Welcome and thanks for visiting!
Why this Website?
I started this website and blog to chronicle my love of treasure hunting and traveling. I'm a born deal finder! Since childhood, prompted mostly by necessity of growing up with six siblings and my mother's thrifty nature, I've always been excited by the thrill of the hunt and THE FIND. I love finding ways to reuse and repurpose, as well as discover any hack that can make things more affordable on a budget, including travel and cheap homes! (especially in Italy!)
Our time in Italy
In 2021 we sold our home and most of our possessions and moved to Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy, for what we called a "Gap" year. We were centered right between Rome and Florence. During our time there, we visited hundreds of large and small towns from Piedmont to Apulia.
Still hunting for the perfect Italian home
The entire time in Italy, I was on the hunt for an affordable fixer-upper or a modest vacation house to which we could return and call our home away from home. For me, the hunt continues and I'm determined to find something suitable for what we would pay in California for a decent RV. Will this happen? Hopefully.
Back in California
We're back in California now, and giving our 1965 Ranch style house a "glow up" (vs. a remodel) on a budget. Originally purchased in 2003 the home had been a rental for 10 years. We are happy to return - as it is a perfect size for us empty nesters. Yes, there are more opulent and fancier fix-ups, but think of this as working with repurposed and thrifted items, a tight budget and the goal of making it just enough to be comfy and livable -- and have some extra resources to do things we love to do like travel!
More travel and home hunting
With regard to Italy - luckily, we were able to spend two glorious months in Italy again participating in budget friendly home exchanging in 2023 (see my post about home exchanging) and look forward to more adventures in 2024 where we'll visit more small towns and bring you more homes for swooning. If you are interested in learning Italian or another language, you may want to try Pimsleur. I like the structure and straight forward lessons. You can try it for free by using this link: https://offers.pimsleur.com/free-trial-1404
Stay tuned and check back for updated blog posts.
Thanks for visiting and please feel free to send an email or follow on Instagram!
Ciao for now!
Maggie
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Note: I am not a real estate agent, nor do I sell property in Italy or receive sales commissions from listings. I have not verified that this information is still current, but have obtained it through searching for cheap homes in areas where we would consider purchasing. This home listing is not a recommendation but an example of homes and prices in the general area. You are advised to do a thorough investigation before completing a purchase by contacting an agent or the owner as well as conducting your own due diligence with the proper authorities involved with real estate prior to completing a purchase. Property photo credits go to the agent (s) or listing publishing entity.