What if your next trip to Italy could do more than inspire you? What if it could help you begin imagining a life there?
September and October have been busy months for Italian Design Workshop (IDW), and one recent client journey is a great example of how the decision to buy a property in Italy can begin well before the search itself.
Our client, a board member of Slow Food East End, traveled to Turin (Torino), the capital of Piedmont, to attend Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026, Slow Food International’s global gathering celebrating local food producers and the organization’s commitment to good, clean and fair food. Held every two years, the event brings together participants from around the world, with public programming that invites visitors to experience the people, places and traditions behind the food we eat.
But this trip had another purpose, too.
Having visited Turin several times before, our client had come to feel a real connection to the city. This time, she brought along one of her closest childhood friends and planned to stay beyond the event to begin exploring the possibility of owning a property there.
She already knew where she wanted to be.
Turin offers a compelling combination of history, culture and everyday city life. It has the energy and amenities of a major Italian city, while offering a different pace and character from some of the country’s more heavily visited destinations. With its restaurants, shops, cafés, cultural attractions and extensive rail connections, it was a place our client could genuinely imagine returning to again and again.
That connection to a place matters. Before you begin looking at properties, it helps to understand what draws you to a city and what you want your time there to look like. For some people, it’s the ability to walk to a favorite restaurant. For others, it’s access to culture, transportation or a neighborhood that feels like home. The right property starts with understanding those priorities.
[Insert photos from Terra Madre and group photos here.]
Finding the Right Property
The following week, we moved from exploring the city to exploring its real estate.
IDW arranged viewings of nearly 10 apartments that aligned with our client’s specifications. As we worked through the options, one property stood out: an apartment on her favorite street in Turin, close to the restaurants, bars and shops that had helped make the neighborhood so appealing to her in the first place.
Located in a historic building, the apartment had been recently renovated and offered the kind of flexibility our client was looking for. It has one bedroom, along with an additional room that can serve as a second bedroom or a dining room, depending on how the space is used. Arched ceilings add character throughout, while original brick ceilings in some rooms preserve a connection to the building’s history.
The location and layout also fit our client’s plans for the property. She hopes to spend as much time there as possible while also making it available as a rental when she is away. Through IDW’s network of brokers across Italy, we were able to identify an opportunity that aligned with her needs and budget.
It’s a good reminder that finding the right property isn’t simply about the number of bedrooms, the finishes or the asking price. It’s about how the property fits into the life you want to build — whether that means a place to return to regularly, a base for exploring a region, or a home that can serve more than one purpose over time.
[Insert video of the first apartment walkthrough here.]
From Finding a Property to Moving Forward
Finding an apartment that feels right is an important milestone, but it’s only one part of the process.
IDW is now reviewing the relevant property documentation and assisting our client as she considers making an offer. Because the apartment is currently unoccupied, a closing within the next couple of months may be possible, depending on the progress of the transaction and the necessary steps along the way.
In advance of closing, we’ll also help our client navigate practical requirements, including opening an Italian bank account and coordinating the details needed to make closing day as straightforward as possible.
These behind-the-scenes steps are an important part of purchasing property abroad. The goal is not just to find a property that looks right, but to help clients understand what comes next and move through the process with greater clarity and confidence.
And when closing day arrives? We’ll be celebrating right alongside our client — ideally over a wonderful dinner in Turin.
For now, there’s more to come. We’ll share an update as the purchase progresses and, in a future post, offer a look at what happens next in this client’s Italian property journey.
Because the Italian chapter you want to build doesn’t begin when you receive the keys. It begins when you start figuring out what that life could look like.