Italy - Umbria Escape to the Continent

Sixteen 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,

where they can revel in culture, creativity...

as well as carbs.

Really good.

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.

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.

History surrounds you everywhere in Umbria,

and one particular gem is the medieval town of Gubbio,

whose chief relic is a ruinous first-century Roman theatre.

And, of course, there's Roman architecture at almost every turn.

Highlights include the soaring Bridge of Towers at Spoleto,

and the powerful cascades at Marmore,

which boast the tallest man-made waterfall in the world.

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.

So how is all of this reflected in property prices?

Well, the average price of a home in Italy is about £144,000.

That's £100,000 less than in the UK.

And Umbria is becoming increasingly popular with us Brits

wanting to move to Italy.

And that's because prices here are about 30% to 50% less

than its rather fashionable neighbour, Tuscany.

Now, the northern part of this region does command a premium

over the southern, especially around areas like Lake Trasimeno

and the highly desirable Niccone Valley.

But the good news is that, on average,

properties here sell for about 13% less than the asking price.

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 or 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 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.

We have had Italian lessons for about three years.

Whether we can speak it or not is up for debate.

We're hoping that it will come rushing back to us

when we live there.

The thought of immersing themselves in all aspects of Italian traditions

and history is something that's particularly inspiring.

I love going to art galleries, but also I'm a bit 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 are both solicitors,

but I've actually left the firm I was working for

and hope to be a consultant going forward, working from home.

Stuart, on the other hand, has got a different plan.

I've got a property development business. We buy older properties

and do them up, and hopefully sell them on for profit.

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, and a little bit of grass that is enclosed.

Other than that, we're looking really for somewhere

that possibly we could do some work on at a later date.

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.

-Hello, Stuart!

-Hi, Anita.

-Pleased to meet you, Ruth.

-Hi.

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.

Do you have a particular part of Umbria

that you'd really like to live?

Actually, we'd like to be around here, Lake Trasimeno.

-Yeah, it's pretty obvious why.

-It's stunning.

-Yep.

People who get married abroad I think have a certain attachment,

a romantic ideal of what it might be like to live in that place.

-Is that you?

-The short answer is no.

We're actually not particularly romantic people.

-Oh, sorry, Ruth!

-Sorry about that.

We've travelled around a lot of Italy, and we decided probably

five or six years ago that we wanted to move here.

I've had a 20 year plan to be working conventionally in the UK

for 20 years, I used to be a lawyer.

I always planned to give it up and do something completely different,

and go and live somewhere else. Because life is very short,

and you can end up stuck in the same place, and stuck in a bit of a rut.

And that wasn't me. And it's not you either.

So, how is your Italian? What's an artichoke?

-Carciofo.

-Very good!

You've passed the first test. I didn't know the answer to that.

You could have said anything, and I'd have believed you.

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.

Are you a handyman? Do you want something that's done up?

I'm not a handyman at all, as anybody that knows me

will definitely attest to. But we want something that we can live in.

But we're quite happy to do a bit of work.

It won't necessarily be me on the tools,

but something that we can do something with would be good.

So, I've got four 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.

We're headed for the very first property, which is

in Castiglione del Lago on the Western banks of Lake Trasimeno.

The ancient town of Castiglione del Lago is one of Umbria's most

desirable residential locations, and the historic street and preserved

architecture also attract scores of tourists from all over the world.

Still ringed within medieval walls,

the primary feature of the beautiful old town centre

is the 13th century pentagon-shaped fortress

that proudly sits in an imposing position overlooking the lake.

And as requested,

our first property is just a 10 to 15-minute stroll

from all the rich range of facilities

this stunning old town has to offer.

So, guys, here we have the first property.

OK? So, around you you've got lots of houses.

All of these homes are owned by Italians.

-So, is this the sort of setting you were after?

-I'm not sure, actually.

I think we probably need to see a bit more of it.

We probably envisaged something higher up, you know?

-This is obviously quite flat.

-Are you ready to see inside this property?

Certainly are.

Let's take you in. Follow me.

'Although in the midst of a predominantly Italian community,

'this first semi-detached house currently has British owners

'who use the property for rental income.

'So I hope Ruth and Stuart can see past the simple decor,

'which does lack some homely touches.'

And straight into the kitchen.

So, it's a galley kitchen.

You've got a nice little inlet here where you can have breakfast

in the morning, looking out onto the neighbour's chickens.

So, what do you think?

My first thoughts are, it's a little bit small.

It's quite a dark, enclosed kitchen at the moment.

But, as you say, there are so many things you can do

with kitchens these days,

lighten it up and do things, put our own stamp on it.

I'd expect we'd have a lot of people here staying with us,

and it really is quite a small area.

And you'd hope you'd be eating outside a lot as well,

so I don't think you necessarily need a huge area.

There's a lot you could do in here.

I think the cupboards make it quite oppressive.

I think you could open it up and do something with it.

So, a bit of a mixed reaction in the kitchen.

But there is still the rest of the house to see. Shall we move on?

-Absolutely.

-Follow me.

-And you come straight into the living room. Right?

-Yep.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, I like this, actually. This is nice.

I like the beams. The ceiling heights are reasonable.

They're quite cosy, because they're not too high.

-I think it works.

-Quite a good blank canvas.

Because I think the beams are lovely, the floor is lovely.

You can take out the furniture. Which isn't maybe to our taste,

and put your own stamp on it.

You can see how you can do that quite easily here.

I think as it's currently laid out, it feels a bit small.

But I think if you could open it up, and maybe have the kitchen

and living room together, as a kind of open-plan living,

I can see how this space could work.

'With an internal footprint just under a thousand square feet,

'this isn't a sprawling property.

'But it does have the two bedrooms our buyers asked for.

'One sits next to a four-piece shower room downstairs,

'and is a good-sized double room

'that could, for the time being, be used as an office.

'The other bedroom lies upstairs

'and is the one we're proposing as the master.'

So, guys. Come on in. This would be your bedroom.

This is a nice room. I think it's quite a good size, actually.

It just doesn't feel like a home. It feels like a holiday let.

So I think it needs some personal touches.

-I'm not quite feeling it yet.

-You're absolutely right, Ruth.

It IS a holiday let.

That's probably why it feels a bit impersonal.

There are three of you in this family, though. Bertie the dog.

-Of course.

-And you wanted an outside space for him, very important.

-Yep.

-Shall we go and have a look at the garden?

-Absolutely.

Please follow me.

'Happily, the plot really opens up outside, with more than enough room

'for the dog to stretch his legs in a secure, fenced back yard.'

And here you have your, I'd say pretty decent-sized, garden.

Not the most well maintained.

You could really make this garden gorgeous.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, it's a good-sized garden.

The location is a problem really, rather than the size of the garden.

We've got the road here.

Look, I'm sensing that this property doesn't have the wow factor for you.

We like this side of the lake, but higher up

with a view over the lake.

Not necessarily from the property, but from the town itself.

-So a view is important?

-A view, not for the property itself...

We know that in our budget there's compromises you have to make,

and we don't expect to have, in the property we live in, a great view,

but the town itself, we'd like to have a view.

Having said all that,

-you still don't know how much this is the market for.

-No.

Mmmm... I think, given where we are, it's probably quite expensive.

-So I'd say about £180,000.

-Ruth?

I think maybe because of the location,

because Castiglione is sought after, it might be more like £195,000.

OK. Well, the property is actually on the market

-for £170,000.

-OK.

OK, well, I'd like the two of you to go back into the house,

have a good look, and just talk amongst yourselves.

Take your time, and feel the space.

Kicking off well under budget,

this semi-detached property offers two bedrooms,

a galley kitchen-breakfast room,

a living room with double doors out to a reasonably-sized garden,

and it all lies just a short walk from a popular Umbrian town.

But I don't sense it's the one that will put Stuart's

20-year plan in motion.

The main thing I don't like about the house is the lack of space.

We need another room.

I also don't like the way the kitchen is currently configured.

-That would certainly need to change.

-I think it's got lots of potential.

It's a reasonable size and there's things you can do here,

but really it's the location that I don't like, and with the road

so nearby, it's just not quite the right location for us.

OK. Property number one done. Let's go.

That wraps up the first day of our property-seeking journey,

leaving Stuart and Ruth to get out and about

to soak up some of the Italian culture they yearn for,

as well as a chance to practise their language skills.

THEY SPEAK ITALIAN

And what better way to end the day than with a well-earned drink

and some local gastro fare?

We're in Italy, helping husband and wife Stuart and Ruth to swap life

in Scotland for the dolce vita

the country's central region of Umbria.

And in true Italian spirit,

our buyers are beginning their day with a caffeinated beverage

in the main square of Panicale,

their favourite hilltop Umbrian town.

Un macchiato per me.

Grazie.

-It's all part of the lifestyle, being somewhere beautiful.

-Yep.

And it's sitting having coffee in a square like this, and having views,

and enjoying that on your doorstep, is really what you're after.

It's one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

It would be a shame, if you were staying here, not to be part of that,

and be part of something beautiful.

The property yesterday didn't quite sing for Stuart and Ruth.

But all is not lost, because what we've established is that location

is key for this couple. And I've got another house to show them.

So let's see if I can't inspire them with this next property.

The village of Pucciarelli is our next stop,

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

And Pucciarelli offers up a more rural, tranquil pocket

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

The village is split into old and new parts, with basic shops

and amenities located within the newer side.

And just a 10-minute walk away from the shops,

up on the elevated slopes of the old part, we find our second house,

whose origins are believed to span at least 200 years.

-And this is the property.

-It's lovely.

-Quite lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

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 hairdressers. 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.

'A historic property that's been gently modernised.

'Once again, the owners are British, but this time around it's evident

'throughout that this house has been used as a home.

'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 entrance way.

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

that overlook the beautiful garden.

There is 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.

-It feels homely, doesn't it?

-It does, yeah.

-Yeah, it's a good space.

You could use it very well.

I suppose it's marginally smaller than I would like.

But it will be interesting to see the rest of it

and see how that would work for us.

-Do you want to see more?

-Certainly do.

-This way.

The accommodation up on this first floor lends itself

to a wholly separate private level.

Back off the entrance hall, there is 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.'

And in you come.

Now, you know what you were saying upstairs, Stuart,

about it maybe being a little bit pokey?

Well, 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 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,

whether you would use it for yourselves, whether you would put

your friends and family in here if people were coming to stay.

Or, if you wanted to supplement your income,

you could rent the thing 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 actually having this is fantastic. Love the brickwork.

If you used it for yourself, you could just redo the kitchen.

You could also just use it as a summer kitchen.

That's right. Without seeing all of it, 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.

'And although I'm not sure

'the unconventional layout is working for Ruth,

'the reactions here are a marked improvement on yesterday.

'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.'

-I mean, talk about birdsong. Have a listen to that.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

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...

£250,000, £260,000.

-OK. Ruth?

-What do you think it's on the market for?

-Maybe £245,000?

-£245,000. OK.

-It's actually under your budget.

-Really?

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

Yeah, I'm surprised at that.

-Mmm.

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

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

Do you know what, I am delighted that the two of you are happy

and smiling. I want you to take your time, go back into the house

and have an explore.

'Again, 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 like this house a lot. It's really spacious.

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

'The best thing about the house is actually something I just discovered

'when walking back in. It seems to have a wine cellar.'

I love my wine, so having a wine cellar is such a bonus.

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

Although the heart still counts.

So there's a good vibe here, which means the heart is happy.

But the head thinks of all the practicalities of it.

This house surpassed expectations in terms of size and what it offers.

The outside space, the upstairs, downstairs.

We're not really looking at rental income,

but having space for people to come if they wanted to spend

a fortnight's holiday with us, that would be fantastic.

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

The only thing we need to check out is exactly

whether this is the location for us.

In Italy, food is king,

and each region has its unique speciality, which invariably derives

from the abundance of local ingredients found here.

And with real Italian fare being one of the contributing factors

to Stuart and Ruth's move here,

we sent them to the historic and sacred town

of Santa Maria Degli Angeli, near Assisi,

to gain a more thorough understanding

of authentic Umbrian specialities,

with local gastronome Letizia Mattiacci.

Buongiorno! Buongiorno.

And our buyers' foodie journey starts at a deli

run by Letizia's friend, Barbara Righetti.

One of the most important products that we have here is olive oil.

So, Barbara, if you can let us try some olive oil, please,

because then you can try some.

The olive oil from Umbria is considered one of the best

olive oils in the world. It's full, it's bodied, it's aromatic.

It's very, very special. Let's taste it now.

This is oil from the last harvest,

so it has been produced last November.

And it's nice and thick and buttery. Fresh and complex.

It's not flat,

like some of the oils that maybe you buy in the supermarket.

But it has a personality

and, as such, it imparts a special flavour to your food.

-Shall we try some of the cheeses maybe?

-Oh, yes, please.

The majority of our cheese is pecorino.

Pecora, sheep. Pecorino, sheep's milk cheese.

Oh, grazie. OK. So...

Thank you.

-It's good, huh?

-Very good.

-It's special.

It's not only salty and hard,

that you want to grate it just on something.

-Nice and soft.

-You can eat it as it is.

There is one other highly prized and covert delicacy

to introduce to Stuart and Ruth.

-Look at this.

-Oh, wow.

-You know what is this?

-What is that?

This is a truffle. A truffle is an underground mushroom.

Smell it, please. This is such an incredible flavour, isn't it?

-It's quite special to have some.

-I think we had this at our wedding.

I think we did, yes.

-Special, hey?

-Very.

-I'm going to buy some,

because now we go to my house and we cook some nice fresh pasta with it.

Letizia runs a B&B and cookery school from her eco-farmhouse

and has invited Stuart and Ruth

to help her cook a typical Umbrian pasta dish called stringozzi.

This is 00 flour.

Italian 00 flour and egg, a little salt, and a drizzle of olive oil

are combined in a mixer to create the pasta dough.

Then the dough is kneaded by hand before it's divided

into smaller pieces and flattened with the heel of the hand.

Flatten it down on the board.

Keeping the dough floured to ensure it doesn't become too sticky,

Ruth is trying her hand at the pasta machine.

Fine. Stop a second, please. And prepare your hand to collect it.

And now turn. Not too slow, please.

-Excellent.

-I've always wanted to learn how to do this.

-I've never done it before.

-Yes, yes.

-It's not too hard.

It's actually very, very easy, once you have done it a couple of times.

The dough is then folded and fed through the machine a few more times

before it's cut into long rectangular noodles.

These are again kept well floured

and put aside whilst a sauce of olive oil, spiced sausage

and onion is prepared along with a good glug of white wine.

You should always deglaze an Italian meat sauce with white wine,

not with the red wine. Red wine is for braising meat.

White wine is to make a sauce.

Often referred to as cucina povera,

which translates to peasant cooking, Umbrian food centres on fresh,

flavoursome and simple recipes handed down the generations.

And the final touch to this delicious-looking dish

is left to Stuart.

-Oh, thank you.

-Please.

It's a little hard, but...

OK, let's taste it now.

Really good.

After savouring a true Umbrian taste,

we trust that Ruth and Stuart have been inspired to practise

their new-found cooking skills in their very own Italian home.

But we're yet to find it, so let's get back to the house hunt.

Our next property takes us around three miles south of Lake Trasimeno,

and back to Ruth and Stuart's treasured hilltop town of Panicale,

where they started the day this morning with a coffee

in the main square.

And, armed with the knowledge that location is such a key factor

to our buyers' move, 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.

And we're only a kilometre away from Panicale,

the little village that you absolutely adore.

That's why we wanted to be in this area. Because of the views.

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. You can see that they've got a desk in here,

which I think is quite interesting,

-because actually 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.

Well, we'd just been discussing how I'd quite like my own study,

where husbands aren't allowed.

-A woman cave.

-Yeah, exactly.

-(No chance.)

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

You can imagine sitting here and just whiling away the hours,

being inspired.

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?

Did you mention something about wanting a lake view to me?

-May have done, Anita.

-Turn around.

-Wow, yeah.

-You've got it. Right there.

-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.

-Or a man cave.

-Or a man cave.

-Excellent.

-Exactly.

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 £225,000?

I'll go £220,000.

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.

I think you should take some time, have another wander,

-really look around, and talk between yourselves.

-OK.

'Only just tipping over budget,

'this semi-detached 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.

This is definitely the best house we've seen,

just because of the location, really, and also the way it's been done up.

The views are stunning,

and there is nothing we'd need to do to this house.

The previous owners have done it to perfection, really.

All you'd need to do is bring your own furniture,

your own paintings, and you could just move in.

The only criticism I would have about the house,

and this is incredibly nit-picking, is that ideally I would like a bath.

We've got two showers. But it's not a deal-breaker.

The only thing that's wrong with this property is the fact

it's that little bit far out of town.

And with winding country roads,

being reliant on a car as much in the winter...

It's really the only concern.

It just holds you back from being completely enthusiastic.

Otherwise, it's a gorgeous property.

-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.

The shores of the River Tiber also provide wonderful clay

that the locals have been using to make beautifully vibrant ceramics

since as far back as 900 BC.

In particular, the town of Deruta is famed for its high-quality

and brightly-coloured pottery.

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.

-Hello, there!

-Hi.

-Good afternoon. Welcome to Poggiolame.

-Thank you.

-Lovely to see you.

-I'm Sarah.

-Lovely to see you, Sarah.

-David.

-This is quite some spot you've got here, really wow.

-Great views.

Autumn, spring, summer and winter, it changes all the time,

so it's really refreshing to get out in the morning and look.

-It's just spectacular.

-What brought you to this part of the world, Sam?

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.

And then I met David,

and that gave me the opportunity to come down here.

And we've just been off and running ever since.

So, Ruth and Stuart are basically wanting to move to Umbria.

They absolutely love the place.

And 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

Just an hour from the art architectural capitals

of Florence and Rome, Sarah and David moved out here

and bought their traditional Umbrian country house three years ago.

Most of the 220-acre estate is wild with woodland,

flowers and fruit trees, and terraces blessed

with absolutely sensational vistas of the landscape.

Sarah, this is pretty special.

'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.

Do you know about mixing colours? Blue and yellow gives you green.

-Yep.

-Blue and red will give you a purple, or a lilac.

And the more water you have, the more translucent the colour will be.

-Lovely.

-So, the more paint, the heavier the colour.

-This is good fun, actually.

-It is good fun.

-Yeah!

Is this you, Stuart?

-I mean, we know that Ruth is into art and architecture.

-How about you?

Um... I love my art and architecture.

I don't really consider myself somebody who has any great

ability at art. But you know what, I could really get into this.

You cannot help but be inspired by this view. It's stunning.

-Sarah, you have a convert at the end.

-I have.

-Look at that.

We've been here two minutes and he's signed up for the course.

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

-I think so.

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

-Ta-da!

-Oh. Come on.

-He's really good.

Mine looks exactly like that, mister.

I don't know what you've been looking at.

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.'

-CORK POPS

-Hey! There we go.

You've done that before, David.

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.

So you need to find someone Italian who can speak English, and you get

on with, and they'll give you some truthful ideas of what's going on.

We did the insurance on the house

and Sarah had to sign about 20 times.

-37.

-Oh, 37!

-Wow!

We witnessed quite a lot of bureaucracy

trying to get married in Italy. That was quite an experience.

So, I think we're kind of aware of it,

-but it's good to have it reinforced.

-What about food?

-Is it reasonably priced? Or more expensive?

-Yes.

No, it is reasonably priced.

If you shop in the little local village,

then it will be more expensive.

But the little supermarket just do produce that's in season.

It's very fresh. Nothing is done quickly, in Italy, by the way.

Nothing at all.

If you're at the supermarket,

you can't get impatient at the lady in front who wants to talk

to her friend on the cash desk for 20 minutes.

You just have to go with it. That's just the way it is.

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?

-Right.

You need to make sure that you've got what they call ADSL,

broadband, at your house.

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

but I have to have it to run the business.

And it's actually very, very good,

now I've found the right guy to go to.

-Who's really gorgeous, by the way.

-I like how you looked at me.

-I'm with you, sister!

-Gorgeous Massimo.

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.

What was the one thing you really wanted to know, or you would

have wanted to know, before you moved here?

I would have liked to have been your situation.

To meet someone locally that's spent a couple of years here,

and being able to tell you, beware of this, or make sure of that.

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

the art lesson, sharing your lovely Prosecco.

And you've really opened our eyes to the realities of living in Umbria.

-So, thank you.

-Thank you.

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

-Salute or cin, cin!

-Salute.

-Cheers.

-It's lovely to meet you all.

-It's lovely to meet you.

-And good luck in your search.

-Yes. Absolutely.

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.

It's the final day of house-hunting here in the majestic Italian

countryside, where we're helping husband and wife Stuart and Ruth

up sticks from Linlithgow, Scotland,

to realise Stuart's long-standing dream of trying a new life abroad.

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.

So, it's time to head to our last house and find out if the Umbrian

property market will finally uncover Stuart and Ruth's perfect home.

Our final property destination is on the south-eastern corner

of Lake Trasimeno,

just a five-minute walk from Sant'Arcangelo.

A good-sized town,

Sant'Arcangelo offers a decent range of amenities and sits

in a landscape of vineyards, orchards, and silvery olive groves.

'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.

You've got a lovely little cafe where you come and grab

your morning coffee, maybe a bite to eat.

And there are only actually 14 people that live here.

What do you think?

-It is absolutely beautiful. A really stunning setting.

-Ruth?

-Yes, it's picture postcard.

-Well, wait till you see the property.

This way.

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

-Oh, right.

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

-Yeah, it looks it.

-It's huge.

Can you guess why this might be the mystery property?

-Er... It needs some work?

-You're very good.

It is a renovation project.

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

that you can move straight in.

But I just needed to show you this place, cos it is really special.

-And you've seen the location.

-I like the property, I like the building.

It looks like it is 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, semi-detached 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.'

Watch your heads. And in we come,

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

Now, what with your hidden talent

for painting that we've discovered, Stuart,

and obviously, Ruth, you do fancy a bit of drawing and painting

and sketching, you could use this, as it is,

as an artist's studio. Maybe you'd be inspired down here.

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.

If you didn't want to use it as an art studio,

or use it for yourselves, and fancied being a little bit savvy

and doing some 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 obviously it looks a bit dark and dingy,

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

There's lots more to see. This is just the ground floor. Follow me.

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

'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.

No-one's lived here for a while,

but you can really sense the warmth in this room, I think.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-What do you think? Is this a good size?

-Could you see yourself living here?

-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 that they are

using as a sitting room, but you could have that as another bedroom.

There is also a bathroom on this floor. How about this size?

The size of the space in here.

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!

-What do you think?

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

-It's an amazing view.

-I know. Pretty spectacular.

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.

You could nip down to the local shop, buy a coffee, sit out here

-and just dream.

-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.

Big difference.

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 £120,000.

-OK!

-That's pretty impressive.

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

-I could cry!

-So could I.

-Have another look around the house. We'll catch up in a bit.

-OK.

-Enjoy. Thank you.

Yes!

I was so worried that this was going to be too much house for them,

too big a project. And they love it. And you know why?

Because that house is fantastic.

Practically £100,000 under budget,

this three-storey semi-detached property currently presents

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

as well as a separate living room.

In need of a basic make-over,

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.

I do really like this house. I can see the potential.

It's in a fantastic location. There's views all the way around.

It feels like you're in a community, which is something

-we've been looking for.

-For me, this is a perfect location.

We're in a beautiful little hamlet, we've got a restaurant next door,

four or five minutes' walk into town with more services.

This is perfect.

I think that both Ruth and I really like this house.

I think it gives us everything that we were looking for.

This potentially could be a house I could be living in

in six months' time.

It's a fantastic location, offering everything we need to live in Italy.

-Hey, 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.

Umbria's prolific artistic heritage is a rich and beautiful tapestry

that covers a range of many skilled and centuries-old disciplines.

And in the northern portion of Lake Trasimeno,

one tiny island lays claim to one particularly exquisite craft.

'Accessible by boat, Isola Maggiore is the only inhabited island

'on the lake, with a history spanning hundreds of years.

'And I'm making the scenic ferry journey across the water

'to meet curator Sarah Spidalieri to find out

'what makes this small island so very special.'

How many people live on this island?

Well, in the winter time, there are 17 who live steadily here.

And in the summer time, there are some tourists,

and there are 30 or 40 people.

-So everybody knows everyone's business.

-Exactly!

So, what do people do for a living here?

There is a great tradition of lace-making here,

still alive. If you come with me, I will show you.

I would love to see that, yes!

'Lace-making was introduced to Isola Maggiore in the early 1900s

'by Irish women,

'hired by the then inhabitant of the island's castle,

'Marquise Elena Guglielmi.

'She founded a lacework school here to teach local girls

'a traditional Irish technique.'

So, what is this then? Is it Italian lace or Irish lace?

No, no, it is Irish lace.

This is one made by the crochet, very thin thread.

Right, and very difficult, I'm guessing.

It's very, very difficult, this one.

'Originally the island's women wove and mended

'fishing nets, which required high precision skills.

'But they switched their expertise to crochet lace-making

'for wealthy Italians.

'Soon the reputation of the islanders' beautiful handiwork grew,

'and their pieces were sold all over the world.'

So what's the most expensive piece that you have here?

Without any doubt, the tablecloth that you see over there,

-made out of little squares.

-So, how much is that tablecloth worth?

-Hundreds of thousands of pounds. It's very expensive.

-Unbelievable!

It's big, and it's old, and it's very, very elaborate.

Today the Irish lace tradition is sadly dying out,

but the art is still practised by a few of the islands' inhabitants,

who sell their delicate patchworks of lace to the stream of tourists

passing through.

-Buongiorno, signore.

-Buongiorno, signore.

-Que bello!

I'm going to join you ladies. Why don't we join them, Sarah?

We can be the lace-makers for the day.

-So your mother was a lace-maker?

-SARAH SPEAKS IN ITALIAN

-Si.

-And your grandmother?

-Si.

-And her mother?

-Si!

So how long would it take to make something like this, Sarah?

Well, if it's made from the morning to the evening,

something like a couple of weeks.

Wow! That's a lot of work.

So what happens next?

Have their daughters learnt how to make the lace?

SARAH SPEAKS IN ITALIAN

-No.

-No.

OK, so I know that the daughters haven't really kept up

the tradition. I'd quite like to have a go.

-Put it on there?

-LACE-MAKER SPEAKS IN ITALIAN

OK, now. Got it. So loop it under?

And then pull it through?

Yeah? Yeah!

THEY CONGRATULATE HER IN ITALIAN

You're very sweet.

It just feels like I'm learning a beautiful ancient tradition... Argh!

Oh, Gina!

Well, it's been a real honour to have learned

the art of lace-making with you, ladies.

-So, thank you very much. Grazie...mille grazie.

-Prego, prego.

You know, it's not always been easy to figure out what it is

that Stuart and Ruth want. I think they're looking for perfection.

But when you're working to a budget, you've got to compromise somewhere.

Now, I've shown them a couple of great houses.

And I can't wait to find out what it is that they're really thinking.

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

you were looking for when we started this journey together.

-So, how have you found your time?

-I think we just love being in Italy,

and it's just reinforced to us

we definitely, definitely want to come and stay here.

That's good, cos I was going to say, after these last few days,

do you still want to live in Umbria?

-Oh, yes.

-I have to say, I found the two of you quite difficult to read.

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.

We are relatively young, and we've got the next 10 years or so

that we can do that kind of project.

Nothing would need to be done too quickly.

See, I thought you would definitely go for the one

with the beautiful interior, the one with the view, that was all done up.

You could move in and you're good to go.

I think if you had been able to pick up that property, move it halfway

between where it was and the town that we like so much, Panicale,

it would have been perfection.

-But then, that would have been double the price, probably.

-Yeah.

So, the mystery property obviously stands out for you. What's next?

-Are you going to take it further?

-Yes, certainly.

We are very interested. We'd like to see it again.

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

It would interest us.

So if I were to call you in six months' time,

will you still be in Scotland?

No, I don't think we will.

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.

-Well, you know what?

I'm absolutely delighted that you loved the mystery property.

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.

-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.

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