Every Friday at 6pm ET, the snacks come out, the chat lights up, and somewhere in Italy a town is about to meet the W3 family. If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens during one of our premieres, here’s the whole thing, start to finish.

It Starts With the Town

Long before Friday, we’re scrolling. A lot. We search through hundreds of listings, hunting for cheap houses in Italy that still have real character, then turn our attention to the town around them, because the town matters every bit as much. A cute house in a town with no daily life doesn’t make the cut. So we check what you’d want checked: how you’d get around, how far the nearest doctor is, where you’d grab dinner, and whether the view earns a sigh.

All of this happens from home. We hunt online, one town at a time, so you can dream from the couch with us.

Out Comes the Map

Every episode starts with a little geography. Where is this town, really? Up near the mountains, close to the sea, tucked into the hills? We zoom in, we zoom out, and we usually get a little too excited about a castle. Then it’s time for one of our favorite silly traditions: guessing the train route. We each shout a city on the count of three, and one of us is almost always wrong.

The Need-to-Knows

This is the part some folks skip and others love most. We go through the everyday stuff, the way you would if you were picturing a real life there:

• Getting around: airports, trains and buses

• Health: hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and vets for the furry family

• Food and fun: grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants, bars and wineries

• Weather: the average summer high and winter low

• Staying connected: mobile coverage and internet options

• And the most important question of all: does Amazon deliver?

It’s not glamorous, but it’s the difference between a pretty postcard and a place you could actually picture yourself living.

The Homes, One at a Time

Then the fun really starts. We walk you through each home on screen, room by room, and react in real time, sometimes very loudly. We point out the ceilings, the floors, the views and the oddities. We share each listing price in euros and US dollars and give a quick recap at the end of each home. Each home was on the market the day we featured it, and none of them should be read as available today. They’re a window into a town, frozen on a Friday.

The Live Chat Is the Best Part

Here’s the secret: the comments make the show. During the premiere, the W3 family is chatting, cheering and voting in real time. Folks share where they’re watching from, what they’re sipping, and which house they’d move into tomorrow. Each week, we read a few of your sweetest comments on air and thank the supporters who help keep the show going. Some of you have even met up in Italy and sent us photos, which still gets us every time.

How to Play Along at Home

Want to make your Friday a little more fun? Try these:

1. Guess the route. When we ask how you’d get there by train, call your answer before we do.

2. Guess the price. Peek at the first photos and guess before we say the number.

3. Pick your one. Choose your favorite home before the final recap, then see if you change your mind.

4. Bring a buddy. Invite a friend who keeps saying “someday,” and watch them get hooked.

So set a reminder, pour whatever you love into your favorite glass, and come hang out. Which home will steal your heart this week? Come tell us in the chat.

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Save us a seat in the chat,
♥️ Jaime & Biaggio