Country Guides Country Guide: Italy

Date Published:

30/05/2008

Italy is an ever-popular choice for UK second home buyers, not least because of the laid-back lifestyle, sunny climate and breathtaking range of scenery on offer.

By Gordon Miller

Think of Italy and you conjure up images of pretty stone houses set in medieval villages amidst rolling hills, or grand palazzo accessed via cypress tree-lined drives.

The names where you’re likely to find such beauty trip off the tongue: Tuscany, Umbria – the classic destinations; the southern newcomers of Puglia and Calabria; and Abruzzo on the Adriatic coast. Andrew Hawkins, Associate, Head of International at Chesterton, said: 'Tuscany is great for those who want a home in a more well-known area and there are many options for both restored properties and rustic homes in need of a little love.

'Abruzzo offers a great alternative to the more expensive Tuscany. The region has a similar, dizzyingly beautiful landscape with numerous vineyards and small villages, but as it is relatively undiscovered it is a lot more affordable. This also means there is a lot more room for growth. In terms of property prices, Abruzzo offers a cheaper alternative to Tuscany, with prices being 40-70 per cent lower.'

Chesterton is selling apartments in renovated buildings in Abruzzo, with brick vault ceilings, antique cotto floors, wooden frames and exposed traditional bricks. A two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in the town of Tocco da Casauria is available from £102,000. This compares with a similar two bedroom apartment Chesterton is also selling in Alta Maremma in Tuscany, available priced £250,112.

Also in the Abruzzo, the historic centre of the village of Santo Stefano di Sesssanio is being renovated through collaboration between Realitalia and Sextantio. The medieval buildings have been converted into one and two bedroom apartments, priced from €350,000 (£323,000).

Luca Catalano, director of Realitalia, said: 'As an Italian, I am proud of my country and the many historical buildings. It is therefore very important to me that the homes that we ‘rescue’ from becoming derelict are restored to the highest order, which, I’m delighted to say, has been achieved at Santo Stefano di Sesssanio.'