A family of four hailing from the United States was keen to live out their homesteading dream in Europe and found the perfect place after sifting through thousands of options: a 200-year-old stone house in the Italian Alps with boundless potential. Six months into the restoration, the family wants the world to know that changing the narrative is possible.
Bradey and Heather Jobson of Ohio, both 34, are parents to daughters, Alexa, 9, and Chloe, 7. Frustrated by the pace of life in the United States, they sold most of their belongings in 2020 and set off to travel the world.
“We sold our house, sold our cars, sold our furniture and clothes, even some of the kids’ toys, and donated the rest,” Bradey told The Epoch Times. “We took that pool of money saved up, I think about US$40,000, and began traveling the world for almost two years. During that time, we were looking for a new place to live.”
Falling in Love With a 200-Year-Old Stone Building
In their travels, the family explored Australia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, the Philippines, and parts of Europe before falling in love with northern Italy and its culture. They parked themselves near Lake Como for a month to explore real estate. For the family, house-hunting in Italy was “like finding a needle in a haystack.” But after innumerable viewings, they stepped onto a four-acre property with a unique, abandoned stone house in Limbadia, in the foothills of the Italian Alps, and knew just right then that they had found their home.
“We fell in love with this 200-year-old stone building,” Bradey said. “It’s a very beautiful temperate climate here, but we have snowcapped mountains off in the distance and plenty of hiking trails. … There are fantastic airports that connect the rest of the world, and it’s also an easy drive to get to the rest of Europe.”
Bradey shared that many people have thought the family left the United States for political reasons, however, he confirms that wasn’t the reason at all.
“The primary reason we left was because we were looking for a culture that we more identified with,” he said. “The culture in America is exceptionally busy and chaotic, a culture that prioritizes work first and relationships second. In our travels, what we quickly realized is that most of the world lives in reverse of that.”
Bradey and Heather closed on the stone house in October 2022, setting them back €120,000 (approx. US $131,000). Next came the renovation.
Bradey said: “The house had been abandoned for quite a long time, so there’s no electricity, no plumbing, no running water. … The first couple of months, we weren’t exactly doing construction, we were just kind of getting our feet wet. A lot of time was spent adapting to the new culture, getting settled, and waiting for our permits.”
The stone house was actually licensed as a barn.
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“[S]o we are taking this abandoned barn, stripping it down, and making it our dream home. In the process of doing that, we have to meet certain new European Union regulations for it to be a ‘greenhouse,’ so it’s a very challenging process to do it properly, legally. But in the end, it will be essentially a zero-energy home,” Bradey said.
Although Bradey believes it would have been easier to just rent a comfortable, affordable apartment with a view of the mountains, the couple was in love with the idea of breathing life into something that was abandoned and had historical significance.
“There’s so many of these beautiful properties in Italy that deserve to be restored, to shine again, and deserve to be lived in,” Bradey said. “But it takes an incredible amount of work to get them back to a point where you’re legally allowed to live in them.”
Breathing Life Into an Abandoned House
Bradey and Heather began their reconstruction outside by tearing down an old goat fence and using the wood to build an outdoor kitchen. They then erected a tall chestnut wood fence, using wood from a local mill, to keep their daughters safe from the 26-foot drop into the valley below.
“We’ve been using mostly the materials that we find on the property,” said Bradey, who is living off-site with his family in a rented apartment. “We’ve done a lot of gardening, a lot of building up, and fixing stone walls and stone steps. … We have running water and a cooking stove, and we built a composting toilet, so we have all of the makeshift necessities to be working here full-time. … We just can’t sleep here.”
For the interior, Bradey and Heather have had to start with the heavy work, digging down to 30 inches through solid clay and parts of the mountain using a jackhammer to lay pipes and insulation under the entire ground floor of the property, competing with small boulders weighing as much as approx. 661 pounds (300 kilos).
So far, they have also planted a garden and plan to lay enough solar panels on the large roof of the south-facing home to generate all the electricity they’ll need, including for heating, air conditioning, and charging their car, eventually eliminating energy bills completely.
Bradey said the property came with a donkey named Stella, who lived with them for the first few months of the renovation. But since donkeys need other animal companions and the family wasn’t able to provide for her, she was adopted by a neighbor.
Although the whole renovation is a challenge, Bradey said: “I think that’s part of the reason we’re doing it; we’ve always been drawn to living out of our comfort zone.”
Thriving
Two family members that have readily embraced living outside of their comfort zone are Alexa and Chloe, who get involved in the renovation whenever it’s safe to do so.
“They’ve helped us digging in the foundation a little bit, they’ve helped build the fence. Pretty much every project along the way is not only a chance for us to spend time together, but also a chance to teach them work ethic and how to build things,” Bradey said. “They pick up sticks and stones, and they build the most incredible forts. They’re always building ‘fairy gardens,’ as they call them, and their creativity just comes alive.”
This is one of the reasons the couple has been trying to push their timeline as quickly as possible.
Bradey, who lived in Ukraine between the ages of 9 and 16, knows what it is like to emigrate and was hesitant to move his kids but is proud of their resilience.
“It’s a very painful thing to go through and yet they’ve done incredibly well,” he said. “I’m sure that has to do with the years and years of travel and the fact that this is the first home they’ve had in the last two years. They’re doing so well. They are learning the language, they’re attending school. … They’re thriving.”
To share their homestead dream with the world and to generate revenue for the renovation, Bradey, who has a background in cinematography, is sharing their progress on YouTube. Their family video blogs chronicle everything from leaving the United States, to their first days at the stone house, to building their outdoor kitchen.
“I want people to know that you can live life outside of a box, that you can write your own story, that you can, what I like to call, ‘reverse engineer’ that finish line,” Bradey said. “10 years ago, we sat down and we scripted out how we wanted our life to look, and every year it changes a little bit. We have worked incredibly hard to get here. But it is possible, no matter what background you come from or what financial position you’re in.”
People often ask Bradey if he regrets the decision to relocate his family to Italy to chase their dream. He replies with a resounding, “No.”
“[A]ny time I take a break and you step outside of the work and you look at the view, you’re just flooded with a peace that’s inexplicable. … you come out here and you’re like, ‘Ah, this is why I’m doing this! This is why I’m breaking my back,’” he told The Epoch Times. “It’s hard to explain until you look out at the view, and you listen to the goats off in the distance, and the church bells. … it’s completely worth it.”
Bradey and Heather aim to meet the legal requirements to move into their home in December, after which they will spend another six months finishing the renovation. Their long-term goal is to take their 4 acres of land “back to what it was meant for,” and that’s agriculture.
“We will put in a vineyard, we even plan on putting in an automated greenhouse and being able to grow foods that are not normally grown in this climate, such as avocados,” Bradey said. “Those are plans and dreams for a future year.”
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
