When we decided to move to Orvieto for our gap year, we did so based on a number of criteria. We wanted to be in a small-medium sized city with reliable health care, grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, restaurants, an active piazza & passagiata life. Number one on our criteria list was great transportation. By great we wanted to easily take public transportation which included reliable buses and have a direct route to Rome and Florence. Orvieto offers all of this and so much more (more about Orvieto in another blog) and naturally, the home prices and demand reflect this with significantly higher prices. While Orvieto is an ideal place for a vacation home, it's unfortunately out of our budget! The alternative? Look further afield to neighboring cities or in outlying “frazione” - small villages or hamlets outside the main town. 

Here is another listing for a home in Allerona, Umbria --  right in the center of Italy between Rome and Florence. I like the location as a home base for seeing all of Italy. Services such as grocery, pharmacy, banks, hospitals and transportation are nearby and it's very close to the larger, more famous city of Orvieto, where we lived for a bit. It's listed as one of Italy's  "Borghi più bella" or "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy" with strong historical and artistic interests. We visited Allerona on a few occasions and have it on our list. It's a peaceful little town with stunning views of the rolling hills and valleys  below.  This home is listed for €28,000 (Euro) Cheaper than a new mid-range car, tiny home or a RV in the states. No, it's not perfect a but certainly with some paint, elbow grease and imagination, this could be a wonderful vacation spot or home base from which to travel Europe. I'm not a real estate agent or claim to know all of the laws, but  the listing agent found is Case di Famiglia at https://www.casedifamiglia.com/allerona/6 I've included a few of its photos here but click on their links if you want to see more. 

When we lived in Orvieto, Umbria - we belonged to an expat group where we could connect with like-minded individuals to share experiences while in Italy. I inquired about cyclists in the area, as my husband is an avid cyclist and loves nothing more than spending hours on his bike in the hills of Italy. It’s always nice to have a buddy when traveling the countryside - wild boar and all! We met a couple from Nevada who own a vacation home near Città di Castello in Umbria. Naturally, the men had lots to discuss regarding bicycles and the various routes for riding. After visiting us in Orvieto for lunch, we remained in contact and have kept up on Facebook and Strava.  When we made plans to return to Italy again in 2023 for a few months, we were graciously offered 3 weeks at their beautifully restored stone farmhouse. 

Forget about the phrase, "I don't know who needs to hear this!"  How about, "Everyone needs to hear this?!" -- There are cheap homes in Italy!