09.19.08
How to move in Italy, Part 2
Soon after contacting realtors, we were faced with the question: are we looking for a furnished or unfurnished apartment?
Most people think of Italians as having big families with kids running around everywhere. That was probably the case years ago, but now the average family size is just over 3 people: Mom, Dad, and one kid. Consequently, apartments are being built (or remodeled) to fit that size of family. Our family of six doesn’t really fit in an apartment built for 3. And so the chances of finding a furnished apartment were slim and none.
So unfurnished is the route we went. But unfurnished here means a very different thing than unfurnished in the US. We’re talking bare walls, wires sticking out where lights will be hung. No kitchen cabinets, sink, appliances, fixtures, nothing. Just a little hole in the wall for the drain and two pipes for hot and cold water. It seems like the bathroom is usually left (toilet, bidet, sink, tub/shower). In the house we ended up picking, the people before us actually took the hooks that you hang the ceiling lights with. In other words, completely unfurnished.
In one sense, it’s kind of fun to make the house exactly how you want it. On the other hand, it is expensive. But my wife being the way she is, she was able to find some incredible deals, mostly at a little place that has made furnishing a house much easier: Ikea. I’ll write more about that experience in part 3.