An XPATs Journey to Own a Home in Italy

English: Logo of Ikea. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

OK now you bought a home in another country. You bought a kitchen so you could cook (these are typically not included in a sale). You bought a bed to sleep on maybe a couch and table and chairs. Oh the fun is just beginning! What about all those small things around the house you need but don’t have in your new place. Here is a small list of items we had to get at a local IKEA in Italy:

1. Bed linens, pillows and a blanket
2. Mattress pad
3. Mirror
4. Toilet brush
5. Hooks for towels
6. Math mat
7. Kitchen towels
8. Hot pads
9. Silverware
10. Pots and pans
11. Cooking utensils
12. Wine & water glasses
13. Bowls
14. Cork screw and beer bottle opener
15. Sharp knives
16. Cheese grater
17. Cutting boards
18. Callender
19. Can opener
20. Pasta spoon
21. Napkins
22. Place mats
23. Storage containers
24. Tools (metric system)
25. Scissors

Oh the necessities of life are fun. The other problem we will have is we are planning on stopping at IKEA on our way from the airport to our new home. No problem you think? The cars in Italy are tiny. 2 American suitcases and a bunch of stuff from IKEA may strain the car’s capacities. Even so it will be fun and an adventure!

The kitchen is small by American standards and the refrigerator is tiny but we must remember we are in Italy! You don’t shop for weeks, you don’t buy processed foods. You buy fresh each day for what you will need. Suddenly the refrigerator seems large. If you are planning to buy in Europe or live for an extended time, live like the locals. Forget the way you do things back home. It  is, after all, an adventure into learning.

George & Jo Anne

Related articles

• If There Should Be A Next Time…moving to Italy, or Paris, or wherever (findingmyitalian.wordpress.com)
• Italy beats France in wine output (thelocal.it)