{"id":72005,"date":"2025-12-01T21:50:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T21:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/72005\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T21:50:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T21:50:07","slug":"texas-family-buys-160k-home-in-italy-sight-unseen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/72005\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas family buys $160K home in Italy sight unseen"},"content":{"rendered":"

When John Alan Ambrose and his wife, Vicky, started exploring the idea of owning a place in Italy, they bypassed the widely publicized 1-euro home programs<\/a> and instead made a more unconventional wager: buying part of an abandoned mansion in a little-known northern Italian city they had never visited.<\/p>\n

The Houston pair paid about $160,000 in 2022 for a floor of a former palazzo in Biella, a wool-industry hub in the Piedmont region, set against the foothills of the Alps.<\/p>\n

The property, a 1930s Liberty-style building once tied to an aristocratic family, had stood empty for years.<\/p>\n

Inside, original details remained \u2014 towering ceilings, arched windows, wood doors \u2014 but much of the interior had fallen into disrepair.<\/p>\n

They purchased a floor of a former palazzo in Biella, Italy. Vicky Ambrose<\/p>\n

A Houston couple skipped Italy\u2019s trendy 1-euro home deals and instead paid about $160,000 sight unseen for the empty shell of a 1930s Liberty-style palazzo apartment in Biella, a little-known textile town in northern Italy. Vicky Ambrose<\/p>\n

Vicky first encountered Biella while exploring potential cashmere and wool suppliers for a fashion venture after the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my first trip there, I really liked the vibe of the town,\u201d she told\u00a0CNN in an interview. <\/a>She appreciated its modest scale, sense of safety and proximity to airports, lakes and ski areas in the Aosta Valley and around Piedmont.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Real-estate pricing sealed her interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe price of real estate was also very attractive compared to the United States,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her husband bought into the vision without setting foot in the city. Vicky\u2019s descriptions \u2014 and help from a local friend to navigate Italian regulations \u2014 led them to make an offer remotely.<\/p>\n

Drawn by its Alpine backdrop, historic streets and prices far cheaper than in the US, they spent roughly $165,000 more on a renovation that stretched nearly three years as they navigated language barriers, disappearing contractors, shifting quotes and tight municipal rules tied to the building\u2019s historic status. Jorge Anastacio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Pictured is the before and after of the hallway. Vicky Ambrose<\/p>\n

The couple wanted something spacious enough for long stays but simple to leave vacant between visits. In their view, comparable square footage in Houston would have cost several times more.<\/p>\n

Their first in-person walkthrough came only after the transaction had closed. The state of the property \u2014 from broken tiles scattered across the entry to a detached water heater hanging in the kitchen \u2014 made clear that a full overhaul lay ahead. The project ultimately required another roughly $165,000 in renovation costs.<\/p>\n

Progress unfolded unevenly. Pandemic-era backlogs slowed contractors, and shifting bids created headaches for owners accustomed to US norms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst the language barrier, then the quotes that shifted like seasons, contractors that vanished and appointments blurred into indefinite timelines,\u201d Vicky said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some vendors, including their plumber, proved dependable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Others, she notes, \u201cheld our money for nearly a year with multiple excuses and delays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photos of the kitchen undergoing renovation. Vicky Ambrose<\/p>\n

The home is in stunning settings. Getty Images<\/p>\n

John found the lack of detailed written estimates particularly challenging.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMany Italian tradesmen did not give detailed bids, covering the scope of work, so it made it difficult from afar,\u201d he told\u00a0CNN. Labor, in theory cheaper than in the US, did not always translate to lower invoices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMany suppliers in Biella wanted to overcharge for their services,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Regulatory requirements introduced further complications.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because the apartment sits in Biella\u2019s historic center, even modest updates \u2014 such as replacing drafty bathroom windows \u2014 required approvals to ensure the building\u2019s exterior appearance remained intact. That included sign-off from the local government as well as the condominium association.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs these were exterior windows and we are in the historic center, we had to demonstrate that they would not adversely affect the architectural fa\u00e7ade of the building,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n

The once-shabby 3,000-square-foot space \u2014 with 14-foot ceilings, arched windows and cellar storage \u2014 is now a four-bedroom boutique-style retreat. Pixelshop \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

To keep the project moving, Vicky made repeated trips to Italy and even took on demolition work herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the help of an American friend, she removed defective tiling and cleared sections of the apartment to prepare for tradespeople.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gradually, the home took shape: new wiring and plumbing, refinished flooring, updated kitchens and baths and an added bar area. A cramped pipe-filled closet eventually became a guest-room ensuite.<\/p>\n

Today, the second-floor unit functions as a multi-season base for the couple, their friends, and their grown son, a Brooklyn musician.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From Biella they can reach ski slopes, vineyard towns, alpine trails or the Italian Riviera within short drives. They\u2019ve grown fond of their routines \u2014 morning cappuccinos in the town piazza, visits to the Duomo, tram rides to the medieval quarter and winter weekends on the slopes fueled by bombardinos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite early shocks like shattered tiles and a water heater hanging off the wall, they rolled up their sleeves and tackled parts of the project themselves, ultimately creating a base for skiing, wine trips and family visits. Vicky Ambrose<\/p>\n

\u201cYou feel as if you are in another town with quaint bistros and bars, yet it\u2019s only a few blocks away,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n

Local residents often express surprise that Americans would select Biella over Italy\u2019s better-known tourist centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think many of the locals don\u2019t realize what a great place it is and that everything is available right out their back door,\u201d Vicky said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The couple has lived abroad before and kept a long-time ski home in Canada. Beaches held less appeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cVicky can spend over 100 days a year on the slopes,\u201d John said. \u201cBut will go stir-crazy after three weeks on a beach.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while locals often ask why they chose non-touristy Biella, the couple say its safety, scenery, affordability and quick access to mountains, lakes and vineyards make it the ideal fit \u2014 far better than any 1-euro gamble. CreativePhotography \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

What they never considered, they say, were the 1-euro houses that have drawn global attention over the years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGenerally, you get what you pay for, and when it sounds too good to be true it likely is,\u201d John said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The slower pace of Italian life \u2014 midday shop closures, quiet Mondays \u2014 still requires adjustment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is our problem as Americans,\u201d he admits. \u201cUnlike Italians, we find it hard to slow down or relax.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When John Alan Ambrose and his wife, Vicky, started exploring the idea of owning a place in Italy,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[36050,36051,36052,36053,6764,20241,36054,111,2351,131,36055,27,29,28,464],"class_list":["post-72005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-alps","tag-americans","tag-italy","tag-luxury-development","tag-luxury-real-estate","tag-mansion","tag-mountains","tag-real-estate","tag-renovations","tag-residential-real-estate","tag-surreal-estate","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-united-states"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}