The Appeal of Homes in Umbria

"The green heart of Italy", this is how Umbria is called and, to be honest, this title does not give enough justice to this enchanting region that never ends to amaze. Umbria is so rich of history, culture, succulent cuisine, nature and a multitude of jewel-like medieval hill-towns that no one can deny that it is one of the most beautiful regions of Italy.

All these characteristics alone already make owning a home in Umbria very attractive to anyone, but there is a lot more to be said about it. For instance, 30% of Umbria's territory is made up of woodland and with only 900 thousands inhabitants in total and a bit more than 106.4 inhabitant per square Km, its population density is the country's lowest, about half of the national average, leaving anyone with enough space to live peacefully.

Another reason why Umbria is so attractive is that it doesn't have neither a coastline nor an international border, this has helped it keeping its traditions and has given to it a further sense of mystic.

The demand for properties in Umbria as you can expect is quite strong. For all the reasons mentioned above and for loads of other reasons not mentioned for space issues, Umbria has seen its appeal and its property prices rise steadily across the last twenty years, making it reach one of the top positions in the high end markets of Italy. However, the majority of its property buyers consider Umbria still worth it, as it conserve a truer charm than the bordering Tuscany.

The type of property that attracts more interest is still the typical stone house or farmhouse set in the country side, mainly preferred by people looking for a tranquil place to live in, with some external space to enjoy the peace of the nature and relax, better if there's a pool, or to set up a business as a B&B. Many buyers prefer to invest in a property to be restored so they can customize their home as they want it. The strong demand of these properties has made its prices go up and for a country house to restore the requests start from 120/130 thousand Euros and from about 250 thousand Euros for the same home properly restored that maintain the original features.

A fairly new trend is the increasing interest for town houses and apartments set in one of the many wonderful hilltop villages. Many people don't feel like staying in an isolated home, thus they discover the convenience of staying close to shops, services and to other people, having so more contacts with locals and being an inner part of a community that offers the real flavour of true Italian lifestyle.

There are many buyers that think of properties in Umbria as a great investment opportunity, and they think right. For instance Perugia, other than being the Capital and hosting an international airport that well serves all the region, it is also an important university city, well known around the world for its "Università per Stranieri" (University for Foreigners). The income prospect in this city is very high as there'll always be a strong rental demands from students and, as it is a very charming city that attracts hordes of tourists, it is a very appealing market also for short term and holiday rentals. Another city that attracts many investors is Assisi; the home town of San Francesco is one of the most visited worship places in the whole world, thus one of the most sought after places for property investments.

Umbria is such a jewel that it never ends to enchant anyone who visit it. The word of mouth spread by satisfied and happy owners will always attract home buyers from all over the world, this is mainly why buying a property in Umbria is currently one of the safest and enjoyable place where to invest your savings.


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The author writes for the Italian property portal Gate-away.com that lists hundreds of properties to restore in Umbria and property in Puglia for foreign investors