S3 E18: Buying a Home in Italy – The Movie Fantasy vs. Reality

2025-02-27

Italy has long been romanticized as a place where you can buy a crumbling villa, renovate it effortlessly, and live out your dream life under the Tuscan sun. Movies like Under the Tuscan Sun and La Dolce Villa make it seem as though buying a home in Italy is as simple as signing a contract, hiring a few friendly locals, and watching your new life fall into place. But how close is that to reality? In this episode, we break down the fantasy versus the real-life experience of purchasing and renovating a home in Italy. We...

Italy has long been romanticized as a place where you can buy a crumbling villa, renovate it effortlessly, and live out your dream life under the Tuscan sun. Movies like Under the Tuscan Sun and La Dolce Villa make it seem as though buying a home in Italy is as simple as signing a contract, hiring a few friendly locals, and watching your new life fall into place. But how close is that to reality?

In this episode, we break down the fantasy versus the real-life experience of purchasing and renovating a home in Italy. We explore why Italy is one of the few places portrayed this way in Hollywood, what the movies get right (and what they gloss over), and share our own firsthand experience navigating the process—bureaucracy, renovations, unexpected hurdles, and all.

We’ll also touch on the practical side: the legalities of actually owning property in Italy as a foreigner, the challenges of restoring an old home, and what to expect if you’re seriously considering making this dream a reality. Whether you’re just curious about the Italian homeownership fantasy or actively thinking about buying a place in Italy, this episode will give you a dose of reality—while still keeping the dream alive.