Instead of visiting Italy, we bought a home here for about $65,000. Our decision was risky, but it paid off.

About 5 years ago, my hubby and I bought a location successful a hillside Sicilian colony without having seen it successful person.

We knew it was an unconventional decision. We were surviving successful New York City astatine the time, and I had ne'er moreover been to Sicily earlier we closed connected the property. Some family and friends doubted our plans.

In retrospect, a batch could person gone incorrect — but it wasn't until we were yet connected our measurement to Sicily successful May 2022 that I said aloud, "What if we dislike the house?"

Thankfully, we didn't.

We bought a location alternatively of readying a trip

Our scheme was risky, but it wasn't 1 we made connected a whim. It was inspired by the limitations I had owed to a chronic wellness condition.

For years, I had lived pinch chronic migraines, meaning I knowledgeable 15 aliases much days each period pinch migraine symptoms. One of my astir terrible triggers was aerial travel.

A cross-country formation usually landed maine successful furniture for a week, incapable to function. It sewage truthful bad that I stopped flying for activity and fun, only occasionally walking by train.

I missed travel, though, and I dreamed of visiting Sicily — specifically, Melilli, the hillside colony wherever galore of my husband's relatives lived. My hubby and father-in-law had told maine truthful galore stories astir this village, pinch its maze of cobbled streets and stunning oversea views.

In early 2020, my hubby and I came up pinch a extremist solution. If we bought an affordable location successful Sicily — and did it each remotely — we could sojourn often, and for longer periods.

When I sewage sick for a week, it would only beryllium a blip, alternatively than an expensive, "once successful a lifetime" picnic ruined.

We recovered the cleanable spot wrong our budget

Initially, we planned connected uncovering a state house. We learned that tending onshore tin go expensive, though, particularly pinch the consequence of summer wildfires — and our extremity was to make recreation to Italy easier and affordable.

We recovered a Sicilian-British mates to beryllium our on-the-ground spot hunters. Out of 7 imaginable houses we looked into, we chose a two-bedroom successful Melilli's historical center.

Tucked distant connected a quiet thoroughfare excessively constrictive for astir cars, the sunny yellowish location had a panoramic rooftop terrace the size of our one-bedroom apartment successful Brooklyn.

The undeveloped onshore down it was lined pinch terraced gardens, silver-leafed oliva trees, and orangish and citrus trees. We paid 57,000 euros, aliases astir $65,000 USD, positive closing costs.

The location was already habitable, though unfurnished. The 1 wrinkle: Like galore Italian houses, it didn't travel pinch a kitchen.

We worried astir the added expense, but our section real-estate supplier helped america bid a basal kitchen. Unlike successful the US, Italian kitchens are often purchased arsenic a azygous portion — cabinets, countertops, and appliances included.

Everything arrives successful boxes and is assembled and installed successful conscionable a fewer hours. The full value was astir little than $1,500.

Although the location felt inexpensive to america by US standards, buying it was not risk-free. Properties present often beryllium connected the marketplace for years, truthful immoderate we paid was a sunk cost. If we weren't happy, we apt wouldn't beryllium capable to flip the location aliases quickly resell it.

After our first stay, we knew we couldn't spell backmost to our aged lives

After 20 years successful New York City apartments, the location felt for illustration a palazzo.

The rooms were bright, and the ceilings were high. Every morning, sunlight streamed successful our southeast-facing windows. From our roof, I could spot the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Etna successful the distance.

I fell successful emotion pinch the hit of colony life, including impromptu thoroughfare chats pinch neighbors, the abundant section produce, and the adjacent ancient ruins and taste sites.

When we returned to Brooklyn aft 2 months, my hubby and I instantly knew it wasn't location anymore. Home was the yellowish location successful Sicily.

It took america a twelvemonth to scheme our full-time move. My hubby was already a dual national acknowledgment to his Sicilian father, truthful we didn't request visas. We did, however, request to hole my migration paperwork and scheme for really to make a living.

I walked distant from my 20-year nonprofit fundraising profession and built a consulting business. Between things for illustration being enrolled successful the nationalist wellness strategy and taking advantage of freelancer taxation incentives, I've been capable to activity part-time alternatively of full-time.

Even though buying the house successful Sicily was a risk, it turned into a smart financial move, excessively — and I get to walk much clip successful Italy than I ever dreamed.