Cheap houses for sale in Italy

Italy has made headlines with its €1 homes, but the more realistic opportunity for most buyers is the large number of ordinary houses in the countryside and small villages that sell for a modest price, already habitable or needing a sensible amount of work. Many inland areas have lost population for decades, and that shows in the prices, especially away from the famous parts of Tuscany, the lakes and the coast.

We list only a small number of Italian houses right now, starting in Lazio, in the hills of northern Lazio near the borders of Tuscany and Umbria. We add more as we find detached houses in nature that meet our criteria: under €150,000, a real broker listing, and a setting with land, views or woodland rather than a flat in town.

Buying in Italy goes through a notaio, who draws up the final deed and collects the taxes. You will need an Italian tax code (codice fiscale) before you can sign. Citizens of the EU and EEA can buy freely; for some non-EU nationalities, Italy applies a reciprocity check. Registration tax on a second home bought from a private seller is higher than on a main home. Our guide to buying a house in Italy as a foreigner explains the steps, the role of the geometra and notaio, and the taxes, with links to the Agenzia delle Entrate.