Abruzzo on a budget

The high prices and active marketing of popular destinations such as Tuscany and Umbria, and now, increasingly, Puglia in the south, may have created the misleading impression that Italy is off-limits for buyers with less than £100,000 in their pockets.

But, you can buy into the timeless civilisation and landscape of Italy for less than is being asked in the much-hyped “emerging markets” of Slovenia, Croatia or Bulgaria. Apartments and houses in unspoilt villages and small towns, and farmhouses in various states of repair, are still going for a song — although it might take a bit more effort to track them down.

Abruzzo, Italy’s wild and mountainous spine and extends to the Adriatic coast, has started to take off as a place to invest — especially since Ryanair began direct flights to the seaside resort of Pescara.

Some of the borghi, or ancient villages, such as the delightful Santo Stefano di Sessanio, are easily as imposing as any in Tuscany — without the tourist hordes — and everything, including property, is much cheaper.

A dilapidated farmhouse can be picked up for £50,000 in the mountain villages surrounding Abruzzo’s rugged Gran Sasso national park, home to bears, wolves and wild orchids. Village flats sell for as little as £30,000, though you will probably have to pay more if you want some outside space. Prossima Casa has traditional old houses, some with terraces, in the historic hilltop town of Introdacqua, less than an hour from Pescara, from £25,000.
For ski fans, Nova Domus is selling mountain retreats in the Abruzzi ski resort of Tagliacozzo, less than an hour from Rome, at prices from £16,000-£37,000.

Other useful websites:

ItalyHouses

RealpointItaly

AbruzzoHouses