Many tourists are under the impression that Italy is expensive and therefore the prospect of living in Italy seems unrealistic. Have a cup of coffee on St. Mark's Square in Venice, and all your fears are likely to be confirmed! Truth is, outside of the tourist hotspots, you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy the good life.

In Puglia, you can buy jugs of local wine for as little as € 4. In these areas, a meal in a nice restaurant costs less than € 20 a head. Obviously, how much it costs to live in Italy is largely dependent on your own lifestyle and where you choose to settle. Living like a local makes living in Italy very affordable.

The attraction of the Italian property market is strong especially among foreign buyers because property in Italy often offers far better value for money when you compare like for like with Spain and Portugal for example. Furthermore there has been a boom in the number of low cost airlines servicing many regional airports in Italy and this has opened up ‘new’ property markets to foreign investors.

Many purchasers are attracted to the beautiful period properties that Italy is famous for and which can still be snapped up at bargain prices and renovated to their former glory.  The Italian government offers substantial grants for certain renovation work as well, and this is just another bonus that attracts foreign buyers to the property market in Italy.

More and more people are investing in Italian properties — perhaps as a holiday property or second home; maybe to relocate or retire to, or as a holiday let investment. We help you to start at the beginning. In the menu to the left you'll find a complete guide helping you in the whole purchase process.