When Rachel Abbott sold her successful media company for £5 million , she set herself two goals : to embark on a new career as a novelist and to find a dream home in Italy . With no previous writing experience , Rachel knew the former would be tricky – but what she hadn ’ t counted on was how difficult it would be to crack the latter . Despite viewing countless properties in Tuscany , she and husband John were left disappointed until they discovered a ruined 15th Century monastery in neighbouring Le Marche . Instantly smitten , they swapped their home in the Pennines for one in the Apennines . Dream home : Rachel Abbott and her husband viewed countless properties in Tuscany before discovering the monastery in neighbouring Le Marche . Resurrected : The couple paid just £150,000 for the monastery in 2000 . Pictured : the ruins of the monastery . ‘ When we went to Italy we knew what we wanted – an ancient building that had been completely modernised , ’ says Rachel , 62 . ‘ There were lots that fitted the bill but something about them didn ’ t click – they weren ’ t right . ‘ Then , finally , an estate agent took us to this place and we just knew… ’ All that remained of the monastery was the chapel – minus the roof – and the oratory . Yet the couple were mesmerised by the building and its location . ‘ It had views to the Adriatic in one direction and the mountains in the other , ’ says Rachel . ‘ We got such a sense of peace and tranquillity. ’ The region also excited them . Whereas Tuscany is teeming with wealthy second-home-owners from Britain , Le Marche is the ‘ real Italy ’ – a place where they could mix with the locals . Back in its glory : After a two-year restoration project , which set the couple back a further £1 million , the monastery was transformed into a modern eight bedroom home . Luxurious : The property also boasts seven en suite bedrooms , a swimming pool and a five-hole golf course . Pictured : the living room . The monastery , near the hilltop town of Treia , cost only £150,000 back in 2000 but a two-year restoration project on which the couple then embarked set them back a further £1 million . Luckily , the old building had survived until the 1960s , so they were able to find photographs , enabling their architects to recreate the style of original . They covered two layers of stone used for the walls in terracotta tiling , just as would have been done in the 15th Century , and windows were installed exactly where they were in the pictures . Behind the facade , the couple built a modern eight-bedroom home with seven en suites , a swimming pool and , for John ’ s benefit , a five-hole golf course in the five acres of grounds . Price €2.5 million ( £1.8 million ) Location Near Treia , Le Marche . Bedrooms 8 . Unique features Converted 15th Century monastery , swimming pool , five-hole golf course , five acres . It was only in 2005 , when they were fully ensconced in the old monastery , that Rachel turned her attention to her second ambition – to become a successful writer . She had been toying with an idea for a psychological crime thriller for some time , and by 2010 she had finished her first work , Only The Innocent . Then , however , she was faced with another problem : how to find a publisher . Rachel did not fancy the anguish of rejection , so her solution was to self-publish on Amazon instead . At first her novels sold at the rate of only six a week . ‘ Then I thought , “ This is crazy . I know about marketing , I ’ m going to make this book sell. ” . ‘ I set up a Twitter account , which now has 12,500 followers , and emailed every blogger and reviewer I could find . I spent countless hours on forums and Facebook . As a result I changed my life. ’ Rachel ’ s subsequent success has been astounding . A first novel is thought to have done well if it sells 3,000 copies – Only The Innocent and follow-up books The Back Road and Sleep Tight have together sold a million . All three have been No 1 bestsellers on Amazon ’ s Kindle store , and Rachel now outsells many well-established authors . Price tag : The couple have now put the property on the market for €2.5 million ( £1.8 million ) . Pictured : one of the bedrooms . Life in Italy has gone well , too . The couple have made money by letting out the chapel as a venue for upmarket weddings . And with children from previous relationships visiting them , Rachel and John ’ s house has often been buzzing with guests – just as she had planned . But now they have put their home on the market for €2.5 million – about £1.8 million – and want to move to the Channel Island of Alderney . ‘ We already rent a flat there , ’ says Rachel . ‘ It ’ s a wonderful place – friendly and virtually crime-free . As much as we love Italy , we now want to buy a property there. ’ Uniqueliving.com , 020 7148 6480 . Rachel Abbott ’ s latest book , Stranger Child , is out now .
Rachel Abbott and her husband bought 15th Century monastery in 2000 . All that was left of the monastery was chapel ( minus the roof ) and oratory . Near the hilltop town of Treia , in Italy , it cost the couple only £150,000 . But a two-year restoration project set them back a further £1 million . Building survived until 1960s , enabling architects to recreate original style . But behind the facade , it 's a modern seven-bedroom home with eight en suites and a swimming pool .