A realistic frame of mind is very important when renting a vacation home in Italy.
An important part in deciding to rent a vacation home in Italy is considering the many cultural differences and whether or not you are comfortable accepting them.
Many things are different in Italy. Utilities like water, electricity and heat along with gasoline are much more expensive than you may be used to. You may encounter lack of water, water pressure and drain problems, electricity outages, different business hours, strikes, insects, language problems and people who conduct themselves with no sense of urgency.
We mention these seemingly negative differences because they do exist but they exist along with Italys’ magnificent cultural assets, astonishing landscapes, Italians extraordinary sense of design, unique regional foods and comforting cuisine, refreshing and robust wines, and most of all, the easy-going nature and bountiful generosity of the Italian people.
Our hope is that you decide to rent a vacation home in Italy in order to experience all these differences. Your adventure will be most rewarding if you’re able to adjust to them and remember the old adage, "when in Rome, do as the Romans". Renting a vacation home is for people who want to have more than a quick grand tour; they want to take their time and have a quality experience getting to know the wonderful Italian people and their relaxed, sensual way of life.
If you think you may be only comfortable with American standards when traveling, this is certainly acceptable. We would then recommend visiting Italy on one of the many professional pre-arranged tours available or by taking the frequent and reliable Italian trains to move about the country while staying in deluxe or first-class hotels.
Last summer we rented a house in Tuscany and experienced many of the "problems" you listed - low water pressure and 'blackouts' if the cook-top, dishwasher and lights were turned on at the same time - but these just became eccentricities of the experience. They were things to laugh about every morning and added a bit of adventure to our days.
The slowed pace of Italian life is a thing to be savored. We stayed in Cortona which exemplifies the oft heard 'Tuscan hill town' label. Our house was at an elevation many, many meters above that of the center of town. On my first trip home from the market I tried to take the hill to our house at my typical American pace. Not an easy thing to do unencumbered, let alone with a few bags of groceries. As we watched the comings and goings of the native Cortonans from our balcony we learned that the best way to navigate the hills was slowly, with a deliberate pace. We also found that enjoying a cone of gelato made the hills a little less steep.
There is so much to see in Italy but most of us do not have the luxury to see it at an acceptably slow pace, so we rush from church to museum to monument visiting many places but seeing little. The 'seven-cities-in-seven-days' tour ensures that you see all the things that all the other tourists see, but you won't experience the real Italy. Seeing Italy should be a life's work. It should be visited often and explored regionally for each area has so much to share.
I highly recommend renting a house to use as a base for exploring the local region. Take day trips through the local countryside and stop in the small towns you encounter along the way. The drives to nowhere in particular are often the most rewarding as you find the little jewels that don't make it into the guidebooks but are more than worth the price of the gas used to get there. (And yes, the price of gas in Italy makes paying $2.00 per gallon at home seem like a bargain!)
Take the time to become a "local". There is little better in this world than having the person at the gelato stand or the caffe know what you are going to order even before you do.