ARTICLE

Buying in Puglia, Italy

Puglia makes up the 'heel of the boot' in southern Italy. It has two distinct coastlines, high cliffs of the Adriatic to the east and the low-lying rocky shore of the Ionian Sea to the west. Italian families have holidayed here for years and it's not surprising. There are 300 days of sunshine a year, beautiful beaches, lovely countryside and fascinating towns and cities steeped in history.

This episode is from season 3.

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Buying in Puglia, Italy

Buyer's tips

  • Many properties were built without planning permission. If it hasn't been granted retrospectively, you'll need to pay a fee to get it.
  • The government charge is 10 per cent if you're a non-resident, 4 per cent if you get Italian residency.
  • Visit the property in and out of season or you may find you're the only person in the village during the winter!

The buyer: Annabel Moorsom
Annabel lives in South London and runs a PA recruitment company. She's a self-confessed lover of all things Italian and dreams of lazy summers soaking up Mediterranean sun on the west coast of Puglia.

She's drafted in her friend Robert to help her escape busy London for Italian life, food and culture. She has a budget of up to £250,000.

Why Puglia?
With coasts on two sides, Puglia has got fabulous beaches in abundance and an impressive array of rather bijou resorts. Its towns have a modern buzz, but the architecture is a melting pot of Moorish, medieval, Byzantine, Romanesque and Baroque influences, as well as the intriguing trulli – white, cone-shaped houses that were built until the 1800s. Now they're the region's hippest holiday homes.

Living in Puglia means living the good life. Great food is produced, cooked and eaten locally and nearly every day, the fishermen return to Gallipoli harbour and unload their catch straight into the fish market next door. A trip to buy your lunch is also a great way to meet the locals and catch up on the gossip.

With all that fresh produce, Italian cookery courses are hugely popular. You can book a whole course or just take a day's class. And of course no Italian cookery class starts without the basics - pasta.

Top of the bon viveur's list of things to do in Puglia is watching the sun go down. All along the coast locals and tourists search out a great spot to watch the daily spectacle. Sit in one of the bars up on the walls of the old town in Gallipoli and sip a crisp glass of Frizzantino as you watch the day disappear.

The estate agents
Property 2:
Sis Immobiliaria
(Contact Luigi Spano)
Tel: +39 0833 575 193

Property 3:
Puglia Estate
(Contact Elio Resta)
Tel: +39 3939 882 348

Property 4:
Immobiliare Spano
(Contact Luigi Spano)
Tel: +39 0833 575 193

For a millionaire moment…
Puglia Estate
(Contact Elio Resta)
Tel: +39 3939 882 348

Top three details

  • Enjoy some fresh fish brought in daily to Gallipoli harbour.
  • Sign up for a cookery lesson in Italian cooking.
  • Sit back, relax and watch the sun go down with a chilled glass of wine.

    Living the dream details
  • Take the plunge in the pools and bays at the historic town of Santa Cesarea Terme.

    With thanks to
    We Love Puglia
    Puglia Estates
    Buena Vista Bar, Gallipoli
    Atlantis Beach Restaurant, Oristano

    • Related sections: Fantasy Homes By The Sea

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