About

January 19, 2022

The past two years have been crazy. During the Covid-19 lockdown, people started making sourdough bread, learning to knit, etc. But I started looking at websites with houses for sale in Italy. I have always dreamed of owning a home in Italy but never thought it would be possible, but looking at these sites in May 2020, I realized it was not only doable, it was extremely affordable. So while we were stuck in our houses, not able to see friends or family, I started a spreadsheet to track potential houses for purchase. As the months drug on, my spreadsheet got more sophisticated, creating tabs for the different regions under consideration, tracking must haves, deal breakers, etc.

While travel was out of the question agents started to get smarter, recording video tours to help bring the houses to life, giving the viewer a better feel for the flow of the house, etc. Some videos were better than others but it was progress nonetheless. My spreadsheet ebbed and flowed, removing houses that either sold or came off the market, and adding new houses for consideration. As we entered into Spring 2021, I started to narrow down my search, ruling out the Marche and Lazio regions.

Investing in Me

By April, it appeared that Italy might open up for travelers by June so I hired Daniel & Giovanni, D&G Property Advisors to help me prepare and plan. I found them in 2020 on a virtual conference focused on purchasing a home overseas. Daniel is Australian married to an Italian woman, living in Milan. Giovanni is Italian- American, also living in Milan. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to set me up for success. They were amazing and VERY helpful – the best investment I have made in myself so far.

We started on a Zoom call, talking through the process, setting realistic expectations, and laying out a budget. There are a lot of extra costs associated with purchasing a home in Italy so your budget has to account for at least 10-12% more above the purchase price. D&G connected me with Desiree and Federica, agents in Rome and Terni who would plan and arrange our home viewing adventure in June. I narrowed my spreadsheet down to 12 houses to visit and Desiree provided about 10 more to possibly visit, 5 of which we added to our list. Federica mapped them out so we could maximize our time over 3 days…it was going to be busy!

House Viewing

Jess and I booked our Delta Covid-tested flights and off to Italy we went. As we flew, the Covid rules were changing, opening things up and making it easier to travel with fewer restrictions. We were serious and prepared…Summary sheets of each house we would be visiting, along with scoring sheets and areas for notes. We visited 4-5 houses each day over the 3 days, it was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. Jess focused on taking notes and I focused on taking pictures. Each night, back at the AirBnB, we opened some wine, fixed some snacks and sat down to compare our notes and make some decisions. We make the Best team!!!

Finding our Dream Home

We narrowed it down to Villa Carnano and Casale Gelsomino. Villa Carnano, in Montecchio, about 30 minutes SE of Orvieto, was built in the 80s and not a traditional looking house, but the grounds and outdoor space were fantastic….cement table under a pergola covered with grapes and wisteria, pizza oven, ground floor patio, screened in patio off the kitchen upstairs, rooftop terrace with views of the valley, and a balcony that wrapped around the entire house such that each bedroom had it’s own balcony sitting area. It was lovely. However, it was WAY MORE HOUSE than we needed, with a complete 1 bedroom apartment on the ground floor. The rooftop terrace has also not been maintained so there was significant water damage along that side of the house, including water damage in the bedrooms and bathrooms. The sale price was at the very top of our budget AND it needed at least about $15-20k in repair work. (Knowing what I know now, I would say we would need to put A LOT MORE money into this house)

Casale Gelsomino, in Monteleone d’Orveto, in the frazione of Santa Maria, about 20 min NE of Orvieto, was one of the houses Desiree found and we decided to visit. I didn’t think much of it from the listing information, but for Jess and I, the minute we arrived and stepped inside, we felt connected to this house. The rooms are huge, with 15+ft ceilings, 5ft windows, etc. The bathrooms (2) had been added many years after the house was built so they were on the mezzanine level between the ground floor and first floor (with all of the bedrooms). There was a 2nd floor / attic with several unfinished rooms that could easily be finished for more space. For a 100+ year old house, the bones were amazing. There was also a large yard with tremendous potential, a large shed with electricity, and a cantina below the shed. We LOVED this house!

Now the serious work and test in patience begins.

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Follow our updates for ongoing renovation progress, decorating ideas, and insights into Umbrian living that will help turn your home dreams into reality.

Now the Work Begins…

Transforming an old Umbrian house into our dream home has been both challenging and rewarding. Along the way, we’ve faced unexpected surprises, learned new skills, and gathered plenty of inspiration for anyone considering a similar adventure. Below are the pictures of the house & garden BEFORE we started renovation.