Could it be the stunning coastline which connects the Adriatic Coast with the Ionian Sea; hundreds of kilometres of crystal clear warm turquoise waters, the iconic trulli houses, the historical sea side towns with charming city centres, the Baroque style architecture and did I mention award winning wines and delectable gastronomy?

Sound convincing enough? I think so! 

I have been living on and off in Puglia for the past few years; my journey to this beautiful region started off in Monopoli. I was immediately enchanted by this beautiful coastal town for various reasons. The historical centre is a labyrinth of little alleyways and nooks, bustling with a variety of local restaurants, bars, coffee shops and boutiques. 

So what is the price of living in such a beautiful place? Not as much as you may think! Independent terraced properties in the historical centre, some with roof terraces offering uninterrupted sea views can start from €150,000 (to be restored). 

For those of you who wish to live on the outskirts of the city, villas and trulli in the countryside of Monopoli start from around €180,000.

Monopoli is a hugely popular tourist town, so many properties for sale have been designated in mind for the overseas investor looking to rent the property out a Holiday Rental and generate a seasonal passive income. 

Long term rentals in Monopoli are extremely difficult to come by. Due to the demand of holiday rentals, many landlords have opted against having long term tenants in favour of renting out their properties only in the summer months at a much higher rental premium.

However, if you are lucky, you can find a 1-2 bedroom apartment in the city centre from around €600 per month. 

The cost of dining out in Monopoli is relatively inexpensive. An aperitif in a local trendy bar can cost from €3 onwards and is usually accompanied by local produce such as “taralli” and olives, for which Puglia is famous for! 

Dining out in a local pizzeria for two could set you back approximately €20 and there is also some higher end restaurants which specialise in local seafood which has a more expensive price tag. 

Fruit and vegetables at the local markets are incredibly reasonable and every Tuesday there is a street market where you can buy a wide range of household items, clothing and local produce at excellent low cost prices.

So what about some of the other towns in Puglia?

Let us take a look at Ostuni, otherwise known as The White City. Ostuni is incredibly popular as a summer tourist destination, it is pretty quiet during the winter months. Ostuni is perched up high on the hill overlooking the coast, which is approximately 6km away. 

One bedroom apartments located in the historical centre which need restoration start from as low as €30,000 and can range up to €99,000 for a one bedroom restored apartment with roof terrace and sea view.

Countryside villas and trulli can range in prices starting from around €50,000 right up to the grand masseria (farmhouses) which go for well over €1,000,000.

For those of you who don’t mind getting your hands dirty with a renovation project there are plenty of opportunities to be had! 

Ostuni is also another tricky spot to find a long term rental due to the popularity of Holiday Rentals in the summer months, however a 2 bedroom rental property can set you back around €500-€600 per month.

If we take a visit further into Valle d’Itria, away from the coast, you will come across a town called Martina Franca, which is where I live. Martina Franca is a beautiful town with Baroque style architecture and an incredibly charming historical centre.

Property prices here are cheaper in comparison to Monopoli due to the fact you are at least a 30-minute drive to the coast.  One bedroom apartments in the historical centre start from around €30,000 (to be restored) and villas and trulli in the countryside also start from around the same price (also to be restored). 

Rents in Martina Franca are also cheaper and one can find a 2 bedroom spacious apartment for around €500 per month. 

Martina Franca is well known for its agricultural produce with meat being a popular choice. The city is full of butchers (macelleria) offering fine local meats all at extremely inexpensive prices. 

Local cantinas sell excellent wines for as little as €2 a litre. 

Puglia is famous for its olive oil, which has such a smooth texture and delicious taste, you could literally pour it over everything (and I do!).  There are many olive oil distributors in the region where you can purchase a 5 litre barrel of oil for as little as €20. 

If you are looking to move to Puglia, a car is definitely advisable as the transport links are rather non-existent, especially if you are living in a rural area. 

The one thing I love about my experience in Puglia is the community feel. The locals are welcoming and warm and always happy to help. 

It’s the Mediterranean lifestyle at its finest! 

In 2019 the holiday rentals industry exceeded $38B worldwide with more and more people opting to stay in a holiday home versus a traditional hotel.

But considering what we have gone through with the pandemic, the desire for holiday rentals has only increased. Holiday goers are preferring to stay in holiday homes with their families versus staying in hotels that are crowded environments requiring a more personalized touch and therefore the health risk is higher as opposed to staying in your own holiday home.

For this reason, some experts predict the short term rental industry is going to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the holiday rental industry.

So what does this mean for the prospective buyer looking to purchase real estate in Italy?

Forbes Magazine recently wrote that Italy is the #1 country worldwide to purchase a property that is under market value. You can read the article by clicking HERE. 

Right now we are in an extremely favourable buyers market. There are properties for sale in Italy at reduced prices in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. Think stone cottages in the rolling hills of Tuscany, seaside properties in Puglia, homes in historical hamlets in Umbria, all for a price tag less than €100,000.

These areas, and many more are areas in high demand for tourism in Italy. Therefore taking advantage of the buyers market, and putting the property on the holiday rental circuit, which can potentially generate you a long term passive income, is a win-win situation.

Buying an under market value property does not mean that you are buying a property that is completely in need of a full restoration, many properties on the market are completely habitable with some already being utilized as a Holiday Rental, generating an income. 

The opportunity to purchase your own piece of Italian history has never been more attractive and let’s face it, the attraction of Italy will never fade. Why? The answer is “cosi semplice” (so simple!)

Because it’s Italy of course! 

That was back in 2014 and Puglia was still rather unheard of amongst foreigners. Today, it’s a totally different story.

Puglia Stealing the Spotlight

I remember my very first visit to Puglia was in April 2017. I had been living in Bolzano, which is the far northeastern side of Italy, bordering on Austria. 

Bolzano is a beautiful town but it did not feel like “la vera Italia” (real Italy) to me due to the Austrian style of architecture and the fact that most people spoke German.

Being from Australia, I missed the beach and so I decided to make my way down to Puglia and discover what it was like to live in the south of Italy. 

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I had heard amazing things about Monopoli from my Italian teacher friend and we went together over the Easter holidays. I remember walking through the historical center and I felt all goosebumpy and tears came to my eyes. I had found my “place”. This was where I was meant to be. If you have never been to Monopoli I highly recommend checking it out.

The little cobbled streets, the quaint piazzas filled with trattorias, cafes, and boutiques and scenic perch on the most crystal clear coast had me hooked. I was in love.

Pretty much the whole of Puglia has that effect on me and it is no surprise that the region has surpassed Tuscany as the number one area searched for both tourism and foreign buyers looking to purchase their own slice of “la dolce vita”. And why is that?

The Perks of Puglia

Let’s see: stunning Baroque-style architecture, mild climate all year round, crystal-clear waters that are warm and feel like a giant bath—they don’t call Puglia “the Italian Maldives” for nothing! Not to mention award-winning wines and cuisine…what’s not to love, right? Real estate prices are still extremely reasonable in comparison to regions like Tuscany, but this will not last long as prices have been on the rise. 

Luxury has also made headway in Puglia. High-end fashion house Louis Vuitton has purchased a masseria with 20 rooms which will become a €1,000 a night luxury hotel and the global hotel chain the Four Seasons is also building a 150-room hotel on the coast near Ostuni.  

The knock-on effect from this will also have an increase on the property prices here in Puglia….so really the time is now if you want to get a slice of the action and snap up a bargain.

Imagine centuries-old masserias and trulli houses just waiting to be restored to their former glory.

Quaint apartments in historical centers by the sea. 

Puglia has it all.

Purchasing Your Dream Home in Puglia

Now I know that buying a property in Italy without proper guidance can seem incredibly overwhelming and it stops many from taking action and making their dream a reality. 

If you are needing some guidance on how to confidently buy your dream home in Italy, then join my community “How to Confidently Buy Property in Italy and live La Dolce Vita” and ensure that you register for my FREE 3 day property buying course which I will be hosting the first weekend in May. Places on the course are limited so make sure you register to avoid disappointment! 

Looking forward to connecting with you to help you realize your dream of your own property in “la bella Italia”! 

Not the two-legged kind but the four-walled kind. 

I am doing my daily ritual of scouring through the property portals checking to see if anything new has come online that I haven’t seen…..you have to be quick these days especially in Puglia.

My name is Nikki Taylor and I am a real estate expert, specializing in helping foreigners purchase their dream home in Italy.

And now it’s my turn.

So I decided to document this journey, with the viewpoint of sharing, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly that goes hand in hand with property purchasing in Italy, along with some of my Aussie humor thrown in for good measure. 

It’s funny really as after years of helping people all around the world, just like you, purchase their dream home in Italy, I am now my own real-life case study.

And what I have come across in the very early days of my journey, being someone who not only works in the industry but speaks the language has shocked the hell outta me! 

I will be sharing an ongoing series with you all, of my findings, with the viewpoint of giving you all some invaluable tips as to what to look out for and what NOT to do.

In my free community “How to Confidently Buy Property in Italy and live La Dolce Vita” I am also documenting a vlog of my experience which will be super informative and also giving a very satirical insight into what it means to purchase property in Italy.  I will be also running a FREE 3-day training course this month on buying property in Italy which is in high demand so make sure you join the group to get updates on how to get onto the waitlist! 

A little about me for those of you who do not know who I am. I am from Australia and have been living in Italy for over six years working in the real estate and holiday rentals industries. My work has been featured in some of the best publications in the world and I totally love what I do. Seeing others achieve their dream of a home in Italy is what totally lights me up and now finally it is my turn to be in the hot seat.

I thought that working in the industry and having a bunch of local contacts where we are looking to buy would really help me out. But it turns out that this has been the hardest property transaction that I have come across in the various properties I have purchased around the world.

We are looking to buy in Ostuni, Puglia. 

Puglia is going through an incredible boom right now and it really is no surprise. Properties are flying off the portals like hotcakes and the inventory isn’t being regenerated as quickly! 

Let me share with you a few pointers that I have come across in my search which you need to look out for that are little “traps” that most come across.

The concept of habitable space 

We are looking for one of those old Mediterranean-style villas with the stairs that go up on the side and the flat roof – aperitivo with a view, right? 

Being a family of four with two small boys, having some ample space to run around in not only outside but inside is of paramount importance to us so little poky rooms will not make the grade. 

It is really important to have your wits about you when reading the real estate ads. Especially when it comes to the square meterage of a property.

So here is a prime example. See a property that has 130sqm. I get all excited as our minimum is 120sqm and upon further inspection, the property is split into two parts. The main house and the “deposito” underneath. The deposito usually is extremely large in size and they count that as part of the sqm footprint of the house.

But be careful that this does not constitute “habitable space”. The deposito is usually transformed into either a second living area or other bedrooms but if you have intentions of using this property as a future holiday rental then you are not legally able to have non-habitable space listed as bedrooms, you can get into a lot of trouble! 

So what I am seeing is really 80sqm for example of a living space with a 40sqm deposito. That is not going to be big enough for a family of four. 

The concept of “casa abusiva”

So when you see these depositos being made into habitable space this taps into the “casa abusiva” process. Where there has been some sort of modification made, but without the approval of the local council. It is imperative that before you make any official house purchase that you make sure you send a reliable “geometra” (surveyor) to the property to inspect whether the house is actually legal.

Here is a prime example of a “casa abusiva”. I was doing some property finding for a 1:1 client and we saw this property that was INCREDIBLE. It had 3 bedrooms in the main house and an attached trullo with a fourth bedroom. The problem was, is that the two bedrooms downstairs were actually originally the garage (deposito). A garage does not classify as habitable space and using the space as two bedrooms make that a “casa abusiva”. If you are planning on utilizing the property as a holiday rental, which was the goal of my client, it is a big no no to state that a property has X amount of bedrooms when in fact two are illegal. It is these sorts of things you really need to be on the lookout for. 

If you purchase a property that has issues due to the fact that it is illegal, you inherit those properties as the new owner if you have not rectified them pre-sale.

Due diligence is key! What does that mean? It means having the rightteam behind you; i.e. lawyer, surveyor, etc who do all the preliminary checks before you are putting down money to purchase the property. You want to be 100% sure that what you are buying, is not riddled with issues. 

The elusive estate agent that does not call back

Now, this is something that riles me, a lot. In Australia and the UK where I have lived, it is totally inconceivable to think that you would be calling a real estate agent repeatedly wanting information on a property only to get totally ignored. I honestly do not know why some agents just do not call back, or even email back for that matter but I come across this a lot and this is one of the things I hear the most in my community,

But it happens a lot here. In my bespoke mastermind group, I take the stress of my clients having to call the agents and I do it all on their behalf because it can be downright hard not only getting through to them but also asking the vital questions that you need to ask, not knowing whether they speak English.

Having a bilingual representative on your behalf can save you thousands of costly errors.

I thought the other day that I came across “the one”. I must have called the agent no joke about 25 times on his mobile and to this day, more than 2 weeks later he has never called me back. 

It’s mind-boggling!

Same property, different listing prices

Now, this is where being attentive to the portals really does come in handy. As it is very common for the same property to be listed by multiple agents here and with different listing prices so you really do need to scour through the portals with fine detail! Some owners do not want to be tied to one particular agent and prefer the multiple listing option, hence having various agents list the same property. 

I’m hoping that my next update to you all will have some good news!! I continue to search multiple times a day for “the one”…..it is out there just waiting for us.