{"id":79931,"date":"2026-08-25T08:10:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T08:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/79931\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T08:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T08:10:09","slug":"aussies-flee-melbourne-for-italian-dream-but-339000-home-comes-with-shocking-catch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/79931\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussies flee Melbourne for Italian dream but $339,000 home comes with shocking catch"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Australian family<\/a> who sold their Melbourne home<\/a> to build a new life in Italy<\/a> have found themselves planning their days around water deliveries after buying an abandoned property<\/a> with no utilities.<\/p>\n

Amanda Nedza and her husband, Paul, bought the four-storey home overlooking an Italian village for \u20ac208,000 ($339,000AUD), after it sat empty for almost 15 years. The house sits on a hill in Boville Ernica, Lazio, about 100km southeast of Rome.<\/p>\n

Restoring the property has come with some unexpected realities \u2014 including weeks without a direct water supply.<\/p>\n

The hidden reality of an abandoned home<\/p>\n

Amanda recently shared an update revealing the family was still waiting to be connected to mains water.<\/p>\n

“There have been times when I’ve had no water at all and have had to shower at neighbours’ or friends’ houses,” she told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

“I’m drinking bottled water and using that for cooking, going to the laundromat when needed and trying to conserve the tank water as much as possible.<\/p>\n

“For me, water is such a basic need.”<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Amanda and Paul have spent about $98,000 renovating their Italian home. Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

While the neighbouring homes were connected within a week, Amanda’s house has now gone about three weeks without a direct supply.<\/p>\n

“I never imagined I’d be living in our home in Italy and having to plan my days around whether or not a truck was going to arrive with enough water for me to shower, flush the toilet or wash the dishes,” she said.<\/p>\n

A dream worth the headaches<\/p>\n

The abandoned house was in rough condition, with birds, dead animals, droppings, spiders and years of dirt inside.<\/p>\n

The couple has since spent about $98,000 on renovations, with Paul, a former cabinetmaker, doing much of the work.<\/p>\n

\"Kitchen<\/p>\n

Before being transformed, the Italian home had sat abandoned for almost 15 years, with birds, dead animals, droppings, spiders and years of dirt inside. Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

“I probably underestimated just how much work the house needed. Paul wasn’t with me when I viewed it, and when he arrived, his reaction was basically, ‘Amanda, wow, there is A LOT to do here!’,” she said.<\/p>\n

They’ve also faced lengthy waits for utilities, with the gas connection still unresolved after 11 months.<\/p>\n

“We were originally told it would take around three months. At the end of this month, it will be 11 months since we applied, and we’re still waiting,” Amanda said.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The part nobody expected<\/p>\n

The biggest challenge has been bureaucracy, with Amanda in Italy finalising her citizenship application, while Paul and their son Stefan remain in the UK.<\/p>\n

“This is the longest I’ve ever been away from my son,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Recently I saw him for just three days after we’d already been apart for six weeks.<\/p>\n

“We’ve always been a really close family, we’ve travelled together a lot and I homeschooled Stefan for two years.”<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

For Amanda, the move has also deepened her connection to her Italian heritage.<\/p>\n

“I grew up in Australia with an Italian dad and Scottish mum, and Paul grew up with Polish parents, so European culture was always a big part of both of our families,” she said.<\/p>\n

Amanda’s nonna died while the family was living in Italy.<\/p>\n

“Strangely, being here has made me feel closer to her,” she said.<\/p>\n

Despite the challenges, Amanda said the family still believes they made the right decision.<\/p>\n

“The good far outweighs the difficult parts, and we still feel we made the right decision,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"Amanda,<\/p>\n

Amanda, Paul and their son Stefan left Melbourne to build a new life in Italy, where they are restoring an abandoned home. Source: Supplied<\/p>\n

Advice for Aussies\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her advice to Australians eyeing cheap European property is not to assume it will be an easy escape from Australia’s cost of living.<\/p>\n

“The thing I underestimated most was the bureaucracy. Everyone tells you about it before you move, but hearing about it and actually living through it are two completely different things,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Holidaying in Italy and living in Italy are completely different experiences.<\/p>\n

“We love the slower pace, but slower really does apply to everything here.”<\/p>\n

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