Buying A House In Italy: When The Dream Becomes A Nightmare

DolceRight founder Jan Savolainen joins the Expat Focus Podcast to talk about buying and renovating a house in Italy – and what happens when the dream turns into a nightmare. At 64, Californian Jan bought a little countryside house near Ostuni, in Puglia, sight unseen, and hired a consultant and their recommended team to renovate it. She describes the warning signs she missed, the video that showed how little work had been done, and how, she says, their renovation money was gone.

Jan also explains how a young Italian architect stepped in to rescue the project, and why buyers in Italy get none of the protections that buyers in the US have. She covers one euro houses, permits and building restrictions, and the one thing every buyer should do before signing: independently hire their own lawyer, estate agent, geometra and notaio. If you're dreaming of buying property in Italy, this is an honest reality check to help you go in with your eyes wide open.

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00:00 Introduction

01:00 Falling for Italy

03:16 Finding Puglia on Google Earth

05:03 Ostuni, Trulli and the Itria Valley

09:19 Hiring a Property Consultant

12:15 Buying the House for €105,000

14:03 Early Warning Signs

15:39 Cancelled Meetings, Missing Photos