Helen and Peter Hannick loved their renovated Umbrian home so much, they decided to move there permanently
Reproduced from March 07 issue of Good Homes magazine. This month's issue on sale now Subscribe now and save 30 per cent.
House fact file
The property 18th-century farmhouse set in 100 acres of land near Amelia in Umbria
Bedrooms Five
Buying Price £26,966 in 1985 for main farmhouse, three other farm buildings and 100 acres
Amount spent on renovations €80,000 (around £53,894)
Now worth Around 600,000 (£400,000)
Who lives there?
'I'm Helen Hannick (left), 57, and I live here with my husband, Peter, 72. We have five grown-up children. I work part-time in Rome as a therapeutic counselor and Peter is semi-retired. We live in the main farmhouse on our property and rent out the three outhouses as holiday accommodation.'
What made you buy a home in Italy?
'In many ways the whole thing happened by accident. Back in 1983, friends who had bought a place in Italy invited us over for a holiday. We were totally charmed by the stunning scenery and tranquil pace of life. By the time we returned home, we talked nonstop about the possibility of buying a place of our own. At that time we had really only been thinking in terms of a holiday home, but once our children were grown up, we decided to move here permanently.'
Why Umbria?
'After that initial holiday, we returned and explored various regions, starting with Tuscany, which is lovely and very popular with people from Britain. However, the area that particularly appealed to us was Umbria, where the landscape is quite wild and unspoilt. The picturesque hillside towns all have their own characteristics and traditions, and they aren't overrun by tourists. We concentrated our search on a beautiful area surrounding the historic town of Amelia. Perched on a hilltop, the town is one of the oldest in Italy and has a real sense of history about it.'
How did you find the property?
'Back in the 1980s, there weren't all that many properties for sale in this area and we soon realised that it wasn't a simple case of looking at estate agents' windows. We wanted a place that was totally private but not too far away from an airport. With the
future in mind, we decided that, ideally, we would like a farm with outhouses, which we could convert and rent out. 'It was quite a wish list but Peter, who has a great eye for property, happened to spot a winding lane that was totally off the beaten track and decided to explore. It led to this farmhouse. Once we drove down the lane and took in the breathtaking views over the valley and hills, we knew it was perfect for us. The farm was owned by a Belgian couple and wasn't even on the market. We soon realised that we would have to be proactive if we were to stand any chance of buying it. Peter got in touch with the couple and urged them to think about selling. It was obviously meant to be - the timing was right and they eventually agreed to sell.'
What were your first impressions of the property?
'All of the buildings were in very poor condition. The main house had been used in the traditional way, with the farm animals living downstairs and the tenant farmer and family living upstairs. Over the years, some work had been done, including installing an electrical supply, but we soon realised it would need to be completely gutted. There were no internal bathrooms, the kitchen was in a terrible state, the roof, the floors and windows all needed to be replaced. However, this didn't put us off, in fact we couldn't wait to get stuck in.'
How did you tackle the renovations?
'First off, before any work could begin, we had to sort out the legalities. Italy is notorious for its bureaucracy, but there is no way around it. You simply have to be patient when it comes to obtaining the necessary building permits. Even something simple, like opening a bank account, takes forever. However, Peter picked up basic Italian quite quickly and this undoubtedly helped in the early stages. When it came to the work itself, fortunately there are many very skilled artisans in Umbria. Looking back, the fact that we were amongst the first British people in the area possibly worked in our favour. I think people in the nearest village were quite curious about us to start with, and keen to find out more. Our older children were going through a stage of having spiky, died hair and wearing Dr Martens boots, so they must have looked like an exotic species. Once we got to know each other better, however, the locals couldn't have been more helpful and things began to move forward. 'Although we were still living in England at the time, we came over as much as possible to oversee and project-manage the work. In the end, we decided to make one of the smaller dwellings as comfortable as possible and stayed there while the main house was being renovated.'
What have you done?
'We stripped the house back to the bare walls and started from scratch. We redesigned the downstairs to make the main living area and kitchen open plan, using the original archways as natural dividers. We also redesigned upstairs to give each of the five bedrooms its own en suite. We also added a new roof and replaced the old windows. 'Wherever possible we tried to keep everything in keeping with the age and style of the home, but in some cases we had no option but to combine aesthetics with practicality. For example, much as we would have loved to use antique terracotta floor tiles throughout, they would have proved expensive and labour intensive in terms of maintenance. In the end, Peter heard of a hotel being built nearby and was able to buy its leftover new terracotta tiles at a very reasonable price. We also would have liked to restore the stone walls inside, but again it would have been very labour intensive. Instead, Peter's Cypriot background, where the trend is rough, plastered walls painted white, gave us inspiration. We decided to do this and I think it possibly worked out for the best as the rooms might have ended up quite dark in natural stone.'
Why did you decide to move permanently?
'The more we got to know the place and the people, the more we felt we wanted to be here all the time - Peter and I found it increasingly difficult each time we headed back to England. We hated rush-hour traffic and the hectic pace of life back home. However, apart from our youngest son, we knew the other children wouldn't have settled here. It's a bit too quiet for them - especially as their friends, studies and careers were all in the UK. Once our fourth child was at university and our youngest boy was happy to complete his schooling in Rome, we packed up for good. 'I subsequently established my own practice in therapeutic consultancy, working three days a week in Rome, and Peter had retired by then. Between us, we felt we were in a very good position to develop our holiday-home letting business.'
Describe your style
'I'd say we have a slightly eclectic mix here. Apart from the cream sofas, which are Italian, most of the remaining pieces of furniture are either antiques or junk-shop finds that we brought back with us from the UK. We also have lots of pictures and books from Peter's home in Cyprus. It's quite a mix-and-match approach and things just seem to evolve.'
What do you miss most about living in the UK?
'Sometimes I feel it would be lovely to pop in on friends or family on the spur of the moment. Or occasionally, it would be nice to dress up and go out to the theatre. But the great thing is that friends and family love to visit us here and overall we actually get to spend more time with them this way. My daughter got married last year and there was never any doubt that the wedding would take place here. The sun shone, the dancing went on until the small hours and everyone had a lovely time. And if ever we feel like we need a little urban sophistication, Rome isn't all that far away.'
What's next on the agenda?
'Although the work to all four buildings has been done, there is always something to do. It's a constant job keeping the three properties suitable for holiday lets. recently, we landscaped the gardens around the pool, but there's still quite a bit to do. As to the future, we don't know what lies ahead, but I can't ever envisage wanting to leave this place.'