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American Couple Buys Abruzzo House for €11,500 and Say They Won't Move Back to the U.S.

A cash purchase and roughly €15,000 in renovations allowed them to trade higher U.S. pay for more time, community and lower running costs.

Overview

  • The couple moved to Europe in 2019, had a daughter in the Czech Republic in 2020, bought their Abruzzo home in 2022 and moved there permanently in 2023.
  • They paid €11,500 in cash for a two‑storey, two‑bedroom house and spent about €15,000 on renovations, bringing their total outlay to roughly €26,500 (≈$30,200).
  • Lower local costs let them avoid mortgage debt, with examples cited including preschool for about €70 a month and modest utility and phone bills that cut living expenses compared with New York.
  • The move reshaped work choices: the author left higher‑paid U.S. tech work, now does marketing for an Italian travel company and creates content while prioritizing child care and community time.
  • One outlet reports they also bought and renovated a second property for about €20,000 and rent it for an estimated $1,100 per month, but that claim appears only in the New York Post and is less corroborated.