Britons top Italy overseas investors' league

Britons remain the most enthusiastic foreign investors in the property in Italy market, new research shows. They make up nearly one in four (24 per cent) of overseas requests for Italian property, with Germans accounting for 21 per cent.

UK buyers are still drawn by the age-old appeal of a farmhouse in Tuscany, which forms nearly 30 per cent of their inquiries. And they overwhelmingly likely to buy a property costing €300,000-€500,000, with just over 75 per cent of their Italy real estate purchases falling within this price range.

The typical German investor, on the other hand, is most likely to buy in Emilia-Romagna property of between €200,000 and €300,000. And the French, who make up 17 per cent of requests from abroad, are most likely to buy in Liguria, the research from an Italian property group suggests. However, other regions are increasingly proving popular.

Chief executive Carlo Giordano explains: “Historically it has been Tuscany that has attracted foreign buyers’ interest, but in recent years we have seen increasing attention also for other parts of our country, in particular Puglia (31 per cent), Sicily (16 per cent) and Umbria (8 per cent)."

One notable trend has been from Russian buyers, who overwhelmingly opt for high-end luxury properties. The typical Russian investor loves Rome but is drawn to Sardinia for its tourist appeal and tends to go for Sardinian villas starting at around €900,000.

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