If you're a fan of Maine Cabin Masters and love watching Chase Morrill and his crew work their magic on rustic cabins, you’ll be excited to hear about their latest adventure in Italy. In 2023, Chase and his family took on a new challenge — purchasing and renovating a countryside home in the Molise region of Italy. Known as “the region that does not exist”, Molise is a hidden gem, untouched by time and perfect for a renovation project. Within just a few months, Chase and his team transformed their new Italian home. And guess who helped them in their search for this dream property? That’s right – Abruzzo Rural Property! We specialize in helping international clients find their dream homes in the beautiful countryside of Abruzzo and Molise.

In this blog, I’ll take you behind the scenes of how Chase and his family found their perfect home in Italy, what the process was like, and my experience as part of the Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy show.

Their entire Italian experience — searching for the perfect property, purchasing it, and completing the renovation — is captured in a six-episode spinoff titled Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy. The show premiered on June 17, 2024, on Magnolia Network and became available for streaming on Max and Discovery+ on August 30, 2024.

Finding Chase Morrill's Italian Dream Home

It all began in the spring of 2023 when Chase and his family contacted us at Abruzzo Rural Property. They were on the hunt for a country house in Italy, looking for the perfect fixer-upper to call their own. After many virtual meetings, we quickly understood what they needed: basically, they wanted a house in the countryside with some land and a nearby footpath for Sarah’s morning walks. The house had to be large enough to accommodate Chase and Sarah’s large family of six with four teenage kids (three girls and one boy). It also needed to be in good structural shape while requiring some “cosmetic” renovation.

With an initial budget of 100,000 euros, Chase and his team were excited to see that Italy offered properties that fit their criteria while leaving room in their budget for renovations. We searched through our database and found several great options in both Abruzzo and Molise.

Chase and his team reviewed and short-listed the links we sent, and decided to come see the houses for themselves and do some filming.

They also wanted me to appear in the show, which I did, of course! It was certainly a fun experience being the Italian realtor on a USA TV series. I had done House Hunters International in the past, but this was different. This was a completely new project – a new TV series completely dedicated to one of our houses and its renovation process.

Touring Homes in Abruzzo and Molise

When Chase, Sarah, their four teenage kids, and the entire film crew arrived in Italy in June 2023, we began an exciting tour of countryside properties in the Abruzzo and Molise regions.

We started our tour of homes in Abruzzo. There were a few hours of filming at each showing, which was not easy for me, as I am not used to being in front of the camera! It made things easier that Chase and everyone else was very easy-going and friendly. I loved the relationship that Chase and Sarah had with their kids. They asked the kids for their opinions on each house and, like close friends, they included all four of them in the process.

There were also a few difficulties. Plans sometimes changed last minute, causing delays and even a bit of irritation for home owners who were expecting us at their properties, but everything was dealt with in a very friendly way and we managed to get through the entire shortlist of nine properties.

We took lunch breaks between shootings, and it was quite entertaining to show up at countryside restaurants with such an unusually large group of people, 19 altogether. The restaurant staff and clients were amazed and curious.

After visiting eight properties in different areas of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region, I was ready to find out if they were more drawn to one in particular. Their favourite pick at that point was a beautiful country house in the town of Casalanguida. The owner of the house was invited to appear on the show and gave the team permission to film the property extensively. Chase had me get an architect to survey the house as well. After spending a day filming there, I was certain they would choose that house. But, just as in real estate, things can change quickly!

Below are some photos of the day of filming at the house in Casalanguida.

Falling in Love with Molise

The next day, we headed to a property in Fossalto, a charming town in the Molise region. Despite its reputation as Italy’s "forgotten" region, Molise won their hearts. Often overlooked by tourists and even Italians, known as “the region that does not exist”, Molise is peaceful, unspoiled, and truly authentic – perfect for a family seeking a quiet, countryside retreat.

When we arrived at the property in Fossalto, I could tell right away that Chase and his family were in love. The house ticked all their boxes: four bedrooms, a large open kitchen and living area, beautiful land with olive trees, a panoramic view, and even an outdoor pizza oven that the kids adored. When I found out that the house also had a nearby footpath for Sarah’s morning walks, I knew it was the one.

After spending a full day filming at the Fossalto home, Chase and Sarah decided to make an offer, and I began working on the sale.

The Challenges of Closing the Sale

While the house in Fossalto was perfect, the process of closing the sale was anything but easy. The property was owned by 13 different people from five families, each with a share of the land and parts of the house, and many of them had not spoken to each other in years due to old family disagreements. Getting everyone to agree on the sale was a monumental task. However, after many phone calls and hours of discussion, we managed to get an offer drawn up!

Having found a verbal agreement, we wrote down the preliminary agreement in both English and Italian. In total there were 17 pages of contracts that were signed by Chase, Sarah and the sellers.

On the day of the closing, the notary’s office felt more like a movie set, with cameramen, producers, Chase, Sarah, the notary, and all 13 sellers packed into the room. It was quite the scene! But in the end, the sale was completed, and Chase and his family officially owned their Italian dream home, and everyone left happy.

Renovating the Italian Countryside Home

Once the sale was finalized, Chase and his building team got to work on the renovation. With the help of a local geometra (surveyor), they quickly discovered that renovating an Italian stone house with 70 cm thick walls is a bit different from renovating cabins in Maine!

But they were fast learners and did a great job! The transformation was truly incredible.

You can watch their entire renovation journey on the new series Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy and see how they transformed this charming countryside home.

Below are some photos of the day spent filming in Fossalto, at the house that is now the property of Chase and Sarah Morrill.

A Unique Experience with American Clients

Being part of Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy was a fantastic experience for me and our team at Abruzzo Rural Property. It was exciting to help an American family navigate the process of buying and renovating a home in Italy, and to show them the charm and beauty of our country’s hidden gems.

If you’re inspired by Chase Morrill’s Italian adventure and are dreaming of finding your own slice of paradise in Italy, we’d love to help. Whether you’re looking for a country house in Abruzzo or Molise, or something more urban, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

Watch Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy

Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy features six hour-long episodes and originally premiered on June 17, 2024, on Magnolia Network. The full season is now available for streaming on Max and Discovery+. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see how Chase and his family bring a piece of rural Italy back to life!

Ready to Find Your Own Italian Dream Home?

If you’re an American looking to buy property in Italy, our international real estate agency, Abruzzo Rural Property, specializes in helping clients find unique homes in the beautiful regions of Abruzzo and Molise. Whether you’re looking for a countryside retreat or a historic property with character, we can guide you through the process from start to finish. Like Chase Morrill and his family, you too can find your dream home in Italy with the help of our expert team.

If you're ready to start your own adventure, contact us today!