Mr Krol: the whole GE team proved to be absolutely successful

Mr Krol, the new owner of “Isola Degli Ulivi Secolari”, tells his experience with our Group, decisive to solve the problems that emerged during the negotiation and positively close his purchase.

As we had already told you some weeks ago, on September 16^th 2020, Great Estate officialised the sale of “Isola Degli Ulivi Secolari”, a beautiful farmhouse located in the Umbrian hamlet of Parrano, purchased by an English client managed by our Suzanne Van Ravenstein. The interview.

Welcome, Mr Krol. Thank you for your time. Would you like to tell us something about your real estate research? Which kind of property were you looking for?

We were lucky. We carried out a lot of online research looking at properties in Tuscany. That gave us an idea of what was available and an idea of what budget to set.

We wanted a rustic farmhouse with at least 4 bedrooms and a pool. We were also interested in a plot of land where we could either plant a vineyard or have one available already. It became clearer that the requirements and the quality we were looking for were not going to be possible in Tuscany, given that we did not want a building project.

So, we started looking in Umbria and were pleasantly surprised at the availability of the types of property we were looking at the budget we had set. We were lucky because we came to Umbria for a week to see the relevant properties and found at least one we liked.

Why did you decide to purchase a property in Italy and, to be more specific, in Umbria, near Orvieto? Did you already know the area?

We have never been to Orvieto before but we fell in love with it. It’s a beautiful and charming medieval city with an amazing cathedral and history. We loved the surroundings and the range of nearby places that you could visit from around Orvieto.

But also from living in London we also wanted to be close to a nearby town where we could stroll around the shops and bars and restaurants. So, we would have the luxury of living in a home surrounded by peaceful and beautiful Umbrian countryside while only being 15 minutes away from the town.

Did you use also other agencies for your research?

We tried another agency but the quality of the places that were shown not great or the location was a bit too remote.

How did you discover Great Estate? What about Mrs. Suzanne Van Ravenstein?

We easily found Great Estate online. But, because they had a large selection of properties to view (past and present) it really gave us a good idea of what was available and also provided some expectation management in terms of the styles, budget, locations, etc. Great Estates was a very good reference point.

We first met Suzanne at a location that was easy to find and where the property would have been a little trickier to find. She took us around the two properties available and we found her to be very patient to our many questions. Also, having lived in Italy for some time she could also relate a bit more to our situation.

Why did you decide to entrust yourself to Suzanne for your research? How would you rate your professional experience with our consultant?

After the first visit, we provided Suzanne with a lot more details about the property we would be interested in. Also, our requirements changed a little as we started to see what was available and where.

Suzanne was able to quickly adapt to these changes and was able to propose additional properties for us to view. This was just what we wanted. I still find it incredible that we were able to find a place we really liked after only a week in Umbria.

Let’s talk now about the property you have recently purchased, “Isola Degli Ulivi Secolari”: do you remember the first visit you did at the home? Which were your first impressions?

When we saw IDUS we were certainly impressed with how many boxes it ticked. In fact, it ticked all the boxes. You could see that the quality of the reconstruction was high.

The grounds were spectacular and better than expectations. Not only there was land and a vineyard but also an orchard with all sorts of interesting fruit hanging waiting to be eaten and an enormous pool.

What did you like the most about this property? How will you use it?

The garden is amazing. Someone had clearly thought this through very well. Being interested gardeners ourselves we could see that this property would be able to provide us with much enjoyment in the future. We expect to use this property as a holiday home and maybe a place to retire to in the future. We will also consider letting the place out for a few weeks each year to cover costs.

Let’s talk now abut the negotiation, what can you tell us about it? Did you find any problem?

Nothing is ever 100% smooth. Working in IT gives you a good grounding for managing issues. Actually, one of the themes that great estates kept saying is that we can resolve all problems. In fact, the Great Estate team worked very hard to socialise the problems amongst their Own team and to come back and suggest Good and relevant solutions.

What do you think about the consultancy you received by Suzanne and the whole Great Estate team?

This was something quite surprising for me having bought and sold a number of properties in the UK. Great Estates acted very professionally throughout the whole sales process. More importantly, they went beyond what I would expect an estate agent to do. I remember one difficult situation where further discussions and negotiations were required later on, in the sales process. These discussions were carried out and resolutions were found during Saturday and Sunday throughout the day and evening. There was a really good “we can fix it” attitude throughout the process.

In short… how would you describe your purchase experience with Great Estate?

The sales process in Italy is very different and unfamiliar to us. Even when you read all about it the types of issues that arise and how these can be resolved is quite different. It was a relief to have experienced people to guide us carefully through this process.

To conclude, would you suggest our Group to other international clients willing to purchase a property in Italy? If so, why?

I would certainly recommend Great Estate as a partner for either sales or purchase of property in Italy. The web site is clear and informative and easy to use. The staff are experienced. They go the extra mile to help you out, clarify difficult situations and help to find creative and agreeable solutions for issues that will most certainly arise.

Not being native speakers, it was important also to be able to discuss freely in English. This was made possible because Suzanne was able to translate and explain all that was necessary along our purchasing journey.