House Hunting in Sanframondi Guard - A Summary
I think it's probably a good time to recap some of the information That I have in this blog since it's become a bit scattered Throughout the blog.
To get started on your house hunt, there are no realtors to contact, and so there is not a lot That You can do in advance of your trip other than a bit online network (Which I'll explain further Top down)
To get started:
1 . Book your flight (2 Options)
- Fly to Naples - 1 hour away. Pros: much closer, Cons: not as many flights / connections.
- Fly to Rome - 2 hours away. Pros: cutting easier access to the airport and more flights. Cons: longer distance to travel
2. Book a room at a local B & B (2 Options).
- My preferred location is the Tana Dell Orso owned and operated by Pasquale Bear and his family.
You can reach him through the contact B & B website Directly or through email at His bbtanadellorso@gmail.com
The Tana Dell Orso is walking distance to everything in the Guard and Has all the conveniences of AC / Heat / Wifi and private bathroom. The Tana Also Has a local cafe / bar and is a great place to grab a quick bite, a cup of espresso, or Luigi's homemade wine (Which is everyone's favorite!).
Being in the cafe, puts you in direct contact with the local people and makes you feel connected to the town the minute you walk in the door. Another benefit to staying there Is that for me and others, we have found Easter to be incredibly helpful, with great advice on the house hunting process, and being Able to connect us with people interested in selling Their houses. The Bear family are some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet!
- The other good option is to book a guest room at Arthouse Clare run by Clare Galloway, Scottish Artist That Has Made Guard home.
3. Decide on how to get to the airport from the Guard (3 Options);
Listed by least expensive to most expensive .. as with most things .. a tradeoff between convenience and cost. Always good to have options ...
- Take a combination of buses and trains from Rome or Naples to the Guard. From Rome, the train runs every few minutes from the Fumicino airport to the Termini, the main train station in Rome (costs 14 euros each way). Once in the Termini station, I purchased tickets from Termini to Telese Terme. (costs approximately 14 euros each way). Total cost, round trip 56 Euros. There are several trains every day that will get you there, some faster than others. The Termini station is huge! and has plenty of shops and places to grab an expresso and a panino, so not a bad place to sit and watch the world go by.
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Views from the train
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You can go to the Trenitalia website and check train schedules and prices. Pros: the most cost effective method. Cons: it takes quite a bit longer as the bus and train schedules do not always line up with your arriving and departing flights. You may need to plan on 2 extra days of travel (one day one day coming and going) and long waits between the connections.
- Rent a car. (This is my preferred option). Costs about 30 Euros per day + insurance + gas. With a GPS system, its pretty easy to navigate. I highly recommend if you rent a car That You bring or rent a GPS system. If you think you are going to buy a map and find your way around .. good luck! You will spend half of your time trying to figure out what road you are on. If you get a GPS, get One That Will warn you of speed traps and traffic cameras. My husband got Leadfoot 8 tickets last year, and they all arrived in the mail to our home in the U.S. months after our visit. The tickets arent terribly expensive, but they add up. (The Garmin Nuvi 2577 LT free lifetime traffic comes highly recommended, preloaded with Europe and North America. I plan to buy one for my next trip.) Getting out of Rome from the airport is very easy! The rental cars are right at the terminal and you can get out of the city easily on major freeways. Getting out of the Naples airport is a bigger challenge. The Naples airport is a bit more chaotic to drive out of .. the traffic is thicker and not for the faint of heart Unless you know what you're doing. Pros: you can do a bit of exploring outside of the Guard, plan some day trips to the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, etc. Cherreto.; Minimizes your travel time. Cons: You have to be prepared to drive a standard car (very few automatic cars and you may pay extra), traffic can be a bit stressful for Those not used to driving in a different country, and once you are in the Guard, you don 't really need a car since everything is just a walk away.
- Hiring a driver to pick you up from the airport. If you contact Pasquale above, he will arrange for someone to pick you up at the airport for $ 300 Euros each way from Rome, $ 150 Euros each way from Naples. People gasp When They see the cost, but there is not enough business to make this a full time job, and to go to Rome at the crack of dawn and pick someone up at the airport, wait on delayed flights, pay for the gas, tolls, wear and tear on the car and occasional tickets, it's just a service I have not found anyone wants to do for less money after they've done it once. Someday there may be a transportation service to and from the Guard to the airports .. but they are not there yet .. baby steps. Pros: The convenience of not having to worry about traffic or rental car agencies once you arrive jetlagged. Cons: obviously the cost, and not having a car at your disposal (not an issue if you are on a house hunting mission).
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4. Now that you've Decided when you're going and how you're getting there .. network as much as you can . The people of the Guard are avid facebook fans and with the help of google translator to the Fact That You do not speak English and they do not speak Inglese is not an insurmountable obstacle. Be prepared, That not all things translate well through google translate, but enough to start a dialogue and make contacts. Its ok to ask questions in Inglese and they will Likely Respond in English.
Here are some of the best contacts I've found on facebook (please let me know if I am missing some)
- Feel free to contact me (Patsy) at guardiasanframondi@gmail.com - I may not always have the answer, but can point you in the direction of someone who might have the answer.
5. Network as much as you can, but the house hunting begins when you finish arrive and can actually look at the houses .. They come in so many shapes and sizes and states of repair. It is impossible to get a sense of These houses from pictures alone.
I'll continue adding to this document to give you some idea of the actual house closing process. It is not always the same, but everyone found That house has managed to close in on Their houses with a sense of wonderment That actually worked it all out .. I think it's part of the charm and magic guard .. each house has Its Own story!
You do not have to bring the money with you if you plan to buy something. Once you find your home, you will sign Likely to "compromise" similar to an offer letter and you will be asked to pay a deposit. The amount always varies, but most people wire the money Directly to the seller's bank account after they return home. The final closing is usually you months (or up to a year) later once the title is cleared and you sign "the acto." The closing costs are similar to what you pay in the U.S. (filing fees, title searches, etc..) + A onetime 10% tax on the value of the house.
I hope you find this information helpful. This is so far, the collective opinions of many who not have been down this road in the last year. You'll find it's really not that difficult once you get started!
Happy House Hunting!
But my real answer is I just can’t imagine being anywhere else. Every time I’m here I discover new and unexpected treasures just around the corner, and new things about myself. I know the road I’m on right now may feel a bit bumpy and I may feel a little lost at times, but one thing Guardia has taught me, is that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. 
So, for all of you out there, enjoy the ride and keep an open mind because if not, you might miss the unexpected treasures waiting just down the road. Take a chance on Guardia, it might just find your treasure here as well…if not here, maybe around the next corner. You’ll never know until you actually get going.
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