Saving around £6,000 helped put a smile on the faces of Michael and Caroline Di-Lella when they bought their new home in Tuscany. The British couple were able to do this thanks to using currency specialist Smart Currency Exchange instead of a bank to transfer euros to Italy to complete their property purchase.
The Di-Lellas, from the West Country in the UK, moved to Italy after Michael, a process improvement technician, secured a job there. Once they had found their ideal home, they negotiated a purchase price of €180,000 and began arranging payment for the property.
“Whilst researching Italian home on the Internet, I discovered the option of using Smart Currency Exchange to exchange and transfer money to Italy,” said Michael. “I read other people’s testimonies and was impressed with the comments. I opened an account only about a week before I needed it – it was so easy and quick.”
In all, Smart Currency Exchange has exchanged around £177,000 into euros for the Di-Lellas, sending funds to their designated account in Italy. If the couple had used a high street bank to make the same transfers, they estimate it would have cost them approximately £6,000 more due to banks’ poor exchange rates.
Michael was especially impressed with Smart Currency Exchange’s customer service. “We both thought the response to our requests was dealt with swiftly and there was always a real person to speak to every time I called. I remember being at an early morning meeting here in Italy, with the notary, vendors and estate agent, and they couldn’t believe that to authorise a money transfer I just picked up the phone and made a call to Smart. In fact, they were gob-smacked! If and when the need arises I will not hesitate to use Smart again and we have already spread the word to friends and family.”
The Di-Lellas new home, which they had renovated and extended, is in a small hamlet called Banditelle, near the coast at Piombino. “The property is sited on an ancient Roman road called Via Aurelia,” enthused Michael. “The road originally started in Rome and continued northwards following the Mediterranean coastline into France.
“There is a brick outbuilding in the 1,000-square-metre garden which faces south-west, so we have a sunny garden all day long for Italian-style BBQs. The garden has a mature olive tree, which will provide dappled shade for the patio area, and two large fig trees. The bottom of the garden looks out to open farmland and distant hills.”
Looking for a property in Tuscany, similar to the one Michael and Caroline bought? Start your search for properties there, by clicking here.
When you purchase a property in Italy, opening a no-obligation account with FCA-authorised Smart Currency Exchange will enable you to benefit from their competitive exchange rates and specialist currency knowledge. For more information, visit Gate-Away.com’s currency page.
