My Journey to Buying a House in Italy

What am I thinking?

Buy a house in Italy? Maybe it is a midlife crisis. That is generous as I am 53 years old.I crave international travel and Covid interrupted that. It is time to take trips again. But doing the math, I don’t know how many trips and destinations I can make with my remaining ‘good years’ left. How does a California gal maximize her options and make these long flights easier? By creating a new hub for myself in Italy of course.

My goal is to spend half my time in Italy.

I will live in a smaller town and have a jumping off point for travel with quick, cheap flights around Europe. Just Europe? For now, yes. It is my happy place.Italy is where I have always wanted to be. Each time I go it feels like home. I remember one visit there with my nephew, after his graduation, saying “I need to figure out a way to live here”. So, this is me figuring it out. How do I buy a house in Italy?

Requirements for the House in Italy:

• Large enough home for family. My son, daughter-in-law and future grandchildren need to have space, so they visit! I want my brother and sister and their families to come whenever they want. And for my mother to have her own dedicated room when she feels at home.
• Affordable house that needs little work. Not a 1 Euro place with major construction. Part of the fun is renovating and decorating. Staying with the history and beauty of Italy.
• No tourist centers. A smaller town that gives a feeling of community. I want to feel like this is a second home not part of the tourist hustle.
• Friendly locals who don’t mind American’s infiltrating their space. I will be learning Italian but, in the meantime, need patience. Welcoming neighbors would be a blessing.

How can I make this adventure even better?

Including my family! Why else buy a house in Italy? My sister is whole heartedly onboard. I am aiming at our brother next. My son recently got married and is going to be starting a family soon. Summer with them visiting would be a dream come true. And my mother will get an opportunity to explore again, when she wasn't sure if she still could.For now, it is the two of us, me and Lisa. Clearly, we have no experience setting up a home in another country. No idea how to remodel, other than a robust Pinterest page. Besides high school Spanish for me and French for Lisa we have no other foreign language experience. Basically, this is how we became The Amateurs Abroad.Find out which region I choose to buy a house in.To learn a little more about Lisa and I click here.