In 2025, we sold everything in Belgium and moved to Italy.
Not for a holiday.
Not for retirement.
Not for a fresh start in a beautiful city.
We moved to a small mountain village in Umbria to restore two old stone houses and build a completely different life.
Many people tell us we’re living the Italian dream.
But behind the beautiful views, historic villages and quiet mornings, there is another side to the story:
What does it actually cost to move to Italy?
In this episode of Vista Verde – The Italian Dream, we take you through a normal day in our new life and share the real numbers behind our move:
Whether you’re dreaming of moving to Italy, relocating abroad, buying a house in Italy, retiring in Europe, or simply curious about life as expats in rural Italy, we hope this video gives you an honest look behind the dream.
Buying property in Italy
Taxes and legal costs
Utilities and monthly expenses
Renovation costs
Living in rural Italy
How we support ourselves financially
The unexpected expenses nobody talks about
We are Nicolas and Bieke, a Belgian couple with two small dogs — Miguel & Mirabel.
In 2025, we sold everything and moved from Belgium to Italy to buy and restore two old stone houses in the mountains of Umbria.
This channel documents the real journey of buying property in Italy as foreigners — from the house search and paperwork to renovating a ruin step by step and building a new life abroad.
🌿 On this channel you’ll find:
– buying a house in Italy
– the real cost of moving to Italy
– renovating old stone houses in Umbria
– navigating Italian laws and bureaucracy
– learning Italian as beginners
– expat life in rural Italy with two dogs
No romantic filters. No “Instagram Italy.”
Just the honest process of starting over in another country.
Our long-term goal is to transform these stone houses into a small boutique B&B and retreat space in the Italian countryside.
🎬 New documentary-style episodes every 2 weeks.
If you’re dreaming of moving to Italy, renovating abroad, or building a life from scratch — subscribe and follow our journey.
00:00 Life in Italy Isn’t Always Sunshine & Rainbows
00:12 We Sold Everything to Start Over
00:35 Welcome to Vista Verde
00:58 The Cost of Buying Our Italian houses
02:18 A Day in Our New Life
05:28 Why We Love Living Here
06:57 A Simple Evening in Italy
09:47 The Real Cost of This Lifestyle
11:22 The Hidden Costs Nobody Sees
13:24 Building Our Future
14:16 What Italy Surprised Us Most
15:20 Living From Savings
16:05 Why The Guest Room Matters So Much
17:06 The Next Step Towards Our Dream
17:36 Until Next Time
8 Comments
A year ago, if someone had told us we'd be sitting in a small mountain village in Italy talking about monthly budgets, guest rooms, and renovation plans… we probably wouldn't have believed them.
Thank you for being part of this journey. ❤️🇮🇹
💪
6:50 those views are just to die for! 😍 what an amazing town, what an amazing life, what a crazy adventure! ✨️
sending love from San Francisco.
Hele mooie video en heel goed uitgelegd, en die bergen het uitzicht zo prachtig.
I've hyped your video guys. This should prove beneficial to you. Keep putting out these videos and you will benefit financially. We are here in Tasmania, retired. We renovated an old French farmhouse and spent 7 years doing exactly what you are both doing. Sadly due to ill health and age we had to return home.
One tip I can offer…when you furnish your guest room, use local antique furniture with an Italian flare. A lot of English in France used IKEA cheap furniture. Guests preferred our place and often commented on guest houses that used locally sourced furnishings.
Good luck!
The doors are beautiful…and the property.good luck with everything.
Ik zal nooit in Italie komen en geniet daarom dubbel van jullie video's. Wat een uitzicht ook vanuit dat restaurant. Succes met de verbouwing. 💖✨️🤍🫂