Rupert Denyer

Having studied and worked in Italy for a couple of years some time ago, the idea of one day owning a home in Italy was always on my mind. Living on the south coast of England, I had toyed with the idea of getting a place in France - based only on how quickly I could get there. I never got further than thinking about it - I realised it had to be Italy or nothing.

When some friends of mine told me they had bought a place in Umbria, I decided to go and see them. I spent New Year at their rented flat in a little town called Anghiari. The thought that an apartment might be in my price range encouraged me to have a quick look around. It all seemed possible - and I booked another flight back at the end of January. It was a relatively fateful trip and I discovered a flat in the historic centre within my price range.

Having had my offer accepted, reality hit me hard and I started to question my own decision, what lay ahead that I didn't know about? I worried myself sleepless. If I was going to go through with the whole project, I needed someone that I could entrust to handle everything. I spoke to my Father over the weekend, I guess as a sounding board really - and I desparately needed a second opinion. He had got a copy of the Sunday Times, the property section had an advert for Historic Italian Homes - worth a call, I thought.

Steve and Karen came over the following Tuesday evening and filled me in on all the details, how Italian property law works and the services they would undertake on my behalf. From that point on I entrusted the whole project over to them. Any time I needed reassurance or an update, I just picked up the phone. They dealt with the estate agent in Italy, the solicitors and advised me on one or two things to avoid too. Had it not been for Karen and Steve I would most certainly have backed out - timing was crucial and I'm grateful I found them just in time.

The apartment dates back to 1440 and has glorious views toward the clock tower in Anghiari and Tuscany beyond. It's a beautiful location and I feel very lucky. It's also going to be an ongoing project for the next 10 years - whilst it's very habitable at the moment it needs some restoration work to bring out the full glory, somethings else I'll be talking to Steve and Karen about in the future. If you're serious about a property in Italy, then they are to be highly recommended

"...I needed someone that I could entrust to handle everything. The Property Section of the Sunday Times had an advert for Historic Italian Homes - worth a call, I thought. "
- Rupert Denyer

Views of the surrounding countryside

The hill top town of Anghiari