Italy - Umbria Escape to the Continent

16 years ago, that incredible 13th-century Gothic cathedral

was struck by disaster.

The building and its priceless frescoes were nearly lost forever.

Find out what happened, and where I am, in just a moment.

On today's show, we're helping a couple

on a mission to put some 1,500 miles behind them

by leaving Scotland to find their dream home abroad.

And one property could see them going the distance.

It's pretty impressive.

I think I need to sit down now, to take that in.

-I could cry!

-So could I!

Welcome to Escape To The Continent.

I'm in Umbria, right in the heart of Italy,

in the medieval town of Assisi,

and behind me is the basilica of St Francis, one of the most

important destinations on the Christian pilgrimage map.

Now, in 1997, this town was rocked by two earthquakes,

and the building was severely damaged.

But thanks to two years of hard restoration work,

it's been brought back to its former glory,

and so, 800 years later,

it still sits proud on top of the Hill of Paradise

in homage to this region's rich history and breathtaking scenery.

Lying in central Italy, Umbria's position makes it

one of the few landlocked regions in the country.

And what Umbria may lack in coastline,

it most definitely makes up for with its arresting landscape,

a verdant spectrum of countryside that has, quite rightly,

earned Umbria its title as "the green heart of Italy".

But the water isn't too far away, as the picturesque Lake Trasimeno

in the north-west is the largest on the Italian peninsula.

With all this as temptation, not forgetting the world-famous

food and wine, it's not hard to understand why Umbria

makes a particularly attractive place to set up home.

But what is it about this area that's attracted our buyers?

Let's meet them to find out.

Umbria has been the prize destination in the eyes

of Scotsman Stuart and his English wife Ruth

ever since they chose Italy for the backdrop of their wedding in 2010.

We met online about six, seven years ago, and got together,

and we married, what, three years ago, I think?

We got married in Italy, not too far from the area we want to live.

We'd only been to the region just to plan the wedding,

and by doing the wedding there, we just fell in love with Umbria.

We've looked at many other places but keep coming back to Umbria

as the place we want to live.

And plans to jet off are already under way.

They've just secured their cocker spaniel Bertie

with his pet passport, and within the next week,

they will have sold their current Linlithgow home, that lies

in a small town just 20 minutes outside of Edinburgh.

And that leaves the focus solely on their Italian relocation.

The weather's fantastic. The food is amazing.

The wine, the coffee, the culture and the scenery.

Beautiful old hilltop towns. It's just a fantastic place to be.

I love going to art galleries, but also I'm a bit of an amateur artist.

And in Italy I'll get the chance to do all those things,

to visit great art galleries, hopefully do a bit more painting,

because I might have some more time to do lessons.

But this move isn't simply an extended holiday.

Both Ruth and Stuart need a regular income

and, with the help of the internet, are hoping to maintain careers

back in the UK.

We can continue to work from any base,

so that's why we thought, why not be in Italy

and work from Italy rather than work from your home in Scotland?

And when painting a picture of the ideal home office,

Ruth and Stuart have a clear vision of what they hope to find.

One of the important things that we need is a little back garden

for Bertie, just a little bit of grass that's enclosed.

We don't want to be too isolated or remote.

We like the thought of being able to walk in for dinner

or for a coffee or to get our groceries.

We'd love a really old, traditional Italian house, stonework,

nice, big terracotta pots with geraniums,

that kind of idyllic Italian look.

It certainly sounds magical,

but of course finding that dream property comes at a price.

Our budget for the move to Umbria is £200,000.

We could possibly stretch that to £250,000 for the right property.

Ruth and Stuart have now completed on their property in Scotland,

so with time of the essence to find a new Italian home, they've arrived

here in Umbria to meet me on the beautiful banks of Lake Trasimeno.

So, tell me why you'd like to move to Umbria.

Well, I mean, there's so many things. It offers so much.

A quality of life, the views, the food, the value for money, as well,

because it's a little bit cheaper than some of the other Italy regions.

The great thing about here is you can get to Rome,

you can get to Florence, so you can get a bit of city

when you need it and you need some culture.

Tell me about this property, then. Let's get to the nitty-gritty.

We're really looking for two bedrooms and a study,

or three bedrooms, because I'll obviously be working from home,

so we need that flexibility.

And because we've got a dog, we need a little bit of garden.

And that's really the major criteria.

We want something that we can live in.

We're quite happy to do a bit of work.

It wouldn't necessarily be me on the tools, but something

that we can do something with would be good.

So, I've got properties to show you.

-One of them is the mystery house. Very exciting.

-Are you ready?

-Oh, yes.

-Shall we go and crack on with it and see the first one?

-Let's do it.

-Follow me, this way.

For an absolute maximum budget of £250,000, Stuart and Ruth

hope to find a traditional-looking Italian home

with at least two bedrooms, the potential for a study

and a decent-sized garden for their dog, Bertie.

They'd consider some minor renovations

and want a location within walking distance of local amenities.

And we've got a veritable variety of Italian homes to tempt our buyers.

But they won't know what pounds or euros are involved

until the end of each tour.

Then we could be starting from scratch with our final option,

the mystery property.

And without further ado, it's high time we hit the road

and headed for the very first property,

which is in the village of Pucciarelli,

less than a mile away from the shore of Lake Trasimeno.

And Pucciarelli offers up a rural, tranquil pocket

around the lake, framed by rolling hills and olive groves.

And just a ten-minute walk away from the shops,

we find our proposed house,

whose origins are believed to span at least 200 years.

-And this is the property.

-It's lovely.

Now, this used to be the hub of this little village.

-That was the post office...

-Yes.

-..and you can still see the postbox over there.

-Yes.

That was the hairdresser's. And that was the bakery.

-You can see the old bread oven.

-It looks absolutely lovely. Really nice.

And, you know you wanted to be up high?

Well, look at the view down there and turn around

-and look through there.

-Oh, really?

-That's gorgeous, isn't it?

-It is.

-I think it's really pretty.

-It is pretty, isn't it? Shall we go in?

This way.

'This is a historic property

'that's been gently modernised by its English owners.

'And what I'm keeping back from Stuart and Ruth is the fact

'that this place is actually a house of two halves.'

In you come. So, I've brought you to the upstairs part of the house.

And this is where you'd be living. So, nice, open-plan entranceway.

Come with me, I want to show you something else.

Now, this is your lounge/dining area. Really decent size.

Nice, high ceilings again.

And the double doors over there lead out onto a gorgeous terrace.

There's also a wood burner in here which warms up the entire flat.

Yeah, I like it. I like the windows with the view.

A good-sized space, with wooden beams. It's nice.

Yeah, it's a good space. You could use it very well.

-Do you want to see more?

-Certainly do.

-This way.

Back off the entrance hall, there's a roomy kitchen/diner,

a large family bathroom and two double bedrooms,

one being used as a study and the other as a master,

complete with built-in wardrobes.

But I'm about to reveal to our buyers the ground floor,

as this property is actually a detached proposition

whose entire bricks and mortar are up for grabs.

This would be yours, as well,

as an entirely self-contained apartment.

Huge kitchen/living area, fantastic brickwork arch.

In there you've got a single bedroom -

they've got a bunk bed in it at the moment -

which you could use as a study.

They've also got a double bedroom, a really big double bedroom,

that they're using as another sitting room.

And you've got a really decent-sized shower room.

It's just got a lovely airy feel about it.

Now, it's entirely up to you how you would use this.

If you wanted to supplement your income, you could rent it out.

And apparently, you can earn up to around £5,000 per annum.

This is really nice.

I didn't actually expect that we would have the downstairs as well,

and having this is fantastic.

It feels very spacious

and very big. I can't quite work out what you'd use for what yet,

but I'm sure we'll get an idea!

-It's really charming, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's quirky.

'With a long-held dream to emigrate,

'it's not surprising that it's Stuart

'who seems the most enthusiastic,

'although I'm not sure

'the unconventional arrangement is working for Ruth.

'And to meet their small-project aspirations, the old bakery

'is being used as a workshop

'but, with a little bit of thought, could be transformed

'into more office space.

'There's also Bertie the dog to consider,

'and I think he'll be well catered for

'in the mature and well-tended garden,

'which also features a brick and timber double garage.'

Isn't this special?

It's perfectly big enough for Bertie, and having the car space

and the garage to store things is brilliant.

-What's the cost, in your opinion, Stuart?

-Um...

I think...

250, 260.

Maybe 245?

-It's actually under your budget.

-Really?

Just under £200,000, by about a couple of hundred quid.

Yeah, I'm surprised at that.

-Mmm.

-That's good value for the amount of house you've got.

You get a whole lot of house for that, don't you?

Hugely under the top budget of £250,000,

this detached, characterful house is divided

into two independent apartments,

but, as a whole, offers four bedrooms, two bathrooms,

two kitchens, and two spacious living/dining rooms

overlooking a well-maintained garden.

I'm someone that really thinks with their head, not their heart.

Although the heart still counts.

There's a good vibe, so the heart is happy.

I like this house a lot. It's really spacious.

It's got a lot of character to it. The outside space is lovely.

The house offers everything on the list of what we wanted.

The only thing we'd need to check out is exactly

whether this is the location for us.

Our next property takes us

around six kilometres south of Lake Trasimeno,

to Panicale, which is Ruth and Stuart's favourite Umbrian town.

The property we've chosen

is on the outskirts of this historic town,

and I'm really excited that we've managed

to track down a house so close to their preferred spot.

-So, you wanted views. How's that for a view?

-That is pretty stunning.

-It's quite special, isn't it?

-It really is, yeah.

-And that there is the property.

-Very interesting, I think.

We'll obviously have to make sure the inside actually works for us,

but assuming it does, then, yeah. It's just stunning.

Right, well then, follow me. This way.

'The outstanding views certainly are seductive,

'and the layout of this two-storey property was designed

'to really make the most of this beautiful setting.

'We're starting the tour on the top floor.'

In from the entrance way, into... this sitting room.

-Wow, this is lovely. It's really nice.

-Nice feel to it.

-Lovely big windows. This is one of two sitting rooms.

-OK.

-So potentially, you could have this as your study.

-Wow. What a study.

It's my room.

-Fighting over the room!

-Looks like it, yes.

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

You've got two double bedrooms, lots of storage and a bathroom.

You can see it's tastefully done, nice and white.

-But that's not the only thing on this floor.

-Mmm?

-This way, please.

-Here we are.

-Wow.

-A lovely little sun terrace.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-It's pretty spectacular, isn't it?

-It really is.

-I mean, this location, Ruth.

-It's absolutely gorgeous.

I'm afraid I don't really do enthusiasm very well,

-but it is lovely!

-You're just going to have to tell me.

-I'll be enthusiastic for her.

-You be enthusiastic.

-Inside you're dancing around?

-Not quite.

-Not quite?

-You're hard to please.

-She is, isn't she? But you know what?

I'm going to give this a good go. There's more. Are you ready?

-Oh, yes.

-This way.

And down we descend into...

..a gorgeous kitchen, really good size,

enough space for a dining table. You could cook, you could entertain.

Sitting room next door. A bit of a snug/lounge area.

They've got the TV in it at the moment.

You could do whatever you like.

Also down here you've got a utility room-cum-shower room, a pantry,

and, if you take the upstairs room as your office,

there's another room down here you could use as your office.

Could you imagine yourself living here?

-I could.

-I can absolutely imagine myself living here.

But it's probably above the snow line,

so we've got that little sort of...

What would it be like in winter?

Ever the pragmatist, now Ruth seems to be letting the seasons

hold her back, leaving Stuart as the most enthusiastic once again.

'But there is one more space to see.'

And you've got this gorgeous terrace attached to the kitchen,

where you can have your breakfast and stare out at this view.

-A pretty impressive view.

-Fantastic.

It's practicalities we need to think about, whether it'd work.

The property itself and the views are dreamy.

That and price, because obviously we don't know whether it's in budget

or how much it will cost.

Well, why don't we have a stab and see whether you can guess? Ruth?

Maybe it's 225?

I'll go 220.

It's actually at the very, very top end of your budget.

In fact, just a fraction over, just over £250,000 for this.

For this, basically.

'Only just tipping over budget,

'this semidetached villa comes with the potential for four bedrooms,

'two shower rooms, an open-plan kitchen/diner

'and two large terraced balconies that pour out

'onto the far-reaching Umbrian countryside.'

-Hello, guys. All good?

-Yes, great.

-Satisfied?

-Lovely house.

-All right.

Come with me, then.

Like much of Italy, Umbria has a close affiliation with art,

and the region has produced its fair share of talented,

internationally renowned artists, such as the Renaissance masters

Raphael and Piero della Francesca, who were both schooled here.

'Ruth and Stuart are keen to expand their love affair with art

'when they move to Italy.

'So I took them to meet Sarah and David Moody,

'expats from Kent who run an art school from their Umbrian home,

'catering for culture-hungry Brits and Italians alike.'

What brought you to this part of the world, Sarah?

Well, I've got a background in art, so Italy is the place to be, really.

And I specialised in the Renaissance.

And I'd always wanted to run painting courses.

Ruth, you do fancy yourself as a little bit of an artist as well.

I'm quite a rubbish artist, but I enjoy it.

-That's the most important thing!

-Enthusiastic beginner.

Perfect. We thought it would be nice, since you like Umbria,

and we live here, and we love it,

if you wanted to have a go at doing some watercolours this afternoon.

Could be quite interesting.

THEY ALL LAUGH

Sarah and David moved out here

and bought their traditional Umbrian country house three years ago.

And, not surprisingly,

this magnetic panorama that takes in

the medieval village of Montegabbione

and the mountains beyond is the subject matter for our masterclass.

I suggest we just mark in the lines of the mountains

very faint in the background, and then a silhouette of the town.

And then just lay it in as quickly as you can.

Ruth, is this the sort of life you envisaged for yourself and Umbria,

-doing this sort of thing?

-Oh, definitely.

-The different lights and colours here are amazing.

-They are beautiful.

-This is good fun, actually.

-You know what? I could really get into this.

You cannot help but be inspired by this view.

-OK, I think it's time to show and tell.

-I think so.

To reveal our masterpieces. Three, two, one...

Ta-da!

Well, I think if I have to choose the best one...

-it has to be Stuart's, really.

-Well done, Stuart.

-Thanks very much.

'That's one tradition mastered by Stuart, at least.

'But there's another one that I think we'll all fare much better at,

'and that's a glass of the country's fine native bubbly

'over a chat to enable Sarah and David to paint a deeper picture

'of expat life in the heart of the Umbrian hills.'

So, Ruth and Stuart are looking to move here.

You've been here for three years now.

Why are they making the right decision?

It's great here. Once you get your head round it, it's fantastic.

The people are really friendly.

They're very forgiving once you start learning the language.

-Speaking Italian is a must, would you say?

-It's a definite must.

Italian bureaucracy is really quite difficult

to get your head round, really.

We did the insurance on the house and Sarah had to sign about 20 times.

-37.

-Oh, 37!

-Wow!

Ruth will want to work from out here, as well, won't you Ruth?

How easy is it to get internet connection

and setting up an office from your home? Is it easily done?

We've got a private satellite here, which is more expensive,

but I have to have it to run the business.

Technically, they say I could have broadband here,

but it's not fast enough.

And if you're running a business, you do need it.

But normally the agents will say, but you need to check,

because they said we had it here, and we didn't.

Well, Sarah and David, thank you so much for having us here.

Cin, cin. Or should it be "salute"?

-Salute or cin, cin!

-Salute.

-Cheers.

Hopefully, this introduction will be the start of Stuart and Ruth's

new Italian network.

But before committing to any property purchase,

there are a few things to bear in mind first.

It's vitally important to know that in Italy,

on top of the figure you're paying for the house,

you'll need to put about 8% of the price to one side

for solicitor's costs, stamp duty and agent's fees.

Be aware that the tax system can be confusing

and non-residents may be taxed more than native Italians.

And if you aren't fluent in the language,

a good idea is to get all potential purchase documents

professionally translated before signing on the dotted lines.

Finally, as with any legal transactions,

be sure to seek professional advice.

Today is a new day, and I have a mystery property to show them.

The house is a wild card, but the location is a winner.

Our final property destination is on the south-eastern corner

of Lake Trasimeno,

just a five-minute walk from Sant'Arcangelo.

'The mystery house lies in a quiet corner on the edge of the town.'

So, this is the gorgeous little hamlet

where the property is situated.

And there are only actually 14 people that live here.

What do you think?

Absolutely beautiful. A really stunning setting.

-The property, guys, is this one right here.

-Oh, right!

-It's quite big, isn't it?

-Yeah, it looks it.

Can you guess why this might be the mystery property?

-Er... Would it need some work?

-You're very good.

It is a renovation project.

I know that you said you'd like to have somewhere

that you could move straight in,

but I just needed to show you this place, cos it's really special.

-And you've seen the location.

-I like the property, I like the building.

It looks like it's absolutely enormous. And I love the setting.

-So, yeah.

-OK, well, I'm dying to go inside, so follow me this way.

'This old, rustic semidetached mystery property hasn't been

'lived in for a couple of years

'and so is a little rough around the edges.

'Therefore Stuart and Ruth will definitely need to exercise

'a little imagination while looking around.

'First to see on the ground floor are a cellar and storerooms.'

Into what is currently being used as an artist's studio.

Also, there are three other rooms on this floor.

This floor is huge. And they're completely untouched,

so they do need a lot of work.

You could turn it into a holiday let,

cos there is plumbing, there's a sink around the corner.

You could easily turn this into a two-bedroom apartment or something.

I can certainly see some potential here. It's a big space.

At the moment it obviously looks a bit dark and dingy,

but there's lots of things you could do with it.

'Stuart's eyes seem to have lit up with all the potential on offer,

'though I think we'll have to work a little harder with Ruth.

'So, onwards and hopefully upwards to the first floor.'

And in we come to the living area-cum-kitchen.

Brilliant size.

Behind there's a little bit of storage. A huge fireplace.

-It's got charm, it's got character.

-It's a really good size.

And doesn't look

as scary renovation-wise, either, as we were thinking.

Also on this floor you've got a double bedroom, a very large

double bedroom with a lovely terrace overlooking the garden.

You've got another huge room with a big fireplace.

There's also a bathroom on this floor.

The space is fantastic, and that fireplace is amazing. Really nice.

Good, high ceilings. A lot of character, yeah.

There's also another floor upstairs, with two bedrooms

and another bathroom. Lots of space for people to come and stay.

And from the bedrooms upstairs, you have a view of the lake.

Oh, fabulous. Icing on the cake.

There is something else I want to show you, though. Follow me.

-Ta-da!

-Wow, that's stunning, isn't it?

-It's an amazing view.

-Now, this is your terrace, that's your garden,

and in your garden you have an olive tree, a fig tree.

The quiet country lane is covered in plum trees ripe for picking.

-Perfect.

-So, you can imagine yourselves living here?

-Yes.

-I think, looking at that view, you'd be a bit mad if you didn't.

But you still don't know the price.

So let's go down to the garden and talk money.

-Well, that's some view, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

There's your garden. It needs a bit of love and care.

And that is the house.

Yeah, it's really pretty, isn't it, from this side, too? Lovely balcony.

You can see the space that you've got.

Let's find out what you think this property is on the market for.

Ruth, let's start with you.

I'm thinking maybe 175,000.

I really hope Ruth's right, but I think top of our budget, £250,000.

It's actually on the market for...

-£153,000.

-No!

I was happy before. I'm very happy now.

-That's a very good price.

-It is a very good price.

In fact, the people who own this gorgeous house

would probably take an offer of 120.

-OK!

-That's pretty impressive.

-I think I need to sit down now to take that in.

-I could cry!

So could I!

Practically £100,000 under budget,

this three-storey semidetached property currently presents

four bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen and family room,

as well as a separate living room.

In need of a basic makeover,

there's also further scope to convert the ground floor.

So, it could be that the mystery property will not only bring Stuart

a little closer to his plans for the next two decades

but also makes the prospect a very joint reality.

-Hi, guys.

-Hi, Anita.

-Happy?

-Very. Very.

-Had a really good look around?

Because that's it for the properties. Are you ready to leave?

-We are.

-Can I extract you away from this place?

-It is difficult to leave, but, yes, let's go and do that.

-Come with me.

Stuart and Ruth, you had such a strong idea of what it is

you were looking for when we started this journey together,

but did I get close with any of the properties?

Yeah, I think so.

I think you got what we were looking for in the mystery property.

For us, it was always about feeling like you were part of a community.

And I think with that sort of little hamlet,

and then close to a town, you've got that.

And it's really hard to know that's what you want until you see it.

So, what was it about the property that really sold it to you?

There's only two of us, at the end of the day, and Bertie the dog,

so we didn't require a really big house.

But having something that really is quite big is an added bonus.

We were veering away from renovation. We didn't want a complete renovation.

But this one has the partial renovation.

We could move in with minimal work and then, over time, do it up.

What's next? Are you going to take it further?

We'd like to see it again, do a bit more research on it. But, yeah,

we're interested.

We'd like to pursue things quickly, and I would think

-we'll come out in the next few weeks, maybe a month or so?

-Yep.

It's not a holiday home. This is a life change.

If you're going to spend that sort of money

and make a decision, you've got to be sure.

I hope it works out for you.

And if not that one, I hope you find your dream home in Umbria.

-So, cheers, and good luck.

-Thank you.

I was worried that Stuart and Ruth's perfect home didn't actually exist.

But do you know what? They're realistic.

They've done their research.

They're ready for this move to Umbria to take it for all its highs

and its lows. And maybe our mystery home is their dream home.

Join me next time for another Escape To The Continent.

Stuart and Ruth wasted no time booking their flights back to Umbria

for a second viewing at the mystery house

as well as other properties in the area,

but they are still undecided.

So they've made plans to rent a property near Lake Trasimeno

whilst the search continues for their perfect future Italian home.

If you'd like to escape to the Continent and need our help,

please apply online at: