09.17.08
How to move in Italy, Part 1
The reason I haven’t been posting lately is because we are smack dab in the middle of a move. Earlier in the summer our landlord dropped by to tell us she needs the house back. As stated in our contract, we have six months to get out. But, if we can find a place sooner than that would be OK, too. Yikes!
After the shock wore off, the search began. The first thing to do is start making phone calls. We called all the realtors we could find and called every number on every sign posted about a house for rent. It’s almost always easier to go with a realtor (note – this is for a rental house, not buying a house). They’ll take you around and show you possibilities. However, their fee is pretty steep: 1 month’s rent. So if you rent a house for €700 ($910) a month, when you sign the rental contract you pay the agency €700. Pretty steep if you ask me. And why the person renting is out the money is beyond me.
There’s a choice to be made when looking for houses here: furnished or unfurnished. Check back soon to find out what that means…
Heather Seybld said,
09.17.08 at 12:26 pm
yeah, so i didn’t know that, that they take a fee even for renting. after we signed the papers for the new apartment, a realator calls me and says yeah, i’d like 1,200 euros (almost the same as the deposit). well, we didn’t sign a contract with her and neither did our landlord, so after doing my homework, i was ready for her second call. she said i was pretty clever and hung up on me.