He moved from California to rural Italy because he ‘didn’t want to be anywhere near a McDonald’s or Starbucks’

American Keith Richardson paid US$111,000 for a house in the pretty southern Italian town of Nardò. (Keith Richardson via CNN Newsource)

A bargain-price home in a beautiful town — with a cleaner and a handyman thrown in for good measure — would be enough of a deal for many people to make the leap to Italy, but American Keith Richardson had one other key requirement.

The property where he intended to start his new life must not be anywhere near a McDonald’s or Starbucks, for him two symbols of the commercialized world he was trying to escape in the U.S.

Once he’d decided on Puglia, the mainly rural region that stretches down into the heel of Italy’s boot, after viewing online properties, an expat friend introduced him to an American real estate consultant living in the area, who directed him toward Nardò, a quiet town just inland from the coast.

“I gave her a list of homes I like,” Richardson, who used to work in the U.S. education system, told CNN. “She suggested including Nardò because I told her that I didn’t want to be anywhere near a McDonald’s or Starbucks.”

And, after some shrewd low-ball bidding, he secured the property he hopes to spend the rest of his retirement in for barely one-tenth of the cost of a similarly situated property back home in Southern California.

“The house was listed for 138,000 euros (US$153,000) but I negotiated and paid €100,000 ($111,000). I put in another 3,800 euros to restyle it to my liking and give it a fresh look,” he tells CNN.

“It was a very pleasant surprise. I was willing to pay more, but started at 100,000 euros to see if the sellers would counter offer.”

They did not.

The 667-square-foot house (62 square metres) he bought is a two-bed, two-bath home on the ground floor of what was originally storage or dwellings for the servants working in Palazzo Tafuri, one of Nardò’s landmarks.

The dwelling is made with Puglia’s typical pinkish-golden stone blocks. It came with a fireplace, three stellar ceilings, limestone walls, and had been completely renovated by the original owners.

Richardson’s only major addition was a permanent roof over the patio, and strong, long-lasting bamboo privacy screens. A very small price to pay, he says, considering the value for money the house represents.

“Homes in Southern California within three miles from the coast, in such a desired area, would cost anywhere from $700,000 to $1.4 million,” he says.

‘Italy’s Maldives’

Nardò is off the beaten track, far from the crowds and unknown even to many Italians. Located at the heart of Puglia’s pristine Salento area, it’s close to “Italy’s Maldives,” some of the country’s best tropical-style beaches. Richardson says it’s the perfect spot to soak up seaside vibes while enjoying a less hectic, carefree life.

“Puglia is definitely the place to live and invest in, if you’re searching for that dolce vita coastal lifestyle,” he says.

“I’ve fallen in love with the Italian lifestyle and domani (tomorrow) attitude. No need to worry because there is always domani. No worries, it will be taken care of domani, so for now, let’s just have a coffee and watch the people promenade by.”

Other plus points were the affordability and lower cost of living compared to the US, the fresh chemical-free produce on sale in local shops, and the gorgeous coastlines and olive groves.

“It’s reminiscent of Southern California in the 1960s,” Richardson adds. “I remember as a child passing through orange groves to get to Disneyland, Riverside, Santa Barbara.”

He says his love for Italy originally stemmed from his passion for learning languages — he taught Spanish for several years at university before working in administration.

Richardson retired as director of research and curriculum for a high school district in the Los Angeles suburbs in 2015 and then later began to travel to Italy twice a year, exploring by rental car with friends and falling in love with the country’s lifestyle and what he calls the “candidness” of locals.

By 2023, he was home-hunting and narrowed his search down to Puglia, eventually choosing Nardò for its non-touristy appeal — and its absence of U.S. fast food chains.

He says he wanted a place where everything was authentic and “local,” with nothing linked to mass tourism or major brands. Puglia was the obvious answer: “Beautiful beaches and coastlines, picturesque cities and towns, great weather (even in winter), and not full of the tourists that are found throughout Tuscany, Venice, Milan and Rome. In fact, most tourists tended to be Italians or other Europeans. The Dolce Vita was genuine.”

After almost a year of looking around, in March 2024 he flew over from Orange County and in just a few days bought the house of his dreams in Nardò’s historical centre, surrounded by majestic churches and lavishly decorated palazzos.

A different way of life

Part of the property’s attraction was its proximity to the main Piazza Salandra, lined with café terraces. Another plus was that it was located on the ground floor with a patio, without any stairs — older properties in Italy’s historic centers are often spread over multiple floors, with steep, narrow staircases that are difficult to navigate with shopping or other items.

Richardson currently comes and goes between South California and Nardò, but plans, once he gets his visa, to spend more time in Italy, though not on a permanent basis at first. “My parents are currently still living and I do so much want to spend several months out of the year near them” in the U.S., he adds.

He plans to apply for an elective residence visa in May 2025, which is based on a minimum pension income requirement. At this point, he will have to “surrender” his passport to the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles for three months for processing and approval of the visa.

In Nardò, he loves the small-town vibe and enjoys experiencing cultural clashes as he adapts to local ways of life. He now spends his days in Italy visiting nearby villages, sipping coffee in the morning at the many bars, and savoring local dishes at trattorias in Nardò, where foreign tourists are a rare sight.

Adjusting to the Italian way hasn’t been all smooth sailing though. Particularly when it comes to frank conversational exchanges.

“Several individuals have actually told me that they’re not being rude, but trying to save me time and money” in getting things sorted out.

He says it also took him a while to adapt to local closing times — with stores closing in the middle of the day.

“I still haven’t gotten used to shops closing and opening when the proprietor feels ‘ready.’ I now just shrug it off, go for a coffee and relax. It’s part of the dolce vita.”

Richardson’s path to a new life in southern Italy also seems to have avoided many of the bureaucratic pitfalls that some people complain of when moving to the country.

The process of buying a house was “a breeze,” he says.

“Horror stories only exist because most people don’t do their homework. Before purchasing, the consultant and friends told me about the need of a codice fiscale (tax identification number). When I arrived in Italy I was told where to go to obtain an Italian number, which is mandatory as well.”

He says the real estate agency in Nardò assisted him in obtaining a bank account, which proved more difficult and time consuming than buying the house.

“Banks need either your SSN (national health insurance number) or federal tax code number or both. The process took some three hours, but even now I am greeted with smiles from the representative that set up my account.”

‘Genuine and sincere’

The agency also found him a housekeeper who comes regularly to clean his place and keeps in touch with him. Her boyfriend, who works in construction, has become his go-to handyman, fixing any problems that come up at the house while Richardson’s away.

One big issue for Richardson has been the fact he’s not allowed to buy a car in Italy before acquiring a residence card.

“I really can’t grasp that part of Italian law,” he says. In the meantime, he’s buying an e-bike and using rental cars.

Once he will relocate full-time to Puglia, Richardson says he’ll lease his home in Southern California to his twin brother, so as to always have somewhere to stay when he visits the United States.

He says he’s looking forward to enjoying Puglia’s mild winters, vast olive groves, quaint towns and villages, architectural beauty and amazing cuisine.

“If you haven’t tried a bombette, you haven’t lived!”, he says. These are one of Puglia’s iconic recipes and street foods: savory fresh pork meatballs stuffed with cheese and pepper.

Above all, he says he has been won over by the open friendliness of the people, who are “genuine and sincere” and look out for one another.

“I love the fact that on my small L-shaped lane there is a typical ‘Italian alarm and neighbourhood watch’. It is a little old man that lives at the bend on the lane. He is out every morning investigating and greeting all throughout the day. He talks to and watches the gas delivery man and construction workers.”

By Silvia Marchetti, CNN