good Health& Happiness to you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! Much appreciated!
Just 'found' you! Loved this vlog, your sheer delight at having arrived at your dream home was delightful. Subscribed straight away you were really amusing when you made the connection re the paint actually lol ed 😁 at your reaction 🤣😂 Thanks for taking us along with you....Looking forward to to seeing your adventures in Italy .Mary Inishowen, Donegal, Ireland 💕
Thank you so much, Mary! Yeah, I'm still laughing about the yellow paint too! I think I'll tone it down with a sponge glaze. We're heading back in a few weeks so I hope to have a new video for you soon!
I look forward to your renovation. What an adventure!
Thank you, Gwendolyn!
Beautiful can't wait to follow your journey. USA-Florida
Thank you, John!
So many beautiful old homes in Italy. I moved here for work several years ago and really enjoy the culture. Look forward to more videos.
Ah! che fortuna! Where are you?
Vicenza, such a nice city👍
Vicenza. I can see the mountains from my place👍@@findinghomejanpeppler
Any good news for me to know only buy water elec
Good areas as you lived
There thanks dublin
@@mda1501 how lovely!!
What a lovely house! The ideas you have for your home is so precious. Looking forward to seeing the end results to your lovely home.
Thank you!
Just beautiful! Congratulations! I’m wishing I could move there from the USA but I am a good bit older and not sure I could do it now. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
Thank you, Martha!
@@findinghomejanpeppler never to old looking from ireland +!+××age 🇮🇪
Just discovered your channel. Love it! You have a great attitude! Very encouraging. Please, please adopt some cats. They'll definitely keep the critters away! (I have 3.) Your home looks lovely! I share your sentiment. I just returned from Italy where I visited friends over Thanksgiving and scouted properties in Abruzzo. I plan to return in March (God willing) to close on my little home. I'm homesick already!
Congratulations on your home in Abruzzo! That's wonderful!! Thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to cats - I can't breathe around them. :( But I'll figure something out. Thanks again.
I’m curious about both Sicily and Abruzzo (all in the family!). I wonder which is an easier place to live? Good luck to you all.
Just seen your UA-cam video tonight...luvvvv it and the house is stunning...looking forward to seeing the restoration...I just love your gardens...enjoy your new home...luv from ireland
Thank you!!!
Can’t wait to see the transformation! We live in California and bought a place in Tuscany. Love your house!
Thank you!! I'm sorry I'm only seeing your comment now. Congratulations on your place in Tuscany! Are you doing a lot of work on it?
Look forward to seeing more! Very excited for you. Oh, and hold your phone in landscape (horizontal) when you take your videos. 😊
Thank you, Amy! I appreciate the good wishes. And yes, I'm such a newbie at this - it took me a while before I figured out how to use the phone. lol. And this is my first time using iMovie. So if you have any other useful tips, please share!
I live in Italy and i have both washer and dryer separate ..apart from internet two places very useful for renovations and home goods if you have near you are Mediaworld and Leroy Merlin...equivalent to Loews and Home Goods in the USA.enjoy.
Thanks for the tip! I'm never really happy with laundry that comes from the all-in-one machine. I haven't seen those store names in Sicily but I'll look and I'll ask my local friends.
Beautiful! Do what you want with the bathrooms, they were renovated at one time and exept for the water tank on top of the toilet, nothing looks historic in there. Your house, your choice to decide what you want to keep, not Enzo, even if he seem like a very kind man.🙂
I look forward to your next video
Thank you, Emy! I think I agree with you - the bathrooms clearly aren't historic. Someone gave me the idea of maybe using an old dresser to hold the sink. That could be cool - if I could fit it in the tight space!
I hope your doing well Jan. I enjoyed your Vid immensely. You seemed sad at the end. I look forward to seeing more of You & Your Sicilian Home. I will be staying tuned - Fondly -Jim
You are very kind. Yes, I was incredibly sad to leave Sicily. But we will be back soon (not soon enough) ;)
Greetings from San Diego! Congratulations on your new purchase...so happy for you! A few things...your place is amazing, the yellow looks wonderful, what a great outdoor space, and the ending was painful to watch, but coming back will put that great smile on your face again. We get it! Looking forward to seeing your progress. Welcome to the "Owning a house in Italy" Club! It's truly magical! 🙂
Thank you! Can't believe you bought your home sight-unseen! Wow. I subscribed to your channel - can't wait to see how yours develops!
Just found your Channel. I am following about 10 vloggers, Renovating Chateau‘s in France and love watching them. I did subscribe and look forward to see what you do with your home. NUMBER1…did I hear the gentleman say, why take out the lizards? Tell him if he likes them so much he can capture them and take them to his home. NUMBER 2..regarding you putting in new toilets or renovating them or any room in YOUR home…take them out. It is your home, not his. You can still keep the history of your home without those toilets, showers or sinks. Ask your neighbor if he would like them. I agree with you, the steps are beautiful and think about all those before you who made them “worn down”, now that’s history! Looking forward to see what you do with your lovely home.
Aw MamaBear, thanks so much. This is the first video I've ever done and I'm completely new to this but I, too, follow other's renovations on UA-cam so I thought maybe some folks would be interested. I'm glad that you are! My neighbor has a property where he once rented out wonderful rooms and yes, they have those antique toilets! And yes, that was my friend Nino's voice. He didn't think we should keep the lizards but rather, as it was the first day I had keys to the place, there were so many that trying to get rid of just that one would be rather useless. ;) No one, I think, actually wants them in their house. My neighbor has replaced the window screens for me (extremely kind of him) and that should help now with keeping them out. So glad you love the steps as well. I think they are perhaps the best feature of the house.
... one more thing Jen please keep us posted we will have to see the finished work. ❤️🇨🇦🇮🇹
Thank you. Progress will be slow as I'm still living in the states. But I'll keep posting!
Hope You are Doing Well - Happy 2023 Looking forward to seeing Your Next renovation follow Up 2023 - Jim O 🤔😀
Grazie mille! And the same to you! Thanks for watching!
loved watching can't wait for updates
Thank you, CAtherine! Sorry that I'm only seeing this now. Hope to have more content coming soon!
Hello from Ireland. The house looks lovely and I’m sure it will be amazing when you are finished decorating it. Hope to see you back there soon.
Thank you so much! I hope to post more soon.
This is fantastic! You are doing a great job! Beautiful countryside Each room is going to be gorgeous when you are finished It just takes time
Bring some mousetraps when you come back! The furniture looks nice! Great channel!
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind comments and encouragement!
Just watched your whole video and subscribed. I have bought a house in Italy in 2022 spring as well and have few videos on it. My initial idea was to buy a house in Sicily and was looking for various properties but couldn't find what I wanted, so got myself a house in Campania region. But I'm still dreaming about Sicily. I might sell my house in the future in buy in Sicily who knows :) Anyway, happy for you and please post some more videos ;)
Ah Campania! I was going to visit there in 2020 but then the pandemic squashed that plan. I subscribed to your channel and look forward to viewing your videos! Yes, Sicily is pretty special. If you come back to visit, let me know - hopefully I will be there and we can connect.
I am so happy for your Journey.
Thank you, Jerry!
So exited for you! Cant wait to see more videos!
Thanks! And thanks for watching!
I would love to know where in Sicily this home is, and I would love to see more videos with the renovations! It is a beautiful space and I hope there will be more to watch!
Glad that I found your vlog and look forward to seeing your new adventures in your new home. Love the yellow. They left beautiful furniture, and I'm glad to see you have found a use for it. OWLTRA OW-2 Indoor Electric Mouse Trap 2 PCS, Instant Kill Rodent Zapper with Pet Safe Trigger, Black on Amazon are excellent and remove the need for poisons or cats.
Thank you! I'm glad you like the yellow too. An Italian said to me, "well, it IS the color of Italy" meaning, it's pretty common. Maybe that's partly why I love Italy - :) I wonder if those traps would work on geckos. I don't really want to kill the geckos - just don't want them in my house. And I'm allergic to cats. :(
@@findinghomejanpeppler Hehehe, gecko-nators!! Don't see why not. Instead of using peanut butter used for mouse bait, use fruit for geckos. Peanut butter is toxic to geckos. Good luck with it. 🐭🐭🦎🦎😃😃
For sure You Have a Beautiful Life Spend there.
Thank you!
You're welcome 😊
congratulations for the new life style in Italy...welcome!
Grazie mille! Dove sei?
@@findinghomejanpeppler I'm from north Italy....but Sicily amazing area....mountain , sea, Vulcans, very historical city.
Please create a video informing your viewers how you come about acquiring this house in Sicily? I am a big fan! Fan at first sight!
hey thanks! I'm new to this whole video thing but you can also read about the journey to this purchase at findinghome.substack.com/s/travel - the Italy section of my Finding Home newsletter. :)
I laughed so hard when you said, "I love the yellow. I think it is the color of the outside of the house." LMAO! You were so astonished !
I know!! too funny. What can I say? I love yellow! lol!
So happy for u congratulations on ur new home
Thank you, Carmen!
How cool! You’re renovating an historic building.
Thank you! We think so too!
Con gracia y buen humor con
Fe y optimismo y la voluntad de mejorar tu casa seguramente quedará muy Bonita traducir al inglés
¡muchas gracias! Agradezco sus buenos deseos y amables palabras.
The trees can be trimmed up where you could walk under. Trimming them up, will make them beautiful just don't forget to seal them where you cut limbs so they don't rot. I just ran across your channel. I cant wait to see all the progress! Congratulations!
Thanks for your comment, Kimberly. We are definitely planning on trimming the trees but aren't sure if the time of year matters. They're not fruit trees, so maybe it doesn't. But honestly, I didn't know about sealing the limbs - thank you! What does that mean exactly? Though I suppose I can google it. Thanks for watching!
Those are not old sinks they are probably 21 years old replace all of the ones you want 😊 Beautiful home good luck!
Thank you!
Hi! So happy to find your channel and looking forward to following the renovation process! Looks like the house has a lot of potential! Janice from Arkansas USA
Thank you, Janice! I currently live in Tulsa - so I'm not that far from you. But yes, I hope to live in Sicily full time, even before the house is done. Fingers crossed!
Oh my gosh how beautiful you must be so happy I know I would be.❤️... This reminds me of the movie under the Tuscan Sun... enjoy Bella.
hahahaha 😊- You're not the only one who has made that reference! Thank you for your good thoughts and for watching!
Congratulations! It’s such a charming place.
Thank you!!
Amazing place, the trees look like they all need good prune. If you do one on the path maybe you could have a round seat. Looking forward to what you do with it..
Oh I love that idea! Yes, all the trees need a good pruning! and having a bench that circles the tree by the path is a great idea. thank you!
Wow! Congratulations! What a dream!
Thank you !!
Hopefully you'll post your next video in full screen. This will be a beautiful home.
Thank you, Nancy. I think so too. And yes, hopefully I'll get better at filming! That trip was my first time.
@@findinghomejanpeppler You will!
Gechi are considered good luck in the home and they are efficient insect removal. The more you have things cleaned up , dry, and insect free the less you will have inside. I'll take 100 gechi over 1 spot of muffa ! Nice location where you can just pop down to Marinella👍 Welcome to Sicily!
Grazie mille, Linda! Clearly, you know the area! Only someone in Sicily would know Marinella vs town and speak of muffa! Where are you? :)
@@findinghomejanpeppler I've lived here full time 20 years. We live in the countryside in Noto. I love that area near Selinunte.
My only advice is to buy some good quality, professional deumidificatori. We run ours almost continuously from late fall through to the spring. To counteract insane electric bills we have the deumidificatori e air purifiers running off of plug&play fotovoltaic panels. I was tired and frustrated waiting for the supposed Ecobonus and ended up buying independently. Well worth it and ended up costing less!
@@lindachartier2504 Thanks so much for responding, Linda! We are thinking of solar panels as well but I don't want them on the roof, as they will ruin the look of the historic house. We did, however, have a Domodry system installed, which is supposed to completely dry out the house and repel water from it in the future. On top of that, we are running two dehumidification units - but yes, the energy cost is crazy!
You look so happy I'm happy for you and how's this beautiful what grounds are beautiful why are you crying 😂
Thank you so much.
Thank YOU!! 🙂
Congrats!
About your bathrooms... do what you want! It's your place and at the end of the day, you and only you -not Enzo- gonna spend time there... also nothing there looks historic... but you can use one of your old dressers and put a sink there + use those frames of the "cheap art" in the closet (if are in good shape) for the bathrooms mirrors. Beautiful stairs and light fixtures 👏💛 sorry my terrible english! 🙈 good luck!
Grazie, Maria! Penso che tu abbia ragione. Che bella idea! (mispiace, parlo Italiano un po' Italiano e no Siciliano - ma, sto imparando :) I have reused frames for other things but not for a mirror. Mi piace l'idea of using a dresser to hold the sink. I will need to find a smaller one. I can't wait to find used furniture stores in Sicily - or what we call "thrift" stores in the States. Grazie ancora for your good wishes!
@@findinghomejanpeppler 💛
Should be great fun. Nice to have fixable problems to focus on in an uncertain world.
Indeed!!
Best wishes
from Australia
🥰🤗🙏♥️
Grazie mille!! ♥
Happy for YOU i bilve YOU house be Come nice YOU be enjoy Best wishis,
Thank you!
17:58 🚛 the word is missing a letter. It's Traslochi, not Raslochi 😆 (which means moving, change the location where you live). You see: -lochi is like "location".
Dear lovely woman, you're so sweet en nice! Wish you all the best with you new house! 🌼🌹🌷🍀🌻🌸🌼🥂🥂🥳🥳
You are so kind, Thank You!!! Your note makes my heart happy 🙂🧡
Good morning from Canada 🇨🇦
Good morning and Buongiorno!
Fix it All (patching compound) if you are painting the windows this inexpensive powder mixed with water makes a strong repair for wood that holds until you are prepared to replace. I used it on a number of exterior wood sill on a 50 year old home. On one I had to build up a missing piece. It is undetectable15 years later. I spent the time to sand and have repainted it once. It dries very hard try and make repair as smooth as possible. I mix in a throw away cup. (I have never used the pre mix nor the presto patch by Dap). I've used it on rough, dry wood that is not smooth so I could make them look new.
I would try this if available even in that big window hole unless someone there can repair that area. It is NOT easy to sand down and I can not say it enough make the repair a smooth as possible or less than needed and do a second build up.
Thank you, Hope! This is very helpful. I've never heard of this before. Just found it online. Think I may purchase it and bring with us on our next trip. Thanks again!
@@findinghomejanpeppler Fix it All. Make in small amounts. It dries hard and fast.
@@findinghomejanpeppler I went to buy a new box in the middle of a project...no longer carried at locations close to my home. Custom Building Products is the company name and insert your zip code to find locations that carry their product..DAP Presto Patch or Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty could also be used..it looks like.
@@Hope-fv3kf ah, thanks for the f/u! I found a photo of the Fix It All but I couldn't find a place to purchase. Just looked at DAP and Presto Patch and think I'll go with Presto Patch. Just want to bring a small can w/ me and then I see when I'm back in Sicily if they have something similar (i'm sure they do but it helps to have something to show them).
@@findinghomejanpeppler I Used the Durham's water putty. Small $4 at home Depot covered area the size of 30"x72" with 1/4 left in the container. Popsicle sticks I bought at dollar tree I use for mixing. I save cottage cheese size containers for mixing as a medium plastic putty knife can access the opening to use spreading the patch product and easy to throw away although I keep my plastic putty knife for many projects. Plastic bag work to place roller or brush for the evening to be used again the next day or week without needing to rinse. A favorite I used to clean tools was old carpet/rug and underlayment before taking to the dump. I wiped all tools on this before rinsing. I didn't have easy access to water and did not want pipes messed up with any products. I used one room for painting everything with a DIY Truecoat 360 paint sprayer $250-300?. Doors, Windows, cabinets, shutters. I also used it initially for ceilings and walls. It must be RINSED every time.Store upright. Henry's feather finish is a thin cement type product. Strong, cement look gray or white or layered creates a cement marbled look, sand, must have a sealer if used as usable surface. Using white you can add colors to have the look of stone.( I'm planning making a styrofoam big rock and covering with this stuff) Casa refined by Jorge UA-cam has ideas for faux cement planters. And for outside A large planter is a metal filing cabinet, drawers removed, turned on it's back, can add wheels, spray paint oil rubbed bronze or cover in wood with liquid nail, or the feather finish for a cement look ( who can move a real cement planter box) fill with planting soil and even add a privacy screen to the back should you desire hiding some view.
Dr. Jan, UA-cam suggested your video to me this evening as I sit in my Berkeley CA, USA home. I spent the last year caring for mother, aunt, brother, cousin, and home in Western NY and am finally home. As a new retiree and dual Italian citizen my family is anxiously waiting for me to find a home in Italy. I’ve been planning and preparing for years.
I had to Google you since there wasn’t any introduction on your channel. Wonderful to discover your interests and I look forward to your blog posts. Lastly, are you familiar with Clare Cooper Marcus and her book, House as a Mirror of Self?
Dear Susan, Thank you so much for writing. Yes, I'm very familiar with Clare Cooper Marcus - had even hoped to talk to her about my research and dissertation but she had retired by the time I sought her out.
It sounds like this year has been filled with transitions for you. Perhaps not even yet transitions, but certainly goodbyes. That is a lot of caring for others. With all that you've been thru recently, you need rest. Lots of rest. It is wonderful that you have been planning and preparing for a move to Italy for years. Now, perhaps, set that all aside and just go. Without an agenda. Go to rest. Go to recover. Bask in the Sicilian sunshine which will soothe your soul.
You're right - there is, as of yet, no introduction to my channel. I hadn't planned on creating a channel. I simply loaded this video for my Substack readers. The response from my visual world surprised me. I promise to work on an intro and a new video after the holiday. Please do stay in touch.
@@findinghomejanpeppler I totally understand why your intro isn’t there. We are all a work in progress.
I read Marcus’ work years ago and found her books enlightening. As a neighbor Berkeley resident she offered to visit my home but that was ions ago.
My mother’s demise was more than some of my nine siblings could endure and hence rending our family’s unity.
My older brother explained we need to create family from those around us who care.
I feel honored to have cared for my mother and aunt in those last days. I’m still holding onto mom’s house for reasons some may not understand but when the time is right I’ll know how to proceed.
For now, home is within my being and although I’m restoring, rehabilitating, and maintaining houses, I am certain I can and will create a space in any place that I dare to dream.
Lovely!
Thank you!!
nice👍👌🏻
Lovely house needs some TLC, congrats! Sicily I’m assuming has 365 days of sun, how awesome! I prefer getkos or lizards to flies, roaches and mosquitoes and if lizards can clean them out then I’m a friend. 😅 looking forward to your journey!
Thank you. It's been raining recently, so not always sunny but it IS the Mediterranean so much better weather than where we currently live in the States.
@@findinghomejanpeppler I’m also in the states New England area and not looking forward to the snow and blizzards!!!!❄️☃️
!) Learn to leave with critters, lizards help with spiders and mosquitos...and they are harmless...2) need to walk around the perimeter of the house and see the roof, gutters, where water seems to enter the house and fix that first ...3) find someone that can render the outside with cement and seal it so u do not have more issues with water coming in...for that it is best to ask several people since the construction of houses there are very different as the houses in USA> Good luck and please bless the house asap...
Thank you, all good advice! I have had formal house blessings in my homes before and I am sure I will with this one as well when we are ready to move in. But I appreciate the reminder - I will make sure to smudge and bless it myself when I return and then have the priest do it again later.
@@findinghomejanpeppler You do not need a priest..just take olive oil in your hand and with your right thumb take oil and do 3 crosses above the treshold of doors, windows, corners of the house, all mirrors and floors...first cross...in the name of the father, second cross....in the name of the son, third cross ...in the name of the holly spirit. Ask Jesus to remove any unwanted spirits, dark energies and to bring angels of light to ward the house all the time. You can do the blessing on yourself as well, your car and the land around your home. Basically are all walls, all floors, all mirrors, treasholds of doors (front and back) and including closets, etc., windows top and bottom, and fireplaces...all and everything walking each room from left to right leaving the floor last...you can bless the ceiling drawing the 3 crosses in the air looking up the ceiling. Blessings to you and yours.
Hi Jan, congratulations on your purchase ! Where is Sicily is this ? Being a Canadian of Sicilian decent, I can feel your emotions at the end of the video. You will adore living in Sicily and everything it has to offer. Thank you for bringing us along.
Thank you! and thank you for watching! Sorry I'm only seeing this now. This is in the Trapani province. Do you have a place in Sicily? Maybe we'll see each other there sometime!
@@findinghomejanpeppler no we don't have a property yet but I plan on getting one soon to prepare for my retirement. My family is from the Agrigento area.
@@AgreetoDisagreeShow oh that's a beautiful area!! And VAlley of the Temples is, of course, magnificent! We are very close to Selinunte. Not as famous as Valley of the Temples, but also ruins w/ temples and right on the water.
Oh yeah during our last trip in 2019 we went to Segesta which is not too far from you I believe. @@findinghomejanpeppler
@@AgreetoDisagreeShow ah yes, Segesta is quite nice. Selinunte, however, is the largest archaeological park in all of Europe. Next time you come to Sicily, I hope you’ll check it out!
I would have wanted to see the master bedroom more 🙂
Well the two bedrooms are really mirror images of each other - I just chose one to be the master, lol. I'll show more in upcoming videos. Thanks so much for watching!
Just found your channel and subscribed. Where is home for you? Are you planning on moving to Cecily permanently soon?
Currently we are living in Idaho and Oklahoma and yes, I want to move to Sicily permanently, but it may take a little time to figure that out. Thank you for watching and subscribing!
What you need is a brucera tdry the place.nice clime walls,so do not have food around.
You can get an app on your phone that tells you what trees and plants are .
ah yes! Thanks for the thought. I hate having so many apps on my phone and - as you can tell from the video - I'm still learning how to use it lol! But that's a great suggestion for when I'm there. It would be nice to identify everything that is in the yard.
Is good that has a lot of bathrooms it is an asset
Yes, it was renovated 22 years ago to be a guest house of 4 different rooms, each with its own bathroom. I like having a bathroom downstairs in the living room but we certainly don't need one in the kitchen! I think that space will be good as a laundry room. Thanks for commenting!
Those lizards eat bugs. They are your friend.
I stayed at a motel in the Phillipines where theyh guaranteed at least one Gecko in edach room to eat the bugs.
😆😂🤣
I can't wait to see what you do with it. The good side of the lizards is that they may be eating any bugs. One solution is getting some diatomaceous earth and eventually get a cat when you are done with any toxic pest control. It looks like you have a lot of interested neighbors and neighbors help eachother in Italy. I can see Enzo is trying to help. Other's will help too once you start to get to know them.
Thank you, Ber! Yes, a cat may be the solution even tho I'm allergic to cats. We'll see. The new window screens may help too. Enzo is my one neighbor, well, the one in walking distance, and he is amazing. I am so grateful for him. Italians are the best people. Are you living in Italy?
It's a gecko anyway, not a simple lizard, they are vey nice
@@paolotubo74 Very true - a Mediterranean gecko. And if there was only one - no problem. But there were LOTS. Other viewers have told me they bite if you try to move them (well, I would too if you grabbed me by the tail) and they can eat wiring and destroy air conditioning. Bottom line: I don't want to kill them, I just want to keep them out of the house. Hopefully, the new window screens will help!
@@findinghomejanpeppler you can use a shoe box to caught them. Then you can release them outside. Get someone to help you
Un that house you can save all the forniture making work a "restauratore", You must change all the windows for sure, but, about the floor, you can put on the "cementine".. Ask for a geometra that can help you with a legal restauration. About the water closed tank, try to preserve it, like you have to preserve that Historical remembering of fasciscm ( colonna con fascio littorio), it's history...The gekos are not a bad think, because they eats flaies and mosquitos... If you don't want to change the floor, you can make reataure it, it's so beautifull!!!But , unfortunatelly, I think that you have to change all the windows... About the well, ask if it's possible to connect the plumm of the house with it...
thank you. Yes, we now have the water from the well pumped into the cistern / water holding tank and then that water goes into the house. We love the floors! And yes, we will have to replace each window - one thing at a time! Thank you for watching and for your good advice!
Did you say you were from Picabo? Is that Idaho?
Yes! Are you from Idaho? I lived there for 14 years and had a home in Picabo for 10. Gorgeous part of the country!
My grandmother cooked on the Purdy Ranch for years and my grandfather worked as a hired hand. His name was Rudi Klein but you probably would not have known him.
@@anniefawcett9936 oh my goodness, Annie - that is wonderful! Bud Purdy was a good man. Sadly, Ruth Purdy died before I moved there. Your grandparents may have been there during the time that the Purdys were friends with Ernest Hemingway!
My mother started there in the late 50’s and in 61 she met and married Rudi. I me Bud and one of his sons. I was about 8 and what I remember about him was he had a beautiful smile. They were very good to my grandmother and Rudi.
Hi, thank you for the video we find it very interesting, your place looks fantastic it's exactly what we want to do and we are currently looking for villas that require refurbishing works in the province of Sicily for us to one day retire in , where in Sicily are you? By the way my nonna used always say leave the lizards in your home as they will go around all night and day killing mosquitos for you!!
Regards from Angelo London England
Hi Angelo, I'm glad you found my video and I'm sure someday you will find your villa too! I will post other videos sharing the process we went through to find this place. We are in the region of Trapani. Thank you for watching!
I have to deal with many animals here in Thailand, whether ratsnakes, cobras, green treesnakes, scorpions, hornets and so on. I don't mind, it's also the habitat of the animals. i have never killed a mouse or rat, i catch snakes with my gardener and take them to another place. I have many gravel paths that make noise when walking and many animals have time to hide. larger lizards can also sometimes be seen, but they can flee up trees - these lizards are at least 50cm tall. that's why I smile when I see how much you afraid of small little creatures 😆😆
🤣😂 I wasn't afraid of the geckos, it's just that we had so many of them inside that it was unsettling. I don't want to kill any, I just don't want so many inside! Hopefully we can make them happy in our yard. I just finished a video specifically about the geckos and would love to know what you think. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
I would do the bathrooms modern, what is in there does not look historic at all 😊
I was in Sicily a couple of weeks ago. My cousin met a man in Amalfi and
They are now engaged. Palazzolo Acreide was the city I was in also Palermo. I’m thinking of buying a home in the Syracuse region. Where area is this hime and do
You mind saying the cost and the cost
Expected to renovate? .
That's nice furniture it came with the house?
Yes! Which made us very happy. However, most of it is in very bad condition. We'll have to see if we can salvage the stuff that is falling apart.
Loved this video, especially the end. It's been happening to me every time I leave Italy too.
Were you able to get a mortgage in Italy? Did you have to open a bank account? I'm strongly considering doing this. I have my codice fiscale already.
Thank you, Elxa! Yes, Italy is such a magical place (and, I think, Sicily even more so), that it is always very hard to leave. Where do you live? I think everything is much easier if you are an EU citizen. Congrats on getting your codice fiscale! We only got ours (one in each of our names - we are co-owners of the house), when purchasing the property. Everyone told me it was impossible (virtually impossible?) to get an Italian mortgage. Luckily, the home was not too expensive (I'll reveal more about this later), about 1/3 of what a starter home in the States would cost, so Tom was able to take a home equity loan on his current property before the Fed raised the interest rates. We expect to have it paid off in 6 years. I'll reveal more in future videos. oh, and you may want to subscribe to Expat Exchange, Italy. I learn a lot from other folks there.
@@findinghomejanpeppler Thank you for the reply! I live in Los Angeles. A home equity loan is an interesting option. You guys got in when the rates were good. It’s a bit late now I think, and much higher rates than Italy offers. Hmm. I’ll check out the Expat channel too. Thanks again, subbed!
@@elxakiltse8773 Ah, LA! 20 years ago, I lived in WeHo and then by Fairfax & Olympia. Sicily's temperatures are a bit similar, though colder in the winter.
Six months is long by Italian standards. Most clear the notary in about four. Not like the State's where it takes 30 days.
I am always amazed with Italian properties where furniture is just left. Often you will find a tavern, cellar or barrel vault with stuff from previous owners.
Just to let many viewers know it is common in areas south of Umbria to need a new kitchen. Many sellers take them. Be careful to ask is the property naked or what kitchen and bathroom furniture stays. Most realtors will not give out exact addresses too.
Try to refrain from purchasing ground floor units in Italy; much more difficult to sell. Often they are too dark also.
It is better to call a realtor in Italy rather than via email or WhatsApp.
Most never respond to initial emails.
Please realize most buildings before the 70s lack AC. Insulation did not really start in Italian construction until the late 80s. Methane or natural gas is about 4x more in Italy. Be careful with G energy rated homes.
An amazing Country but the lack of customer service and the bureaucracy make it very challenging at times.
Avoid Italian banks. The fees are higher than the States and minimal customer service.
In smaller towns it is not uncommon for businesses not to be able to break a 20€ bill. Always have change on you.
Do not rely on Rome to Rio for bus or train schedules. If you can utilize the Trenitalia site then you are ahead of the game.
If you are from American suburbs you better get used to walking.
The majority of people do not speak English, especially over 40 and in Southern Italy.
Hi Ken, Sorry, I'm only seeing your comment now. All good information - thank you for sharing. The hold-up in our case was Feragosto - the august holiday. Are you living in Italy or have you spent a lot of time there? Obviously, you know the country well!
...take a look at this UA-cam page about a chateau being restored in Paris give you some ideas. The UA-cam page is called Chateau de la Ferte
Thanks for the recommendation. I love watching other renovations on UA-cam! Money is tight for us but I still love getting ideas from other places.
@@findinghomejanpeppler They aren't in Paris, they are in the French country side but a wonderful channel.