How unusual is to DIY in Italy?
How unusual is to DIY in Italy?
One of the most stressful and frustrating things I found in Italy is when I bought my “rudere” on the top of a little Tuscan hill was the amount of criticism I had from my family and my friends. Very disappointing and depressing. Even my neighbours feel the right to discourage me and to give up my utopia dream of restoring the house with my DIY skills. How dare they?
It might sound strange for most of the Anglo-Saxons – but it is true: average Italians are new to DIY. Materials for DIY lovers are expensive and neighbours will laugh at you.
Although the phenomenon is slowing growing also in Italy – while all non-food retail sales grows at a rate of 15%, the DIY specialists turned in a mere 2.2% growth.
Before the Italian industrial boom of the 70s, the only few DIY experts in Italy were the poor farmers. The rest of the country were poor urban citizens who were renting little rooms or flats where they used to live in dozens and no money for food. Eventually the landlord will fix the house, but there was so little to fix.
Tools and materials for DIY have always being expensive. And only now thanks to China that it is helping us Italians to find our skills in making and fixing things. China has started to produce cheaply and in big quantity what before was rare and expensive. So now I can afford a pneumatic-hammer drill ‘- very useful to knock down walls- and a very professional gig-saw – great to cut to perfect wooden furniture.
I have learned how to track down retailers that will sell materials to professional builders and plumbers. I have also learned how to not feel ashamed about asking for something you need and you don’t know the name or if it exists. So you go: “I need that thing that you can use for or have you got something for doing what I need….”
Immediately a professional Italian shopkeeper answer is “that does not exist” or “it has not been invented yet.” But they really don’t want you doing it yourself, because it goes against the entire traditional set-up of their whole local slow pace service industry and domestic economy.
Than I saw on the BBC a documentary about British history of DIY and realise that in Italy we are 50 years behind since it’s only after WW2 that the British were not ashamed of renovating their houses by themselves without feeling ashamed of doing so. We haven’ t learn it yet. My dad who is now retired, has just now learn the pleasure of fixing and making things by himself – and he feels proud of his 7 wooden chess tables, even if he does not play chess.
The other day I went to seen my new sister house, all done by professional workers and saw 3 of the chess tables in the studio, but she does not play chess. Good on her.
Luckily (or unfortunately) my girlfriend and her Kiwi family love, respect and adore DIY. Actually now that I remember, it was my father in law that convince me and his daughter to buy that house since he thought it was going to be a joke to replace the chestnut beams on the roof and fix the few cracks on the walls.
In fact it took 3 months of 3 builders’ work and a crane plus 30thousands euros only to replace the roof. But when we finished the money of the mortgage we had to apply some DIY. I learned how to mix the cement and the theory behind building and restoring stone houses while working with my builders. All very clear and easy.
Knocking down stonewalls was the easy part. More difficult was to rebuild them – straight
Our house after 4 years since when we bought it is still a rudere, so maybe my family nad friends were right, but I have not changed my mind – I love to do it with DIY.
The really good news is that IKEA is slowing spreading everywhere in Italy. Together with the DIY philosophy. The Italian new generation have found IKEA absolutely mind-blowing; the few Italian stores are absolutely packed with customers from dawn till dusk.