An apartment found

Wednesday.

Over the past week or so we had been in contact with four different rental agencies in Florence in our search for apartments for next year. Unlike in Siena where one deals either with a tourist agency and their exorbitant rental prices or with an Italian agency (and their nearly exorbitant rental prices) who is almost impossible to find online and in any case are unused to catering to foreigners. In Florence things are a bit different. Because of the sheer number of foreigners seeking long and short-term rentals in Florence there are presently several companies – at least online – providing just such services to the non-Italian. After looking at the properties available, at least those online, we contacted four of them and heard from two: YAIF (Your Agency in Florence) and Milligan & Milligan. We set up appointments for Wednesday morning at 11 with Luca at YAIF and at 1 pm with Francesca at M & M. As things turned out we were most fortunate in the way we had arranged our meetings.

At 11 am we met with Luca at the offices of YAIF located along the fashionably chic street of Via Nuova Vigna and after several minutes of Luca looking seriously at his computer monitor he found 5 places that would fit our budget. (It should be pointed out that in my original note sent out to all these agencies I had made it clear what we were looking for in an apartment and what we could afford. A waste of time as it turned out.)

Luca sent us off to look at apartments with a nice young American man who was working in the office – he had in fact attended Apicius, Susan’s school, for a semester. As we neared the first apartment the tenant stopped our guide in the street and said his refrigerator was “exploding” and he was on his way to the office to see what they could do. Apparently he was unable to contact anyone by phone. We turned into the apartment building nonetheless and walked up to the top floor – no lift – what seemed to be several thousand steps. Although clearly it was being lived in by a college male it was very nice, very modern and light and airy – sort of like an apartment the Jetson’s might have had. Anyway we headed off to the second apartment on the list where either the lock didn’t work or it was the wrong apartment, no one seemed sure. So it was off to no. 3. We knocked and nobody answered so in we went, or almost in as a young American girl came to the door and said “Hey we’re still sleeping here”. I mean hey it was still early! No evennoon yet! So that one was out.

After returning to street level I asked our guide to call the office and check to see if there was anyone in the next apartment before we walked there and barged in. He called and they told him, sorry but they didn’t have a phone number for that apartment. I said let’s just skip it and we headed to the last apartment, which was quite nice but had no oven! Once we learned that it was nope, thanks but not this one.

We returned to the office where Luca sat us down and began staring intently at his computer monitor. For all I know he was playing Quake. The problem was he said money (isn’t that always the case?) but if we were willing to bump up our budget and oh by the way “I’ve found a couple of places that you could see today! Yes today!” For only 1800 euros (our budget was 1200 mind you) for only 1800 euros we could have this place with a garden, etc., etc. Could we see it at 3:00 this afternoon? Since it was almost time for us to meet Francesca at M & M I said we really had to go now, but said sure we would look at the apartment and gave Luca my mobile number. “Call me to arrange where we can meet to see it.” He said he would call by 3.

We trotted over to meet Francesca at the offices of M & M on Via Degli Alfani and we walked right around the corner from their office to the apartment. I had found this particular unit online and thought then it had real potential. When we saw it we felt it was just right for us.

It is solid, well reconstructed and in a great location. The Duomo is two blocks one way and the Accademia is two blocks the other way and Susan’s school is maybe a 5-minute walk. One enters through enormous front doors up one of those cool little iron mesh lifts to the 3rd floor, through another door (locked) down a hallway of about four flats and lined with statues and subdued light, very nice feeling here as we walked to our door. Out comes another key (the 3rd one) quite long and after some jiggling we got into the apartment. Click here to see the apartment online.

It has everything we need for six or seven months, fits right into our budget and the people at the agency were also part of the selling points. They were nice, friendly and easy to deal with, comfortable in Italian or English.

So we returned to the office and they printed up the rental agreement and said just think about it and fax it back to us in a couple of days. We’ll hold the apartment. We left, walked around the block, and after talking for about 15 minutes concluded we really liked this apartment and asked ourselves are we going to find something better for less money? And after our experience with YAIF in the morning we said we didn’t want to do that sort of thing again – and anyway we really didn’t have time to keep returning to Florence day after day looking at places, so we said let’s just sign, put our deposit down and get on with it.

We returned to the office and they were a bit incredulous perhaps, saying that was a quick decision. So now we had ourselves a great little apartment in Florence.

And that‘s what I meant earlier when I said we were starting to see this place in a different light. Of course it’s not Siena. . .

Oh and Luca? Never heard from him.