house hunters international

my hgtv moment

My dad and I were recently discussing that HGTV has some really deplorable shows nowadays. They make every home improvement project seem like it’s doable “on a budget” - when the reality is that home renovation projects costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. For me, the only HGTV show of redeemable quality is “House Hunters International”. I have always wanted to be featured on that show. I remember loving an episode set in Amsterdam, seeing the cute apartments on the river and dreaming about biking home to that! Will they live in a house boat? Or are they going for the walkability of De Pijp?

Luckily enough for me, my dreams did come true. I got to experience looking for a rental apartment in Naples, Italy. We had realtors pick us up and giving us a showing; all we were missing was the camera crew! Below please see my episode of House Hunters International.

1 - Modern Mergellina

This 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment was brand new and recently renovated. It was the most modern and luxurious apartment that we saw. I loved the tile and paint colors - the green door you see leads to the back purple bedroom. It’s a 20 mins train from Napoli - but it’s walking distance to the city beach. The wrap around balcony looks out onto the major intersection of Mergellina and looks out onto the entire city. Parking and traffic are major considerations for where to live in Naples. This apartment came with a shared garage across the intersection. Parking garages in Naples are NOT like in the US. Cars are stacked on top of each other to fit everyone in. An attendant will pull your car for you when you call down saying you need it, and it helps to call in advance :)

2 - Stately Posillipo

This 5 bed, multiple bath, office, multi-kitchen apartment was crazy; I honestly can’t believe it was an apartment. There was an entire wing and extra entrance for the maids. Given that this was fit for a family of 10, we don’t have a maid, and we are only two people, the tour was very overwhelming. Should we move here and open a co-working space? My favorite part was the large, sunny, balcony with the beautiful old tile and tons of plants. The view from the back patio shows you how close together people live here. One constant in all the apartments: bidets! It seems a bit odd to go from van life and outdoor bathrooms to bidets all the time. I don’t even know how to use them! But Italians love their bidets.

Another consideration for this giant apartment: heating and cooling. Most Italians only have AC in their bedrooms, if at all. Electric is very expensive here, and yet it’s very hot May through September. Today the weather was 95 degrees at 75% humidity, and it felt like I was walking in an oven. Heating and cooling is a major factor in house search, including square meters of space.

3 - Cute Chiaia

This 2 bed, 2 bath apartment was really sweet. It is the only apartment we saw in Naples city itself, in the fancy neighborhood called Chiaia. It’s walking distance to the beach but traffic wise, a bit tricky to climb out of the city to get on the highway. My favorite part of this apartment was the green kitchen. I love the color green and I could picture cooking there and feeling relaxed. It also had this beautiful old painted closet when you walked in the front doors. Apartments in Italy have so much history and charm!

So which one did we pick? You’ll have to tune in after the commercial break to find out! One thing I learned by being in front of the camera; it’s much less fun to think about the logistics (heating and cooling, parking, walkability, traffic, commute) than to ogle the fixtures, craftsmanship, and daydream about life in a new apartment.

My favorite part about this experience was seeing the giant wooden front doors, getting stuffed into teeny vintage elevators, gulping at the high ceilings and crown molding, and smiling at the brightly colored tile speckled throughout the homes.

Which apartment would you pick? 1, 2, or 3?