Selling our much loved Tuscan house and struggling with the decision

[Northbynorthbreast]

Ten years ago we fell in love with an italian house. Impulsively we bought it. We were so lucky to find an amazing team to help us renovate it. It’s 16th century , river facing in a beautiful small Tuscan town. We thought we couldn’t have kids so this was our project, move to Italy for an adventure.

the house has been a wonderful sanctuary, calm and so beautiful with loads of magic old features. We she been lucky. It to have any major issues and to have had friends to help us check on it when we weren’t there.

but now it’s time to let it go.

we were lucky to have a child and the town is nice but not duels for him and it’s a loooong drive that was fun as a couple but an ordeal with a sen kid.

we move don the uk and now live somewhere whee summer is super fun and so we are reluctant to travel from here.

climate change is bringing so we crème temps.

we just don’t use it as much as we need to. I tried sharing it with friends and home swapping, we did a little Airbnb but it was too stressful. I also had a very very big accident and it has had life changing consequences that make travelling anywhere harder.

So eventually, we out it up for sale. it sold to the second viewer. Now I’m broken hearted, or just nostalgic but anyway, conflicted. We sign the papers next week.

any advice for being heart sore? When it’s the right decision but it makes you super sad? It’s just such a unique and beautiful house with stone spiral staircases and vaulted ceilings. We feel it was such a privilege to have it and restore it and now w we need to pass it on.

I know this is first world problem. Please be kind.

It's perfectly easy to follow the post, don't be so snidey.

@sesquipedalian i really really appreciate this. This thread has really helped open my heart again- I was feeling all constricted and looking at the loss and now I can really graciously embrace the letting go in itself. Something can be beautiful and sad and still be the right thing. It’s a good lesson in endings.

@friskybivalves hahahaha I feeeeeeel you so much. This is classic Italian hellscape- nothing worse than getting yelled at in sweltering heat.

We are going to have some issues as we live on a bridge… and will need a permit… but this is why u said no moving till random festival, priests wandering with incense, pilgrims staggering about, re-enactment season is over…. And also why I left most of the furniture. I’m just taking my favourite light fittings, three or four small special pieces and all our shizz.

Sorry I can't help with your house issue but reading the comments, is a shared pain. I live in Italy and had to move house the week of Ferrogosto, OMG what a nightmare, first finding a removal company working in August, then had to pay the police for the truck to enter the centro storico, who only agreed it 2 hours before the truck was due to arrive. I've been here nearly 30 years, something works to keep me here, but it also makes me want to have a huge kicking and screaming tantrum with the all the red tape and how complicated things are.😤

@twilighteaser this will be something we do not miss at all!! I feel w e have been lucky to escape some of the worst of it but rural Tuscany is definitely stuck in the 1950’s which is both its charm and its nightmare!!!!

Well we have signed the papers… I’ve shed my tears and made my peace, thanks for all the help with this Mumsnetters!