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Buying in Italy: Part Two

Welcome to the second part of your six-part serialisation on Buying in Italy. This week, we’re looking at drawing up your timescale for buying in Italy. This is a powerful way to turn dreams into reality. Many people wait until spring or autumn to begin looking – but why wait until everyone’s buying? High demand, after all, often implies higher prices. Quiet times can be good for picking up bargains. Estate agents will be keener and sellers more motivated. They’ll be worried about being stuck with a property for another season.

Italy’s expat hotspots

Certain parts of Italy attract more British and international buyers than others. We come for the work opportunities, the convenience of busy airports, or just for the beauty! Whether you want to stay near your fellow countrymen or avoid them, here are six Italian expat hotspots from Lombardy to Sicily.

Could you run a rural tourist business in Italy?

Farm holidays in Italy are popular all year round and offer an authentic Italian experience. They also offer the possibility of an income for entrepreneurs with rural ambitions.

Rural living Italian style

With eight acres of land to care for, each season nature brings something new and beautiful to discover in the Italian countryside. It’s a joy to have space around us with no near neighbours and a climate that allows us to spend time outdoors. I often see elderly Italians out in the countryside picking wild greens and snails. They put the snails in a box and take them into town to sell from the back of their little motorised carts, the Piaggio Apes. Having seen them squirming around in the box I haven’t been tempted to try one yet though.

Gluten Free food in Italy

It is possible to enjoy a healthy Mediterranean diet that is gluten free in Italy. Italians love their food, and are also aware of the connection between health and what they eat. Much of Italian cuisine is based on using fresh local produce as part of the famous Mediterranean diet. An Italian Supermarket chain, Co-op, did a survey of its customers and discovered that 70% of Italians are willing to pay more for all natural foods, 65% are willing to pay more for non-GMO foods and 62% for organic foods.