Eco Houses.
There the future lies. Houses which are carbon neutral, which take energy from the ground and the sky and which also sell surplus energy to the National Grid.
Here is one such house (indeed one of many Giancarlo is constructing in Le Marche)







You'll see from the info doc attached that although such houses cost 20% more to build, that they recoup this extra investment within five years (probably much less is my guess, the way energy prices are spiralling)
Then, remember, that solar energy technology know-how is advancing rapidly and that panels will soon be wafer-thin and will be located everywhere and anywhere.



With its sunshine levels and environmental consciousness, and with promised Govt assistance by way of cheap loans an tax incentives, there is every reason why Le Marche should take the lead in this initiative.

Carbon neutral Real Estate... just love the phrase.

details...

Heating, 22C all year through
100% elec self sufficient, excess elec from solar panels fed into National Grid.
Gas only for cooking
Fireplaces also heat water.
Heat transfer from 7 metres under ground 20C…100mq tank of water
Under floor heating
Roof double insulation
Costs 20% more to build but repays in 5 years. Carbon neutral. No radiators
Rain catchment for garden water.

Le Marche Property of the day





I'm putting this farmhouse up although it's already on our site http://www.lilianapivato.com/viewdetails.php?id=205&lang=en
Just happened to be there today with clients and realised we've had it on our site for almost a year and it's odd it hasn't sold. Difficulty is (not that it's any difficulty at all)...problem is that owner has it for sale with 6 hectares (15 acres)of land and won't sell one without the other. And it works out that the land is worth about the same as the house. But what a gorgeous situation and location. A whole valley in view with the beautiful town of Petritoli on the hill above and only ten minuted from the sea at Pedaso. Has lots of olive trees and room for hundreds more.

still photography











Nothing like it...not sure I go for this video stuff. So here's a correction on yesterday's blog. Now you can see what a pleasant and robust property it is, typical of the sort of house built in this area of Le Marche just after the war.











The terrace is gorgeous and adds massively to its real estate value, as well as being a year-round sunshine hide-away from domestic demands.

House of the day!
Terrible video, but I'll get better, I'll get better. In fact it really couldn't be worse...just looked at it. But it's a trial!
But you'll see this house (which I've just been to measure up) on our site in a few days. It's in a little hamlet just below the town of Force and I sold it to the current owners some five years back. They have restored it delightfully, and, most importantly, have added a terrace which is large and offers a gorgeous view of the open countryside across to Montefalcone and part of the Sibillini mountains





The owners were telling me about the state of the UK housing market but we pretty well keep up to date on it all. Knew in fact a year ago that a collapse had to take place. It's the nature of capitalism. With today's Guardian telling us that there are now a million homes in UK on market and only 150,000 buyers, do the sums yourself. Something has to give. And how will it affect us here in Le Marche? With a mainly foreign clientele, prices are going to have to be eased too. Same problem, too many houses, not enough buyers.
It really is a terrible video, I'll change it I will.

Property of the day









This property is described by my architect friend Giuseppe Gentile as a most incredible example of Marchigiane architecture. It's near the Abbey of Fiastra (also near a golf-course) and is just itching to be turned into a hotel or country house.
Upstairs it has up to five bedrooms and the downstairs part (yet to be restored) would make a dream of a restaurant. Three hectares of land too in this delicious piece of real estate in a beautiful area of Le Marche.

House of the day








On restoration...a real estate option
It's quite common here for developers here in Le Marche to leave a house 'al grezzo' This means that it is 80% finished. And this means property is structurally rebuilt with new roof, floors and walls, but that plumbing, electrics, doors and windows have yet to be put in. Why would anyone do this? Two reasons; one being that often buyers like to do the finishing themselves and make the property more theirs
Or at least this is the presumption by the owner. But I think that more often it is to disguise the final cost of these latter aspects (i.e. they are costly) Big advantage is that you get to see the property more or less as it will be without all the hassle and stress of doing the re-building yourself. Worth checking out this option, but make damn sure you are aware of final costs

Ruin of the day.
Just following on with my ruin tales.
this property, an abandoned farmhouse is a real a corker, near the pretty town of Porchia and only some 20 mins from the coast at Grottamare, above San Benedetto in southern Le Marche










What's amazing about this tasty bit of real estate is that it has a large stretch of its 3 hectares as building land. In other words the property could be restored and then other buildings put up to accompany it; stables, barns, studios or even residential cottages. Could make an interesting project; an agritourism ranch with horses and ornamental goats (I thought).Town itself very pretty too

Ruin of the day
This one is near Urbisaglia in Macerata Province. Restoration seems to be becoming popular again. Eco-housing that's what it's all going to be about in the future, I'm sure.
And we are just the Real Estate Agency to specialise in this energy consciouness.





















Light relief
But by way of light relief, here's a photo of a lonely hillside in Le Marche just below the wondrous ex-convento of Sant'Ippolito, a property which I wrote about two days ago. Le Marche. They say it's all of Italy in one region. It's almost true.

Le Marche property of the day










The house on the lake. Lake Rufino to be exact. It's a nature reserve where there are great areas and paths to walk and cycle around the lake. This house has been completely restored and is indeed a quite beautiful property. The interior is exquisitely finished: a typical Marche farmhouse originally, it is now a very comfortable family home with a mature terraced garden with a swimming pool and wondrous lake and mountain views

Property of the day










As we are in Treia, take a look at this magnificent property. It's a 16thC building which has been restored on the outside to its original state. Now this is where restoration gets interesting if you ask me.











Look at this photo of the interior, contemporary or what? Yes indeed, the owner is an architect and the interior was gutted to allow for an ultra modern interior. I wondered how a 16th century architect (travelling through time of course) would be bowled unconcious simple by walking through the front door. Time shock it would be
It's just 3K from Treia town, which itself is just north of Macerata in the middle
part of Le Marche and about twenty minutes from the coast.
It's got land too and wide country views.
A rather delicious piece of real estate.

House of the day
Well,a Villa really, which we came across the other day near Treia, just north of Macerata
You think it's Tuscany don't you? But it's not.
It's a restored monastery with a wondrous parkland of a garden and is rented out usually to groups of people.
Putting it up because it's a classic example of the sort of high quality restoration work which has been done mainly by foreigners, English in this case but also Dutch and German in these wonderful rolling hills north of the town, and positioned as they are only a short distance from the sea.
So restoration is still a thriving concept in these parts, especially when you consider that Le Marche only has less half its original population of the between war years and 50% of its countryside property still abandoned, just ripe and waiting for restoration.















And as your Real Estate Agent we'd be happy to show you a bunch of them in need of restoration. And then supply you with builders, architects, the whole shooting match
to enable you to do it. Good we are. Oh, and this one is for sale by the way... Four million Euros is the asking price.

House of the day!
This is Sambuco, an up and running 6 bedroom B&B; an ex 15thC convent with the most incredible views of the Sibillini mountain range. gorgeous mature garden, broad band, sat TV, four bathrooms, two kitchens...a wonder indeed.



SHOCK HORROR!

UK Traders predict house prices will fall by 50% in four years

· Investments based on property 'fall off a cliff'
· Job losses hit estate agents and mortgage firms
(guardian 9th June)

So why not consider investing in Le Marche property instead? No property price bubble here, thus none to burst. Pure clean air and water, hardly any industry and you'll live longer.....you bet!

These 1940s mountain homes are quite fascinating. Ignored by many in the quest for property in Le Marche, where the preference has up until lately been for stone houses; these 'Lege da Montagna' house were built during the latter years of the Second World war to house displaced families here in Le Marche. They were pretty uniform in design but robustly built and they have certainly stood the test of time. Easy to restore, once beautified, they lose all their original plain-ness. This particular property is for sale and it's opposite the hilltop town of Montefalcone of which it ha sthe most splendid view.











There are many to be found in the open countryside close to the mountains and are worth taking a serious look at.

Sometimes property pops up from out of the blue and surprises us.
This villa is in the final stage of restoration and will offer private accommodation as well as holiday apts or B&B for guests. What's unique about it is that it sits in a lovely valley not far from Mont Alto (in the new Province of Fermo), within 8 hectares of land. It has a bio swimming pool and 40 olive trees AND (and this is the wow part), building permission to construct two other buildings anywhere within the eight hectares.
State of the market? Pretty flat as you might imagine except from within the Euro zone where of course a euro is a euro (I bet the British regret not joining now, eh?)
But property prices here in Le Marche are bound to dip to a certain extent if only accommodate a fall in demand from the panicking world outside, although property values in Italy haven't ever bubbled as they had in US and UK real estate, so the fall will be minimal in our estimation.

The other day we went to have a look at the plots for this villa project just below Campofilone- The land on which the villas will be built is just off the coastal road and just a few minutes walk from the sea itself (where incidentally a whole new beach area is being created with bars and restaurants and every facility imaginable). If you look up you see the pretty town of Campofilone itself which is just a hop away and there you can find restaurants too and banks and bars, all essential ingredients for living in Italy. Work begins in July on the first properties and a comprehensive portflio and brochure has already been printed for interested buyers (also available on-line) Prices range from €212K to € 435K, depending on number of bedrooms and size of garden and each property comes with other varying options, with or without swimming pool , courtyard, garage etc.































You can find out more about this excellent investment by clicking on http://www.lilianapivato.com/viewdetails.php?id=410〈=en