Bella Sicilia

Even though a lot of people do it, and have been doing it for ages, I always found the idea of travelling abroad to look at fixtures and fittings quite farfetched. Even if you don’t actually travel, the notion of looking at a foreign catalogue and ordering online just seemed peculiar. Dealing with sales reps, getting exact measurements, aftersales services, delivery costs, etc.; it can get a bit overwhelming and make you just want to stick to local because it’s a lot more straightforward.

 

Well, after getting some inspiration from friends’ experiences, we decided to test the waters a bit, and got in touch with a provider based in Sicily. A couple of introductory video calls was all it took to get enough clarification and comfort to hop on a plane and dedicate a day at their office to walk through some designs and get some quotes. Within 48 hours, we were back home.

 

It’s something I wish we had done sooner. But when your mind is clouded with all the aforementioned unknowns and uncertainties, it does require that small push to take that first step. And when first contact is made, it’s just a quick snowball effect of new information and productivity. Had we done it before, we would have dedicated two days and covered even more areas. That seems to be the standard – a two-day session to go through everything. We couldn’t do that ourselves because the meetings are intense (you’re basically starting from the bare basics and end up finalizing the minute details to draw up an accurate quote), and with the kids in tow, one day was more than enough for them to bear.

 

All in all, it is definitely something I would recommend trying if you’re still in the early stages of finishing. Flights to Sicily are cheap, some providers would be willing to refund the costs if you proceed to order from them, and they are quite hospitable when you arrive (transport to/from airport, complimentary lunch, etc.). Prices are competitive, and even though I’ve always been one to support local business, sometimes you need to look out for quality of service elsewhere because ultimately you’re committing to something for the long run, and you want to get it right the first time.

 

I also never get tired of cow-spotting on the autostrada.