The second house I visited is located 1km from Soriano Nel Cimino. The whitewashed cottage was built in the 1970s and used mostly as a summer residence by its current owners. The house hasn’t been lived in for about eight years, but it’s in pretty good condition. This is not the sort of house that would normally appeal to me (too new), but something about it captured my imagination. I liked its romantic curves, the pretty outdoor space, and the french doors. The house is surrounded by beautiful trees and has two large terraces, a porch, an outdoor bread oven, and a garage. An adjacent plot of land planted with olive groves is also for sale separately. Even though the house is pretty close to the road, inside it’s very quiet. Each bedroom has parquet wooden floors which I liked, and every window looks out to greenery. This house is a bargain at 170K.

Of course, there are negatives too. The owners never installed a septic tank because they only used the house for brief vacations. They also expanded the house without permits so the house can’t be sold until the owner remediates the discrepancy. This costs money, so he’s not likely to negotiate on the price. The top and bottom floors do not currently communicate from the inside, and creating a stair will be costly. Last but not least, the kitchens and bathrooms are stuck in the 70s and will need updating. The boiler is old and hasn’t been used in eight years, so I doubt it works very well.

Either way, I’m very glad I saw it. The place feels bright and happy and with a little TLC, it could be a great home. At under an hour to Rome’s airport, the location is very good.

I liked it, but I’m not sure my husband will. It may be too contemporary for him. Then again, this place might be a great way to ease ourselves into Italian life.

I’m keeping an open mind.