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| Hotspots
– A detailed guide to towns in and around the Itria Valley
Alberobello
If you ignore the central tourist
area, this is a pleasant town with a relaxed atmosphere. Town
houses of interest are mainly trulli. Expect to pay 90,000-100,000
euro for a small 2-bedroomed town trullo. Outside the town
you may find a newly-restored 2-bedroomed trullo for around
120,000-130,000 euro. Trulli for restoration can range from
about 30,000 euro, but at this price you will never end up
with a very large property. Larger country properties are
not so easy to find, the area between here and Martina Franca
and Locorotondo is one of the most sought-after in the region.
You can find small masserias, country properties based on
trulli, or newer villas, but there is no good guideline available
on pricing, which varies widely from property to property.
Locorotondo
The historic centre has some
attractive houses which occasionally come up for sale. The
Locorotondo area stretches across the Itria Valley to the
south, and northwards towards Fasano, with trulli for restoration
on all sides.
Cisternino
As with Locorotondo there are
occasional historic centre properties for sale, either habitable
or needing restoration/update, also trulli in the surrounding
countryside. Towards Ostuni and Ceglie Messapica property
prices fall away slightly, but still expect to pay 130,000
to 140,000 euro for a 3 bedroomed trullo property needing
some modernisation.
Putignano, Castellana and Conversano
To the west of Alberobello
the landscape changes subtly, and trulli become less evident.
This area does have some attractive properties and is more
in demand. There are country villas for sale, with prices
from around 120,000 euro for a 3 bed-roomed property, trulli
for restoration from around 40,000 euro. Conversano’s
historic centre has some attractive town houses.
Selva di Fasano, Canale di Pirro
In the hills above the plains
town of Fasano there is a range of property available, sometimes
with dramatic panoramic views over the plain below to the
Adriatic. Until a while ago this area was notable for its
summer villas, spread across woody hill slopes. Today it is
more in demand for all-year-round living and makes a pleasant
and convenient base for both the Adriatic beaches and the
inland towns. Development here is now limited, so prices are
expected to continue rising in the future.
Currently available are apartments, villas
and trullo properties. New 3-bed apartments with sea views
start at around 120,000 euros, and 3-bedroomed villas from
around 160,000 euros. Trullo properties can be found inland,
either for restoration or restored, with prices similar to
the Itria Valley.
Fasano
area
The
town of Fasano is surrounded by ancient olive groves, with
huge numbers of olive trees some of which are a thousand years
old. Because of the uniqueness of the area, there is now heavy
presumption against development here, which is making finding
properties on the Fasano plain between the coast and the hills
difficult.
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It
is possible to find the occasional modernised property in
the plain, expect to pay around 250,000 or more for a modern
or trullo-based property. There is also the opportunity in
the foothills to the south to buy small rustic property for
restoration, either trulli or other stone-built country buildings,
from 30,000 euro upwards.
The
Coast
There
is a string of small resorts on the coast between the modern
fishing village of Savelletri to Costa Merlata. Torre Canne
is a heavily developed – if small – beach resort,
for better property options it is worth looking at the villages
of Pilone, Rosa Marina, Villanova and Costa Merlata. These
have attractive leafy avenues and small family beaches.
Villas
close to the sea start at around 200,000 euro for 2 bedrooms.
For villas fronting the sea or literally within a stone’s
throw expect asking prices of between 400,000 and 600,000.
Ostuni
Ostuni
is a very popular town with visitors, and there is a good
range of property in the surrounding area. You will find small
country properties with stone “lamias” or trulli
in the distinctive Ostuni style, with flat or domed roofs,
also a good range of country villas.
Again
finding property towards the sea is more difficult than inland,
and inland property tends to give you more for your euros.
The area has been growing in popularity with foreign buyers
in the last year and this is expected to show its effect in
availability and prices of property.
Country
properties with land start at around 50,000 euros needing
restoration. Newly converted and restored start at around
110,000-120,000 for 2 bedrooms. Modern villas, habitable but
maybe needing some modernisation, start at around 65,000 euro.
Larger villas and masserias are also available.
South
of Ostuni
The
countryside changes south of Ostuni, with flatter land becoming
dominated by olive groves. Property here is good value. Around
San Michele Salentino a large group of trulli for restoration
can cost from 35,000 euro, a 2 bedroomed restoration, a habitable
trullo with extension or new villa will cost around 90,000
euro. The area is a little more remote than eg the Itria Valley,
but there is the advantage here of easy access to Brindisi
airport.
Ceglie
Messapica is a fairly attractive small town but it does not
have the cachet of, say, Martina Franca or Ostuni. Property
prices here are somewhere between those of San Michele and
the Itria Valley. |
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