Before Aileen and Tom Winter found love with each other, they had already developed a deep affection for Italy. The couple, married for approximately 18 years, frequently visited the European country, both individually and together. Aileen, in particular, made month-long returns to Italy, building a network of Italian friends across the nation.
Their home base in Boulder, Colorado, did not diminish their dream of owning property in Italy, and they often found themselves daydreaming while gazing at real estate listings during their visits. Around 2016, they decided to turn this dream into a reality, focusing on the Susa Valley in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
After a year of active searching, Tom, previously involved in action sports, stumbled upon an online listing for a 400-year-old tower turned vacation home in the medieval village of Exilles. The lack of a specific address led him to embark on a journey to Exilles, about an hour’s drive from Turin, to locate the property.
Impressed by the village with its population of around 250, Tom quickly found the unique home. After engaging with locals, he located the owners and persuaded them to sell the property. Aileen, a real estate consultant, explains that they sealed the deal with a handshake, purchasing the tower for 19,000 euros (approximately $21,000) in October 2017.
While minor challenges arose during the sale, such as difficulties in opening an Italian bank account, the couple overcame these hurdles with the assistance of a local attorney. With the sale finalized in early 2018, Tom flew in from the US to receive the keys over pizza in Turin, marking the beginning of their journey to transform the four-story tower into a vacation home.
The initial arrival in Exilles during a snowstorm cast a momentary shadow of doubt on Tom, but with a friend’s visit, his spirits lifted. The renovation process, spanning about six months and costing around $94,000, involved modernizing and enhancing the livability of the property. Upgrades included transforming the ground level into a spacious bathroom with a shower and laundry facilities, replacing the staircase with an open stairway for more light, installing a new hot water system fueled by a pellet stove, and creating a new kitchen with a balcony on the second level.
The couple, now proud owners of Torre Piccolo, found themselves embraced by the local community, forming strong bonds in the village of Exilles. Aileen emphasizes the warmth and generosity of the villagers, who initially referred to them as “Li Americani.” Over time, the couple purchased a second property in Exilles, further solidifying their connection to the community.
Learning Italian became a priority for Aileen and Tom, with both enrolling in immersive language courses. While they have been welcomed into the fold, Aileen’s faster language acquisition has become a friendly topic of conversation among the locals.
Despite their love for Exilles, the couple acknowledges the adjustments needed to adapt to the slower pace of life in a small Italian village. Aileen describes understanding local business hours and adapting to unforeseen closures as part of the learning curve.
While the Winters express a desire to eventually spend more time in Piedmont, visa limitations currently restrict longer stays. The couple, committed to retaining their US properties, acknowledges that settling permanently in Italy involves navigating bureaucratic challenges and tax implications.
For now, the Winters are working towards spending four or five months a year in Italy, cherishing the slower pace and appreciating the disconnect from their hectic lives. As they offer advice to other families contemplating a move to Italy, they emphasize the importance of finding a destination that aligns with individual preferences.
The couple concludes that their journey, initially seen as a fun project, has evolved into a soul-enriching investment, exceeding every expectation in terms of human experience and community warmth. Tom reflects on the unexpected return on investment being the profound human connections forged during their Italian adventure.