{"id":3716,"date":"2026-10-16T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3716"},"modified":"2026-10-11T17:14:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T16:14:01","slug":"a-kilcock-couple-kept-the-irish-jobs-and-bought-a-trullo-in-puglia-for-less-than-the-attic-conversion-they-had-priced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-kilcock-couple-kept-the-irish-jobs-and-bought-a-trullo-in-puglia-for-less-than-the-attic-conversion-they-had-priced\/","title":{"rendered":"A Kilcock couple kept the Irish jobs and bought a trullo in Puglia for less than the attic conversion they had priced"},"content":{"rendered":"

They were standing in a modest<\/strong> back garden in Kilcock, holding a contractor\u2019s quote<\/strong>, when the idea took shape. The attic could become a bedroom<\/strong> and a boxy home office, but the numbers felt stubborn<\/strong>. They opened a map instead, pointed to the heel of Italy<\/strong>, and found a limestone hut with a cone<\/strong> for a hat. A few months later, they had keys to a trullo<\/strong> beneath silver olive<\/strong> trees, and they still kept their Irish jobs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why Puglia, Why Now<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Remote work had made their commute<\/strong> elastic, and the pandemic had reset their scale<\/strong> of what felt possible. Puglia offered blue hours<\/strong>, whitewashed lanes, and the kind of quiet<\/strong> that helps thoughts land. \u201cWe wanted a place that felt ancient<\/strong>, but could handle Wi\u2011Fi<\/strong>,\u201d she said, laughing at the paradox that wasn\u2019t one at all<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The first time they saw the trullo, it was late afternoon<\/strong>, the stone cool and the shadows sharp<\/strong>. Inside, the rooms breathed like old caves<\/strong>, thick walls muting the heat and the noise<\/strong>. \u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like a purchase,\u201d he said. \u201cIt felt like a pause<\/strong> button we could press any time<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Doing the Maths, Differently<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Back home, the attic estimate<\/strong> glared from the kitchen table<\/strong>. For less money than the builder\u2019s neat figure<\/strong>, they could buy a roofline of cones<\/strong>, a patch of earth<\/strong>, and a season\u2019s worth of apricots<\/strong>. \u201cIt was a trade<\/strong>,\u201d she said. \u201cSpace above our heads in Ireland<\/strong>, or time outside our routine in Italy<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t romanticise the numbers<\/strong>. They compared flights<\/strong>, factored in insurance<\/strong>, and called a local geometra<\/strong> about surveys and permits<\/strong>. The trullo needed small repairs<\/strong>, not a rescue. A mason named Michele<\/strong> reset three capstone pinnacles<\/strong>, and a carpenter oiled an ancient door<\/strong> until it sighed open<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, we\u2019d priced the attic out of habit<\/strong>,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019d never asked what else the same money could do<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Life Between Olive Groves and Zoom<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They kept their Irish paycheques<\/strong> and their Irish clients<\/strong>, but their lunch breaks changed shape<\/strong>. Mornings began with moka coffee<\/strong> on the low stone terrace<\/strong> and a walk to the forno<\/strong> for still-warm pane<\/strong>. Calls slid across time zones like a hand<\/strong> across linen\u2014close enough to touch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Work after 4 p.m. meant cicadas for hold<\/strong> music and a glass of thirsty<\/strong> water at the ready. The trullo\u2019s thick walls<\/strong> kept the air gentle<\/strong>, the kind of everyday luxury<\/strong> that costs nothing but limestone<\/strong> and time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not trying to be Italian<\/strong>,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to be present<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A House That Teaches Slowness<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The trullo created habits<\/strong> they didn\u2019t plan. Days became shorter<\/strong>, but felt more full<\/strong>. They rerouted a cracked gutter<\/strong> into a cistern and planted sage<\/strong> by the step. They learned to spot the first figs<\/strong> by the way the leaves turned glossy<\/strong>. \u201cA house like this is a teacher<\/strong>,\u201d he said. \u201cIt rewards what you notice<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A neighbour, Nonna Rosa<\/strong>, appeared with a bowl of orecchiette<\/strong>, thumb-pressed and salted<\/strong> by the sea air. \u201cYou work too hard<\/strong>,\u201d she said, wagging a finger<\/strong>. \u201cBut here, you will also rest<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What They Gave Up, What They Gained<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t add a room<\/strong> over their Irish stairs<\/strong>. They gave up bigger closets<\/strong>, the kind of neat storage<\/strong> that swallows whole weekends<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In return, they gained:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • A smaller daily radius<\/strong>, and a wider daily view<\/strong>.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They also gained fewer tabs<\/strong> open at once. They stopped measuring days<\/strong> in minutes and started measuring meals<\/strong>. \u201cThere\u2019s a moment around dusk<\/strong> when the cones catch the last light<\/strong>,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s three minutes<\/strong> long. We make sure we\u2019re there<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Keeping One Foot at Home<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Nothing about their Irish life<\/strong> disappeared. Their GP remained the same<\/strong>, their favourite takeaway<\/strong> still knew their order<\/strong>. Friends came to visit the trullo<\/strong>, then flew home with olive oil<\/strong> wrapped in socks<\/strong>. In Kilcock, the couple talked about drains and the back hedge<\/strong>; in Puglia, they compared prosciutto<\/strong> and paint that smells of limes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    It wasn\u2019t an all-or-nothing move<\/strong>. It was an all-and-something-else arrangement<\/strong>. \u201cWe didn\u2019t burn any boats<\/strong>,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just learned to row in another direction<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The Practical Notes They Swear By<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They keep a small binder<\/strong> with a page for each detail<\/strong>. It\u2019s unromantic and useful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cDon\u2019t skip the basics<\/strong>,\u201d she said. \u201cBeautiful is not a plan<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They check the internet speed<\/strong> on arrival. They keep a spare router<\/strong> and a power bank<\/strong>. They found a local accountant<\/strong> who translates paperwork<\/strong> without sighs. They learned where to buy limewash<\/strong>, and how to hang a mosquito<\/strong> screen without waking the house<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    A Different Kind of Upgrade<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The Irish attic would have been space<\/strong> without a story. The trullo is story<\/strong> that made space in their heads<\/strong>. They don\u2019t brag about the bargain<\/strong>, though they grin when people guess<\/strong>. \u201cIt cost less than we\u2019d have spent to flatten two beams<\/strong> and stuff the roof with insulation<\/strong>,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it gave us more oxygen<\/strong> than any loft<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Sometimes, late, they sit under a moon that feels closer<\/strong> than the upstairs light ever did<\/strong>. They talk about tree rings<\/strong>, about work that doesn\u2019t file your days down to a point<\/strong>. And in the morning, they log in from a white stone<\/strong> room shaped like a thought<\/strong> that finally had room to form<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3716"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3748,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3716\/revisions\/3748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}