An Australian couple who snapped up multiple dirt-cheap homes in Italy are now inspiring others to follow their dreams of buying property in the European country.
Aden and Fiorella Rossinni swapped Brisbane for the small town of Montecilfone in the Molise region of Italy almost two years ago.
They bought two houses for €50,000 each – one to live in and another to renovate.
That’s around $85,000 each – a far cry from anything on offer in Australia.
They also splashed out on a buildable plot of land for around half that.
However, as well as needing work, the homes also came with some quirks.
“In Europe, it’s a thing – they take their kitchen with them,” Aden, 52, said.
“We had to connect the water, the electricity and put the kitchen in.”
Italy famously offers dilapidated homes for just one euro in some areas, but the couple spent more than that to be in the region they chose after years of research.
But, they say, there’s bargains to be had all over.
“You can find houses for amazing prices and they’re not just in the middle of nowhere,” Fiorella, 41, said.
“You can get cheaper houses than we bought – you can get something for 10, 15, 20,000 Euro – even sometimes you’d get something that’s livable,” she said.
While they’re not real estate agents, the couple has a YouTube channel, Rossinni and Co, to share everything about their new life in Italy.
They tour homes for sale and show off their renovations.
They’ve spent around $85,000 on doing up their homes so far.
They said multiple other people dreaming of Italy from around the world have now followed their advice and bought places of their own.
Life in Australia remains
Fiorella is a respiratory therapist by trade and the couple still runs a healthcare business in Brisbane.
The pair say the internet speeds are better than in Australia, allowing them to work from Italy.
It was just before the pandemic that they started considering the move, having spent many years holidaying in Italy and researching moving there.
They sold their cafe and bookshop in Brisbane and settled on a house 20 minutes from the historic city of Termoli, on the Adriatic coast.
Luckily, because Aden’s dad was Italian, they could legally move to the country.
However, they admit there have been obstacles.
“It hasn’t been simple, sometimes it hasn’t been easy,” Aden said.
They said one of the biggest challenges is the bureaucracy.
But Fiorella, who is originally from Colombia, speaks strong enough Italian to get by.
A surprising challenge has been contending with the slower pace of life.
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Italians typically have an afternoon break, with everything closing between around 1pm and 4pm before reopening.
“Going down notches in pace, it’s a difficult thing to learn. It takes time and we still haven’t got there,” Aden said.
“Afterwards you realise it’s great having that break, because there is like a second wind.”
Rules on buying a house in Italy
Australians can visit Italy for up to 90 days without a visa and can buy property in the country.
And while it might sound like a cheap way to become a homeowner, there are “many pitfalls”, experts warn.
Nikki Taylor from Italy Property Consulting swapped Perth for Puglia and helps expats buy houses.
“There are still some extremely reasonably priced properties in Italy, especially if you compare them with the prices of Australian homes,” she said.
However, she said it can be risky.
“I see, unfortunately, far too often how things can go so terribly wrong when buying property here,” Taylor told 9news.com.au.
“It is so important to have the right independent guidance by your side as it is very easy to purchase property that has an ‘illegal’ component, (such as) extensions or modifications to the property without having the correct planning permission which can cause a whole world of issues when trying to resell.”
Being able to actually live in Italy can also be difficult, due to visa restrictions.
There has been talk of a “digital nomad” visa but, so far, nothing has been launched.
Options include a self-employment visa and an Italian elective residence visa but both have strict rules on working.
Family links can also be a way to live in Italy.
More than 177,000 Australians were born in Italy, according to the ABS, with a million claiming Italian heritage.
The cost of living in Italy
Now they’ve made the move, Fiorella and Aden say they won’t return to Australia, saying it’s also cheaper in Italy.
Indeed, cost of living comparison site Numbeo says restaurant and grocery prices in their area are more than 40 per cent less than in Brisbane.
”People here are super friendly and we’ve had a better social life here than we had in Australia,” Aden said.
“People always pay for us – we go to the local bar and we go to pay and somebody’s already paid for us.
“You can shout someone. In Australia, if you go to pay for somebody’s breakfast it’s going to cost you $50.
“Here, you have a coffee, it’s $1.20.”
The couple, who flew their cat and dog to Italy too, urged other Aussies inspired by their move to start exploring their options.
”If you do it sooner, you can figure out whether it’s for you or not,” Aden said.
