Italy’s holiday-home market continues to draw strong interest from overseas buyers. New figures also point to a shift beyond the country’s busiest tourist centres, as buyers look towards quieter destinations alongside established favourites.
For anyone considering buying a holiday home in Italy, the picture is varied. There are ultra-premium markets on the Ligurian coast and in the Alps, but also lower-priced options in coastal, lake and mountain towns.
Foreign demand is strongest in Tuscany, Sicily and Lombardy
Foreign buyers remain an important part of Italy’s market for second homes. According to Corriere, more than one in five purchase enquiries comes from the United States, while UK buyers account for 14% and German buyers make up almost 10%.
- Tuscany receives the most foreign interest at regional level, followed by Sicily and Lombardy.
- At provincial level, Como comes first, ahead of Lucca and Perugia.
For international buyers who are weighing up different parts of the country, this puts demand across three very different areas: the lakes of northern Italy, Tuscany’s countryside and cities, and central Italy around Perugia.
- Ostuni is the most requested individual destination among overseas buyers, according to Gate-away.
Budgets vary considerably. The average prospective buyer has €450,000 available, yet 44% expect to spend under €100,000. Most enquiries are for renovated, independent apartments larger than 120 square metres, suggesting many buyers are looking for a home with enough space for extended stays rather than a small lock-up-and-leave base.
Italy’s most expensive holiday-home locations
At the top end of the market, Portofino stands apart, according to OMI, the Italian Revenue Agency’s Real Estate Market Observatory. Apartment prices reach €22,900 per square metre, placing the Ligurian village ahead of the mountain markets.
Location and property type | Top price |
|---|---|
Portofino apartments | €22,900 per sq m |
Porto Cervo villas | €21,000 per sq m |
Cortina d’Ampezzo apartments | €14,100 per sq m |
Sirmione apartments | €8,100 per sq m |
Cortina d’Ampezzo is the priciest mountain destination for apartments, with top homes reaching €14,100 per square metre. Madonna di Campiglio reaches €14,000 per square metre, while Courmayeur and Corvara both extend to €13,000 per square metre.
Villas command even higher values in some coastal destinations. Porto Cervo leads the table for top or new villas at €21,000 per square metre, followed by Portofino at €18,900 and Forte dei Marmi at €17,000.
In the mountains, Selva di Val Gardena takes the lead for villas at €13,200 per square metre, narrowly ahead of Corvara and Ortisei.
These headline figures show the premium attached to Italy’s most exclusive resort markets, where the available supply may be limited, and demand is international.
Lake Garda dominates the lake-home market
Lake Garda has a particularly prominent place in the rankings: 16 of the 20 listed lake locations are on its shores.
- Sirmione is the most expensive lake destination, with top apartments priced between €6,500 and €8,100 per square metre.
- Malcesine follows, with top prices ranging from €4,800 to €7,200 per square metre.
- Bardolino, Torri del Benaco and Desenzano del Garda also sit among the higher-priced Lake Garda markets.
Lake Como remains firmly in the picture for foreign buyers, particularly as Como is the most-requested province in the Gate-away figures.
Coastal prices offer a wide spread
The coastal market is far from uniform. At the premium end, Portofino’s prices are in a category of their own, while villa values in Porto Cervo and Forte dei Marmi demonstrate the scale of Italy’s luxury second-home market.
Elsewhere, the table shows considerably lower price ranges. In Ponza, top apartments are priced at €4,500–€6,500 per square metre. Bordighera has the same upper level, while Monte Argentario reaches €6,300 per square metre.
Mountain homes and restrictions for non-resident buyers
Mountain destinations account for seven of the top 10 locations in the wider ranking. These generally higher prices could be partly due to limits on new construction imposed by local planning rules.
Livigno is a notable case. According to Corriere, prices have effectively doubled since it was chosen as an Olympic venue. Top apartments are listed at €8,000–€10,000 per square metre, while homes in good locations range between €7,700 and €9,500 per square metre.
Non-resident buyers considering South Tyrol should also note a specific restriction. In municipalities where more than 10% of homes are second homes, people who do not live in the province cannot buy homes in newly built or fully renovated buildings.
The price data, presented by Corriere della Sera, comes from OMI, the Italian Revenue Agency’s Real Estate Market Observatory and is based on completed sales. In smaller municipalities, where fewer homes change hands, the figures need to be read with particular care.
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